Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «D»:
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Depo-Provera contraceptive
Depo-Provera contraceptive: Injectable progestin (Depo-Provera) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for contraception in 1992. It is injected by a health professional into the woman's buttocks or arm muscle every three months.
Depo-Provera prevents pregnancy in three ways: I...
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Depression
Depression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts, that affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition t...
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Depression, agitated
Depression, agitated: See: Agitated depression....
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Depression, bipolar
Depression, bipolar: See: Bipolar disorder....
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Depression, dysthymia
Depression, dysthymia: A type of depression involving long-term, chronic symptoms that are not disabling, but keep a person from functioning at "full
steam" or from feeling good. Dysthymia is a less severe type of depression than what is accorded the diagnosis of major depression. However, people wi...
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Depression, major
Depression, major: A disease that interferes with the ability to work, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities.
The signs and symptoms of major depression include loss of interest in activities that were once interesting or enjoyable, including sex; loss of appetite (anorexia) with weight ...
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Depression, winter
Depression, winter: See: SAD....
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Dercum disease
Dercum disease: A condition
characterized by painful fatty tumors (lipomas) beneath the skin. The diseases tends to be associated with obesity and is about 5
times more frequent in females than in males. Onset of symptoms is generally in middle age. The fatty tumors are most often located on the t...
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Dermabrasion
Dermabrasion: Dermabrasion is a surgical procedure that involves the controlled abrasion (wearing away) of the upper layers of the skin with sandpaper or other mechanical means.
The purpose of dermabrasion is to smoothen the skin and, in the process, remove small scars (as from acne), moles (nevi),...
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Dermal
Dermal: Pertaining to the skin. From the Greek word derma for skin....
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Dermatan sulfate
Dermatan sulfate: An glycosaminoglycan (formerly called a mucopolysaccharide) found mostly in skin but also in blood vessels, the heart valves, tendons, and the lungs. Dermatan sulfate accumulates abnormally in several of the mucopolysaccharidosis disorders....
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Dermatitis
Dermatitis: Inflammation of the skin, either due to
direct contact with an irritating substance, or to an allergic
reaction. Symptoms of dermatitis include redness, itching, and in
some cases blistering. There are two types of dermatitis:
eczematous (eczema) and noneczematous (also called occupa...
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Dermatitis and diarrhea, zinc deficiency
Dermatitis and diarrhea, zinc deficiency:Among the
consequences of zinc deficiency, dermatitis (skin inflammation) and
diarrhea are particularly prominent features.
A genetic disease called acrodermatitis enteropathica in which
there is impaired zinc uptake from the intestine is, in fact,
charac...
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Dermatitis, atopic
Dermatitis, atopic: A skin disease characterized by areas of severe itching, redness, scaling, and loss of the surface of the skin (excoriation). When the eruption (rash) has been present for a prolonged time, chronic changes occur due to the constant scratching and rubbing known as lichenification...
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Dermatitis, stasis
Dermatitis, stasis: A skin irritation on the lower legs, generally related to circulatory problems.
Stasis refers to a stoppage or slowdown in the flow of blood (or other body fluid such as lymph).
A stasis ulcer is an ulcer (a crater) that develops in an area in which the circulation is sluggish ...
