Category: T

Using tobacco that is not smoked but is placed in the mouth. When tobacco is chewed or placed between the cheek and gum, nicotine mixes with the saliva and enters the bloodstream through the mucous membrane lining the mouth. Smokeless tobacco produces the same nicotine drug response as tobacco smoking, but without the need to…

A fungal infection of the skin. Tinea versicolor is characterized by a rash consisting of scaly white and tan patches on the upper arms, chest, and back. The majority of people who develop the infection are teenagers or young adults. Another term for pityriasis versicolor, a widespread skin condition resulting from fungal infection. A persistent…

A diagnostic procedure that generates an image of the thyroid gland. Thyroid scanning is one of several thyroid function tests. The test is performed to determine the size, structure, and function of the thyroid gland and to diagnose the cause of an overactive thyroid. Methods like radionuclide scanning and ultrasound scanning provide details about the…

A localized swelling in the thyroid gland. Thyroid nodules affect a small segment of the population, usually without symptoms. In rare instances, a thyroid nodule is an indication of thyroid cancer. The nodules are more common in women but are more likely to be cancerous in men. Older people tend to develop nodules more often…

Diagnostic procedures that measure the performance of the thyroid gland. These tests detect hyperthyroidism (overactivity of the thyroid gland) or hypothyroidism (underactivity of the thyroid gland), and the tests include blood tests and thyroid scanning procedures. A test for evidence of increased or decreased thyroid function, including a clinical physical examination, which is usually reliable,…

Drugs used to dissolve blood clots and to open blood vessels. Thrombolytic drugs are used in the treatment of blood clots within blood vessels in the heart and lungs and in clotting associated with hip replacement. Thrombolytic drugs are also used to prevent clotting when tubes are placed in the body. If given within 3…

A malignant tumor originating in the cells that cover the mucous membrane lining the throat. Throat cancer is also known as cancer of the pharynx. This cancer tends to penetrate the mucous membrane and muscle layers, spreading into surrounding tissue as it grows. It can spread to lymph nodes in the neck and into the…

A class of oral drugs for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, TYPE 2. They work by increasing the sensitivity of tissues to insulin. They restore the blood sugar level to normal without producing low blood sugar. Examples of this drug type include pioglitazone HCl and rosiglitazone maleate.  

A twisting of the testicle on its blood supply, which blocks blood flow. Torsion usually affects only one testicle, and it typically causes sudden, severe pain accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The testicle quickly swells, the skin of the scrotum (the pouch between the legs containing the testicles) turns red, and the pain radiates into…

The surgical procedure for releasing a tendon from surrounding adhesions. When a tendon is restricted, normal mobility is impaired. Tenolysis restores this function.