Category: C

Surgical removal of a cone of tissue, such as excision of cervical tissue for microscopic examination. Removal of a conical piece of tissue. Surgical removal of a cone of tissue. The technique is commonly used in excising a portion of the cervix (neck) of the womb. Cone biopsy refers to the surgical procedure of removing…

Plug of dried, discolored fatty matter clogging a pore of the skin; commonly called a black-head. A blackhead, as seen in acne. A small point of dark, hard matter in a sebaceous follicle, often found associated with acne on the skin of adolescents. Comedones, accumulation, in a hair follicle or oil gland, of dead cells…

Sexual union of a man and a woman in which the penis is inserted into the vagina, usually accompanied by excitement and often orgasm and ejaculation; also called intercourse; sexual intercourse. The sexual union of two people of the opposite sex, in which the man’s penis enters the woman’s vagina. Sexual intercourse between a man…

Breathing pattern disturbance characterized by a period of deep, rapid respirations followed by a period of shallow respirations or no respirations at all. The cycle rhythmically repeats every 45 seconds to 3 minutes. Irregular breathing, usually found in people who are unconscious, with short breaths gradually increasing to deep breaths, then reducing again, until breathing…

Inflammation of the cervix of the uterus, often caused by fungal or bacterial infection, characterized by redness, vaginal discharge, pelvic pain, slight bleeding on intercourse, itching, and burning. Treatment is by antibiotics, topical ointments, or cautery. Inflammation owing to infection or injury of the cervix, the narrow part (neck) at the lower end of the…

Increase in the volume of the heart or the size of the heart muscle tissue. Enlargement of the heart. Usually due to some form of cardiac disease (e.g., hypertension, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy). Mild cardiomegaly may be normal in some very athletic individuals. Enlargement of the heart. The heart can increase in size as a…

Malignant cell changes in the epithelial tissue that do not extend beyond the basement membrane; “cancer in place.” Noninvasive cancer. The first stage in the development of a cancer, where the epithelial cells begin to change. Small cluster or nest of malignant cells that has not yet invaded the deeper epithelial tissue layers or spread…

A fracture in which a broken bone breaks through the skin. A break in the bone where the bone protrudes through the skin, simple fracture. A fracture where the skin surface is damaged or where the broken bone penetrates the surface of the skin. Alternate term for open fracture, a type of fracture in which…

Structures in the cell nucleus that carry genetic information. Each human cell has 23 pairs of chromosomes; 22 pairs are autosomal, that is, they are the same in both sexes. The other pair are sex chromosomes, which are either XX (female) or XY (male). Structures in the nucleus of a cell that function in the…