Word Of The Day

Dorland's Word of the Day is a great way to broaden your knowledge of medical terminology. With a new and interesting term brought to you from the 32nd edition of Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary each day, it's an easy and fun way to increase your medical vocabulary!

You can view a new word on this website each day.

Today's Word

sea-blue histiocyte syndrome

a rare disorder characterized by the presence of abnormal histiocytes that stain blue with Wright and Giemsa stains (sea-blue histiocytes), accompanied by splenomegaly. Clinically it may range from a benign course with mild purpura secondary to thrombocytopenia, to progressive cirrhosis, hepatic failure, and death. The etiology is unknown, but sometimes it is inherited as an autosomal recessive condition. Called also sea-blue histiocytosis.

Word of the Day Archive

micromanipulation

1. surgery, injection, dissection, or other procedures done with a micromanipulator.

template method

a bleeding time test in which a template with a standard-sized slit is laid on the patient's forearm and an incision is made through the slit with a standard-sized knife.

caliper method

a method for approximating fat content in the body by measuring the thickness of folds of the skin at stated areas of the body by means of specially designed calipers.

menotropins

an extract of human postmenopausal urine containing both follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone. In females, it has the property of stimulating growth and maturation of ovarian follicles. In males, it has the properties of maintaining and stimulating testicular Leydig cells related to testosterone production and of being responsible for full development and maturation of spermatozoa in the seminiferous tubules. It is used to treat male hypogonadism, to induce ovulation and pregnancy in anovulatory women in whom the anovulation is not due to primary ovarian failure, and to increase the numbers of oocytes for patients attempting conception using assisted reproductive technologies such as gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) or in vitro fertilization; administered intramuscularly. Called also human menopausal gonadotropin.

premature menopause

premature cessation of ovulation and menstrual cycles, occurring before age 40, sometimes caused by primary germ cell deficiency, acquired refractoriness to pituitary gonadotropin, or autoimmunization. Called also premature ovarian failure.

epiretinal membrane

a pathologic membrane partially covering the surface of the retina, probably originating chiefly from the retinal pigment epithelial and glial cells; membranes peripheral to the macula are generally asymptomatic, while those involving the macula or adjacent to it may cause reduction in vision, visual distortion, and diplopia.

traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)

the diverse body of medical theory and practice that has evolved in China, comprising four branches: acupuncture and moxibustion, herbal medicine, qi gong, and tui na. Although TCM encompasses a variety of theory and practice, all of its forms share certain underlying characteristics. The body and mind are considered together as a dynamic system subject to cycles of change and affected by the environment, and emphasis is on supporting the body's self-healing ability. Fundamental to TCM are the yin/yang principle and the concept of basic substances that pervade the body: qi, jing (essence), and shen (spirit), collectively known as the three treasures, and the blood (a fluid and material manifestation of qi) and body fluids (which moisten and lubricate the body). Disease arises from a disturbance of qi within the body, the particular pathological process depending on the location of the disturbance; causes are classified into three groups, external (which are environmental), internal (emotions), and miscellaneous (such as diet, fatigue, or trauma). Diagnosis is by visual assessment, listening and smelling, questioning, and palpation; a single biomedical disease may be associated with a large number of TCM diagnoses, while one TCM diagnosis may encompass a number of biomedical diseases. Once a diagnosis is established, therapy aims at restoring the body's homeostasis by treating the root cause of the disease.