| alternating current | Electrical current which alternates direction periodically. (For instance, household electric current is AC alternating at 60 oscillations/sec (60 Hertz) in the United States, and 50 Hertz in many other countries.) Acronym: AC (09 Oct 1997) |
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| alternating light test | Test to detect a relative afferent defect in one eye by watching pupillary movements. With the patient fixing in the distance, the light is held on each eye for about a second, and quickly moved to the other eye. Assuming no defect of the innervation to the iris sphincter in one eye (which would produce an anisocoria in light), the eye with the weaker light response has a relative afferent pupillary defect. This asymmetry of pupillomotor input can be estimated by holding neutral density filters in front of the better eye until the pupillary responses of the two eyes are balanced. Synonym: swinging light test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| alternating mydriasis | Mydriasis alternately affecting each eye. (05 Mar 2000) |
| alternating pulse | Mechanical alternation, a pulse regular in time but with alternate beats stronger and weaker, often detectable only with the sphygmomanometer and usually indicating serious myocardial disease. Synonym: pulsus alternans. (05 Mar 2000) |
| alternating strabismus | A form of strabismus in which either eye fixes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| alternating tremor | A form of hyperkinesia characterised by regular, symmetrical, to-and-fro movements (at about 4 per second) that are produced by patterned, alternating contraction of muscles and their antagonists. (05 Mar 2000) |
| rachitic scoliosis | Scoliosis occurring as a result of rickets. (05 Mar 2000) |
| paralytic scoliosis | Lateral curvature of the spine due to paralysis of spinal muscles. (05 Mar 2000) |
| myopathic scoliosis | Lateral curvature due to weakness of the spinal muscles, as in poliomyelitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| coxitic scoliosis | Scoliosis in the lumbar spine resulting from tilting of the pelvis in a case of hip disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| habit scoliosis | Scoliosis supposedly due to habitual standing or sitting in an improper position. (05 Mar 2000) |
| sciatic scoliosis | Scoliosis caused by asymmetric spasm of spinal muscles usually associated with sciatica, usually presenting as a list toward one side. (05 Mar 2000) |
| scoliosis | <anatomy> A congenital lateral curvature of the spine. (27 Sep 1997) |
| static scoliosis | Lateral curvature of the spine due to inequality in length of the legs. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ocular scoliosis | Scoliosis supposed to be due to head tilting, caused by ophthalmological dysfunction. (05 Mar 2000) |