| SACRAL DIMPLE: |
"Dimple" at the tip of tail bone. |
| SACROILIAC JOINT: |
The juncture between the sacrum and the ilium. |
| SACRUM: |
Triangular bone at the base of the spinal column. |
| SAPHENOUS VEIN: |
Large vein in the leg. |
| SCAPULA: |
Shoulder blade. |
| SCAPULOHUMERAL: |
Relating to the scapula (shoulder blade) and the humerus (bone of the
upper arm). |
| SCAR TISSUE: |
A mark left on damaged tissue after it has healed. It can form on the
skin or on internal wounds. |
| SCIATIC NERVE: |
The largest nerve in the body provides sensory and motor function to
the lower extremeties. |
| SCLERA: |
The white, fibrous outer membrane of the eyeball. |
| SCLEROSIS: |
A induration or hardening, especially hardening of a part from inflammation
and in diseases of the interstitial substance. The term is used chiefly
for such a hardening of the nervous system due to hyperplasia of the connective
tissue or to designate hardening of the blood vessels. |
| SCOLIOSIS: |
Abnormal curvature of the spine. |
| SCROTUM: |
The pouch that holds the testicles. |
| SEBORRHEA: |
A accumulation of scales of greasy skin, often on the scalp. Dandruff. |
| SECRETION: |
Fluid formed by a gland, containing enzymes, hormones or waste products. |
| SEIZURE: |
A seizure is a sudden attack of epileptic convulsion. It is a result
of involuntary electrical activity in the brain. It can be associated with
uncontrolled motor (movement) or sensory system action. Accordingly, a
patient suffering a seizure may experience uncontrollable body movements,
unusual smells or tastes and have loss of consciousness (awareness of surroundings). |
| SENSITIVITY: |
Tendency to be acutely affected by a stimulus or substance. |
| SENSORIMOTOR: |
A term applied to the combination of the input of sensations and the
output of motor activity. The motor activity reflects what is happening
to the sensory organs such as the visual, auditory, tactual and kinesthetic
sensations. Also referred to as "perceptual motor". |
| SENSORY: |
Relating to sensation. |
| SENSORY NEURAL: |
Relating to the nerves of the ear. |
| SEPTAL DEFECT: |
Hole in the wall separating the two atria or the two ventricles. |
| SEPTUM: |
Thin partition within or between anatomical structures or organs. |
| SEQUENTIAL: |
Occurring in order of arrangement. |
| SEROTONIN: |
A neurotransmitter involved in the processes of sleep and memory, as
well as other neurological functions. |
| SERUM: |
Clear fluid which remains after the corpuscles and fibrin have been
removed from the blood. |
| SHORT STATURE: |
Height/length less than the 5th percentile for age. |
| SHUNT: |
1. A passage that diverts blood flow from one route to another. May
occur naturally or be created surgically.
2. A catheter (tube) that carries cerebrospinal fluid from a ventricle
in the brain to another area of the body. |
| SICKLED CELLS: |
In children with sickle cell disease, hemoglobin molecules in red blood
cells stick to one another and cause the red cells to become crescent or
sickle shaped. Sickled cells cannot pass easily through tiny blood vessels. |
| SILENT CARRIERS: |
When both parents carry defective, recessive genes (genes determine
hereditary characteristics). |
| SIMIAN CREASE: |
Single transverse palbral flexian crease in hand. |
| SINUSES: |
Empty spaces or cavities usually within a bony structure. |
| SKELETON: |
The skeleton is composed of bones and is the framework of the body. |
| SMALL INTESTINE: |
The part of the digestive tube connecting the stomach to the colon.
The small intestine is divided into the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. |
| SONOGRAM: |
The image produced by ultrasound. |
| SPASM: |
A sudden powerful, involuntary contraction of the muscle. |
| SPASTICITY: |
Increased muscle tone (hypertonic), involuntary resistance of weak
muscle caused by passive range of motion followed by sudden relaxation
of muscle, associated with exaggeration of reflexes. Causes stiffness,
awkward movements, and loss of voluntary muscle control. |
| SPATIAL: |
Relating to space. |
| SPHINCTER: |
A circular band of muscle fibers that constricts or closes a passage
or opening. |
| SPINAL CANAL: |
The channel in the spinal column that contains the spinal cord. |
| SPINAL COLUMN: |
The skeletal structure composed of the vertebrae that encloses the
spinal cord. |
| SPINAL CORD: |
That part of the central nervous system contained within the vertebral
column. |
| SPINE: |
A column of bones and cartilage in the back which begin at the base
of the skull and continue to the pelvis. |
| SPLAYED LABIA MAJORA: |
A minor malformation of the outer area of the female genitalia. |
| SPLEEN: |
An organ that produces lymphocytes, filters the blood, stores blood
cells, and destroys those that are aging. It is located on the left side
of the abdomen near the stomach. |
| SPLENOMEGALY: |
Enlarged spleen. |
| SPONTANEOUS MUTATION: |
A new change in a gene occurred around the time of conception. |
| SPORADIC: |
Occurring in isolated cases. |
| SPUTUM: |
The fluid produced by the lungs and lower airway and ejected by coughing. |
| STATIC: |
Without movement. |
| STATUS EPILEPTICUS: |
A situation in which two major epileptic seizures occur, one right
after the other. In such a case, immediate emergency room attention is
required. Status epilepticus happens rarely. |
| STENOSIS: |
Unnatural narrowing of a passage or opening in the body. |
| STENOSIS, AORTIC: |
Narrowing of the valve opening between the left ventricle and the aorta. |
| STENOSIS, MITRAL: |
Narrowing of the valve between the left atrium and ventricle. |
| STERILE: |
Unable to father children because of a reduced sperm count. |
| STERNUM: |
The breastbone. |
| STILLBORN: |
Dead at birth. |
| STOMA: |
Artificially created opening between two passages or body cavities - often found where a G-Tube is inserted. |
| STOMACH: |
A muscular pouch that helps in the digestion of food by mixing it with
digestive juices and churning it into a thin liquid. |
| STOOL: |
Body waste excreted from the bowel; feces. |
| STRABISMUS: |
Crossed eyes, or eyes turning inward. |
| STRIAE: |
Streaks or stripes. |
| STRIDOR: |
Unusual noise during respiration - mostly inhalation. |
| STROKE: |
Sudden, severe attack that results in brain damage. Usually sudden
paralysis or speech difficulty results from injury to the brain or spinal
cord by a blood clot, hemorrhage or occlusion of blood supply to the brain
from a narrowed or blocked artery. |
| SUBGLOTTIS: |
The lowest part of the larynx; the area from just below the vocal cords
down to the top of the trachea. |
| SULCIFORM: |
A groove, especially of the brain. |
| SUPINE: |
Lying on the back. |
| SUPPORTIVE CARE: |
Treatment given to prevent, control, or relieve complications and side
effects and to improve the patient's comfort and quality of life. |
| SUPRAGLOTTIS: |
The upper part of the larynx, including the epiglottis; the area above
the vocal cords. |
| SUPRAVALVAR: |
Above aortic or pulmonary valve. |
| SURFACTANT: |
A substance lining the air sacs in the lungs which enhances expansion
of the lungs during inspiration. |
| SURGERY: |
An operation. |
| SUTURE: |
The process of joining two surfaces by stitching; or, the surgical
stitch itself. |
| SYNAPSE: |
The junction of two nerve cells (neurons). |
| SYNDROME: |
Group of symptoms or features occurring together often enough to constitute
a disorder to which a particular name is given. |
| SYNOSTOSIS: |
Knitting together of bony material where normally the bones would be
separate. |
| SYNOVIAL FLUID: |
The fluid found in a joint. |
| SYSTEMIC: |
Relating to a whole system or group of organs. |
