| edema | <clinical sign> The presence of abnormally large amounts of fluid in the intercellular tissue spaces of the body, usually applied to demonstrable accumulation of excessive fluid in the subcutaneous tissues. Oedema may be localised, due to venous or lymphatic obstruction or to increased vascular permeability or it may be systemic due to heart failure or renal disease. Collections of oedema fluid are designated according to the site, for example ascites (peritoneal cavity), hydrothorax (pleural cavity) and hydropericardium (pericardial sac). Massive generalised oedema is called anasarca. Origin: Gr. Oide ma = swelling (18 Nov 1997) |
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| edema, cardiac | A manifestation of congestive heart failure caused by increased venous and capillary pressures and often associated with the retention of sodium by the kidneys. (12 Dec 1998) |
| hysterical | Relating to or characterised by hysteria. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hysterical amblyopia | An apparent loss of visual acuity or visual field with no substantiating physical signs; often due to a natural concern about visual loss combined with suggestibility and a fear of the worst; best treated with reassurance. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hysterical anaesthesia | Anaesthesia as a manifestation of hysteria, usually involving half the body or isolated patches not conforming to neuroanatomical distribution. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hysterical ataxia | Weakening of the muscle sense and increased sensibility of the skin, in hysteria. Synonym: hysterical ataxia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hysterical blindness | Loss of vision or blurring of vision following a highly traumatic event such as seeing one's child killed by a truck. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hysterical chorea | Conversion hysteria in which involuntary, quick, and purposeless (choreiform) movements constitute the chief feature. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hysterical convulsion | See: hysteria. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hysterical deafness | Hearing loss without evidence of organic cause or malingering; often follows severe psychic shock. Synonym: functional deafness, hysterical deafness. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hysterical gait | A variety of bizarre gaits seen with hysteria-conversion reaction; usually the foot is dragged or pushed ahead, instead of lifted, while walking; frequently the foot is held dorsiflexed and inverted. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hysterical joint | A simulation of joint disease, with symptoms of pain, possibly swelling, and impairment of motion. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hysterical neurosis | <psychiatry> A conversion of emotional stress or mental disturbance into a physical symptom. Examples include paralysis, blindness, inability to speak or another sudden debilitating problem for no reason evident through testing. (27 Sep 1997) |
| hysterical paralysis | A psychosomatic numbness of a limb sometimes to the point of paralysis. See: hysteria. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hysterical polydipsia | Excessive fluid consumption resulting from a disorder of the personality, without demonstrable organic lesion. Synonym: hysterical polydipsia. (05 Mar 2000) |