Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «R»:
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Rh factor
Rh factor: An antigen found in the red blood cells
of most people: those who have Rh factor are said to be Rh positive
(Rh+), while those who do not are Rh negative (Rh-) Blood used in
transfusions much match donors for Rh status as well as for ABO blood
group, as Rh- patients will develop anem...
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Rh incompatibility
Rh incompatibility: The difference in Rh blood group types between an Rh negative mother and her Rh positive baby that leads to hemolytic disease of the newborn. The mother and baby's Rh blood group types are therefore said to be "incompatible."
The red blood cells of an Rh+ (Rh positive) fetus ma...
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Rhabdomyolysis
Fat-Fighting Foods
Take the Quiz: The Human Body
Causes of Fatigue Slideshow Pictures
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Rhabdomyosarcoma
Rhabdomyosarcoma: A malignant tumor that starts in muscle.
Rhabdomyosarcoma is primarily a childhood tumor and occurs most often in children under 5 years of age. Over 60% of cases show up before age 10. On rare occasions, rhabdomyosarcoma affects adults.
Rhabdomyosarcoma can begin anywhere there...
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Rheumatic fever
Rheumatic fever: An illness that occurs following a streptococcus infection (such as a "strep throat") or scarlet fever and predominantly affects
children. Symptoms include fever, pain in the joints,
nausea, stomach cramps, and vomiting. Rheumatic fever can cause long-lasting effects in the skin, j...
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Rheumatic heart disease
Rheumatic heart disease: Heart damage caused by
rheumatic fever. Treatment is by preventing reinfection with strep and by treating
with heart drugs as needed....
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Rheumatism
Rheumatism: Rheumatism is an older term, used to
describe any of
a number of painful conditions of muscles, tendons, joints, and
bones.
Rheumatism conditions have been classified as either localized,
regional, or generalized. Localized rheumatism conditions include
bursitis and tendinitis. R...
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Rheumatism, generalized
Rheumatism, generalized: Rheumatism affecting
many and diverse parts of the body, such as
fibromyalgia....
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Rheumatism, localized
Rheumatism, localized: Rheumatism confined to a
specific location, such as bursitis and tendonitis....
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Rheumatism, psychogenic
Rheumatism, psychogenic: Rheumatism in which the
patient reports inconsistent pains of muscles and joints
that do not correspond to true anatomy and physiology. The
patient is felt to have underlying psychological causes for
these symptoms....
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Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune disease which
causes chronic inflammation of the joints, the tissue around the joints, as well as other organs in the body. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body tissues are mistakenly
attacked by its own immune system. The immune system is a complex organizati...
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Rheumatoid arthritis, systemic-onset juvenile
Rheumatoid arthritis, systemic-onset juvenile: See: Arthritis, systemic-onset juvenile rheumatoid....
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Rheumatoid factor
Rheumatoid factor: Rheumatoid factor is an abnormal antibody that is
measurable in the blood. Rheumatoid factor is commonly used as a blood test for the diagnosis of
rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid factor is present in about 80% of adults (but a much
lower proportion of children) with rheumatoid a...
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Rheumatoid nodules
Rheumatoid nodules: Rheumatoid nodules are firm lumps in the skin
of patients with rheumatoid arthritis that usually occur in pressure points of the body,
most commonly the elbows ...
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Rheumatoid spondylitis
Rheumatoid spondylitis: See: Ankylosing spondylitis....