C Glossary

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C

CA-125 test - Blood test to detect an elevated level of a protein antigen called CA-125, which may indicate ovarian cancer, among other disorders.

calcium - Mineral that gives strength to bones and teeth and has an important role in muscle contraction, blood clotting, and nerve function.

calcium channel blocker (or calcium blocker) - A medication that lowers blood pressure.

calculi - Stones or solid lumps such as gallstones.

campylobacter pylori - The original name for the bacterium that causes ulcers. The new name is Helicobacter pylori.

cancer - General term for a large group of diseases (more than 100), all characterized by uncontrolled growth, invasion, and spread of abnormal cells to other parts of the body.

candidiasis - A mild infection caused by the Candida fungus, which lives naturally in the gastrointestinal tract. Infection occurs when a change in the body, such as surgery, causes the fungus to overgrow suddenly.

capillaries - Tiny blood vessels between arteries and veins that distribute oxygen-rich blood to the body.

capsule - The layer of cells around an organ such as the prostate.

carbohydrates - One of the three main classes of food and a source of energy. Carbohydrates are the sugars and starches found in breads, cereals, fruits, and vegetables. During digestion, carbohydrates are changed into a simple sugar called glucose. Glucose is stored in the liver until cells need it for energy.

carcinoma - Cancer that begins in the tissues that line or cover an organ.

cardiac - Of, near, or relating to the heart.

cardiac arrest - The stopping of heartbeat.

cardiac catheterization - A diagnostic procedure in which a tiny, hollow tube (catheter) is inserted into an artery to go to the heart in order to image the heart and blood vessels.

cardiac output - The amount of blood that goes through the circulatory system in one minute.

cardiology - The clinical study and practice of treating the heart.

cardiomyopathy - A disease of the heart muscle that causes it to lose its pumping strength.

cardiothoracic - Of or relating to the heart and the chest.

cardiovascular - Of, relating to, or involving the heart and the blood vessels.

cardioversion - The procedure of applying electrical shock to the chest to change an abnormal heartbeat into a normal one.

caroli's disease - An inherited condition. Bile ducts in the liver are enlarged and may cause irritation, infection, or gallstones.

carotid arteries - The major arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain.

carpal tunnel syndrome - Pressure on the median nerve as it enters the hand through a tunnel in the wrist.

cartilage - a smooth material that covers bone ends of a joint to cushion the bone and allow the joint to move easily without pain.

cathartics - Laxatives.

catheter - A thin, flexible tube that carries fluids into or out of the body.

causalgia - A burning pain in a limb along the course of a peripheral nerve; usually associated with skin changes.

cecostomy - A tube that goes through the skin into the beginning of the large intestine to remove gas or feces. This is a short-term way to protect part of the colon while it heals after surgery.

cecum - The beginning of the large intestine. The cecum is connected to the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum.

celiac disease - Inability to digest and absorb gliadin, the protein found in wheat. Undigested gliadin causes damage to the lining of the small intestine. This prevents absorption of nutrients from other foods. Celiac disease is also called celiac sprue, gluten intolerance, and nontropical sprue.

central nervous system - The brain and the spinal cord.

cerebellum - A large structure consisting of two halves (hemispheres) located in the lower part of the brain; responsible for the coordination of movement and balance.

cerebral embolism - A brain attack that occurs when a wandering clot (embolus) or some other particle forms in a blood vessel away from the brain - usually in the heart.

cerebral hemorrhage - A type of stroke occurs when a defective artery in the brain bursts, flooding the surrounding tissue with blood.

cerebral thrombosis - The most common type of brain attack, it occurs when a blood clot (thrombus) forms and blocks blood flow in an artery bringing blood to part of the brain.

cerebrovascular - Pertaining to blood vessels in the brain.

cerebrovascular accident - Apoplexy or stroke; an impeded blood supply to the brain.

cerebrovascular occlusion - An obstruction in the blood vessel in the brain.

cerebrum - Consists of two parts (lobes), left and right, which form the largest and most developed part of the brain; initiation and coordination of all voluntary movement take place within the cerebrum. The basal ganglia are located immediately below the cerebrum.

cervical dysplasia - Condition in which cells in the cervix have undergone precancerous changes. It is detected by a Pap smear; treatment can prevent it from progressing to cervical cancer.

cervix - Neck and lower part of the uterus. It opens into the cavity of the uterus at the top of the vagina.

cesarean delivery or section - Surgical procedure to deliver a baby through an incision in the lower abdomen and uterus.

CHAMPUS – The Civilian Health and Medical Program for Uniformed Services.

chemotherapy - Treatment with drugs to destroy cancer cells.

Chlamydia - Very common sexually transmitted disease or urinary tract infection caused by a bacteria-like organism in the urethra and reproductive system.

chlorhydria - Too much hydrochloric acid in the stomach.

cholangiography - A series of x-rays of the bile ducts.

cholangitis - Irritated or infected bile ducts.

cholecystectomy - An operation to remove the gallbladder.

cholecystitis - An irritated gallbladder.

cholecystogram, oral - An x-ray of the gallbladder and bile ducts. The patient takes pills containing a special dye to make the organs show up in the x-ray. Also called oral cholecystography.

cholecystokinin - A hormone released in the small intestine. Causes muscles in the gallbladder and the colon to tighten and relax.

choledocholithiasis - Gallstones in the bile ducts.

cholelithiasis - Gallstones in the gallbladder.

cholestasis - Blocked bile ducts often caused by gallstones

cholesterol - A fat-like substance in the body. The body makes and needs some cholesterol, which also comes from foods such as butter and egg yolks. Too much cholesterol may cause gallstones. It also may cause fat to build up in the arteries. This may cause a disease that slows or stops blood flow.

chorea - RaPID, jerky, dancelike movement of the body.

chromosomes - Filaments of genetic material in every cell nucleus that are made up of genes and that transmit genetic information from one generation of cells to the next.

chyme - A thick liquid made of partially digested food and stomach juices. This liquid is made in the stomach and moves into the small intestine for further digestion.

CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia)- Term used to classify the degree of precancerous change in cells of the cervix in a condition called cervical dysplasia.

cineangiography - The procedure of taking moving pictures to show the passage of dye through blood vessels.

circulatory system - Pertaining to the heart and blood vessels, and the circulation of blood.

cirrhosis - A chronic liver condition caused by scar tissue and cell damage. Cirrhosis makes it hard for the liver to remove poisons (toxins) like alcohol and drugs from the blood. These toxins build up in the blood and may affect brain function.

claudication - Pain or fatigue in arms and legs due to poor supply of oxygen to the muscles.

clinical trials - Research studies to test new drugs or procedures, or to compare current standard treatments (medications, procedures) with others that may be equal or better.

clostridium difficile (C. difficile) - Bacteria naturally present in the large intestine that make a substance that can cause a serious infection called pseudomembranous colitis in people taking antibiotics.

cochlear implant - An electronic apparatus that allows people with severe hearing loss to recognize some sounds, especially speech sounds, and that consists chiefly of a microphone and receiver, a processor that converts speech into electronic signals, and an array of electrodes that transmit the signals to the auditory nerve in the inner ear.

cognitive - The mental process of knowing, including aspects such as awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgment.

colectomy - An operation to remove all or part of the colon.

colic - Attacks of abdominal pain, caused by muscle spasms in the intestines.

colitis - Irritation of the colon.

collagenous colitis - A type of colitis. Caused by an abnormal band of collagen, a thread-like protein.

colon - Large intestine.

colon polyps - Small, fleshy, mushroom-shaped growths in the colon.

colonic inertia - A condition of the colon in which colon muscles do not work properly, causing constipation.

colonoscopic polypectomy - The removal of tumor-like growths (polyps) using a device inserted through a colonoscope.

colonoscopy - A test to look into the rectum and colon. The doctor uses a long, flexible, narrow tube with a light and tiny lens on the end. This tube is called a colonoscope.

coloproctectomy - See proctocolectomy.

colorectal cancer - Cancer that occurs in the colon (large intestine) or the rectum (the end of the large intestine). A number of digestive diseases may increase a person's risk of colorectal cancer, including polyposis and Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

colorectal transit study - A test to see how food moves through the colon. The patient swallows capsules that contain small markers. An x-ray tracks the movement of the capsules through the colon.

colostomy - An operation that makes it possible for stool to leave the body after the rectum has been removed. The surgeon makes an opening in the abdomen and attaches the colon to it. A temporary colostomy may be done to let the rectum heal from injury or other surgery.

colostrum - Thin, white, first milk produced by the breasts during late pregnancy and for a few days after childbirth. It provides a nursing infant with essential nutrients and infection-fighting antibodies.

colposcopy - Visual examination of the cervix and vagina using a lighted magnifying instrument (colposcope).

common bile duct - The tube that carries bile from the liver to the small intestine.

common bile duct obstruction - A blockage of the common bile duct, often caused by gallstones.

computed tomography (CT or CAT scan) - A non-invasive procedure that takes cross-sectional images of the brain or other internal organs, used to detect any abnormalities that may not show up on an ordinary x-ray. The CT scan may indicate enlarged lymph nodes -- a possible sign of a spreading cancer or of an infection.

cone biopsy - Surgical removal of a cone-shaped section of tissue from the cervix for the treatment of cervical dysplasia.

congenital - Present at birth.

congestive heart failure - A condition in which the heart cannot pump out all of the blood that enters it, which leads to an accumulation of blood in the vessels and fluid in the body tissues.

constipation - A condition in which the stool becomes hard and dry. A person who is constipated usually has fewer than three bowel movements in a week. Bowel movements may be painful.

contact dermatitis - A rash or an inflammation of the skin caused by contact with various substances.

continence - The ability to hold in a bowel movement or urine.

continent ileostomy - An operation to create a pouch from part of the small intestine. Stool that collects in the pouch is removed by inserting a small tube through an opening made in the abdomen.

contractions, labor - Rhythmic tightening of the muscular wall of the uterus to push the fetus down through the vagina during childbirth.

contusion - a bruise caused by a blow to the muscle, tendon, or ligament caused when blood pools around the injury and discolors the skin.

cornea - The transparent part of the coat of the eyeball which covers the iris and pupil and admits light to the interior.

coronary arteries - Two arteries that come from the aorta to provide blood to the heart muscle.

coronary artery bypass graft (CAB or CABG) - A surgical procedure in which a healthy blood vessel is transplanted from another part of the body into the heart to replace or bypass a diseased vessel.

coronary artery spasm - A sudden closing of an artery, which cuts off blood flow to the heart and causes symptom of angina or heart attack.

coronary heart disease - A condition in which the coronary arteries narrow from an accumulation of plaque (atherosclerosis) and cause a decrease in blood flow.

coronary occlusion - An obstruction of one of the coronary arteries that decreases flow to the heart muscle.

coronary thrombosis - The formation of a clot in one of the arteries that carry blood to the heart muscle.

cortex - The outer layer of the cerebrum, densely packed with nerve cells.

corticosteroids - Medicines such as cortisone and hydrocortisone. These medicines reduce irritation from Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. They may be taken either by mouth or as suppositories.

crohn's disease - A chronic form of inflammatory bowel disease. Crohn's disease causes severe irritation in the gastrointestinal tract. It usually affects the lower small intestine (called the ileum) or the colon, but it can affect the entire gastrointestinal tract. Also called regional enteritis and ileitis. See also inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Granuloma.

cryopreservation - To preserve by freezing. Bone marrow harvested for an autologous BMT, for example, is cryopreserved.

cryosurgery - The use of extreme cold (usually liquid nitrogen) to destroy unwanted tissue (warts or cataracts or skin cancers).

cryoprostatectomy - Freezing of the prostate through the use of liquid nitrogen probes guided by transrectal ultrasound of the prostate.

cryothalamotomy - A surgical procedure in which a supercooled probe is inserted into a part of the brain called the thalamus in order to stop tremors.

cryptosporidia - A parasite that can cause gastrointestinal infection and diarrhea. See also gastroenteritis.

CT (computed tomography) scan - A specialized X-ray study that allows careful evaluation of the bone and spinal canal.

CVS (chorionic villus sampling) - Diagnostic test usually performed between the 10th and 12th weeks of pregnancy in which a small sample of tissue is taken from the placenta and examined to detect genetic abnormalities in a fetus.

cyanosis - Insufficient oxygen in the blood.

cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) - Sudden, repeated attacks of severe vomiting (especially in children), nausea, and physical exhaustion with no apparent cause. Can last from a few hours to 10 days. The episodes begin and end suddenly. Loss of fluids in the body and changes in chemicals in the body can require immediate medical attention. Also called abdominal migraine.

cystic duct - The tube that carries bile from the gallbladder into the common bile duct and the small intestine.

cystic duct obstruction - A blockage of the cystic duct, often caused by gallstones.

cystitis - Inflammation of the bladder, usually caused by a bacterial infection.

cystocele - Condition in which weakened pelvic muscles cause the base of the bladder to drop from its usual position down into the vagina.

cystometry - Diagnostic procedure that measures bladder capacity and pressure changes as the bladder fills and empties.

cystoscope - An instrument with a narrow tube with light at one end of an opening.

cystoscopic examination - An examination of the urethra and urinary bladder with a cystoscope, an instrument with a narrow tube with light at one end of an opening.

cystoscopy - Procedure in which a viewing tube (cystoscope) is passed through the urethra to examine the inside of the bladder and ureters or to treat a disorder.

cystourethrocele - Condition that results when the urethra and its supporting tissues weaken and drop into the vagina leading to stress incontinence.

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