| irritable colon | A functional bowel disorder characterised by recurrent crampy abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Invasive gastrointestinal diagnostics are often unrevealing. (27 Sep 1997) |
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| syndrome, irritable bowel | A common gastrointestinal disorder (also called spastic colitis, mucus colitis or nervous colon syndrome), ibs is an abnormal condition of gut contractions (motility) characterised by abdominal pain, bloating, mucous in stools, and irregular bowel habits with more than alternating diarrhoea and constipation, symtoms that tend to be chronic and wax and wane over the years. Although ibs can cause chronic recurrent discomfort, it does not lead to any serious organ problems. Diagnosis usually involves more than excluding other illnesses. Treatment is directed toward relief of symptoms and includes high fibre diet, exercise, relaxation techniques, avoidance of caffeine, milk products and sweeteners, and medications. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| irritable | 1. Capable of being irriated. 2. Very susceptible of anger or passion; easily inflamed or exasperated; as, an irritable temper. "Vicious, old, and irritable." (Tennyson) 3. <physiology> Endowed with irritability; susceptible of irritation; capable of being excited to action by the application of certain stimuli. 4. <medicine> Susceptible of irritation; unduly sensitive to irritants or stimuli. See Irritation. Synonym: Excitable, irascible, touchy, fretful, peevish. Origin: L. Irritabilis: cf. F. Irritable. See Irritate. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| irritable bowel disease | <disease> A functional bowel disorder characterised by recurrent crampy abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Invasive gastrointestinal diagnostics are often unrevealing. (27 Sep 1997) |
| irritable bowel syndrome | <syndrome> A functional bowel disorder characterised by recurrent crampy abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Invasive gastrointestinal diagnostics are often unrevealing. (27 Sep 1997) |
| irritable breast | Swelling and induration of the breast, not due to a neoplasm, and usually of comparatively brief duration. (05 Mar 2000) |
| irritable heart | An obsolete term for neurocirculatory asthenia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| irritable mood | Abnormal or excessive excitability with easily triggered anger, annoyance, or impatience. (12 Dec 1998) |
| adenomatous colon polyps | <radiology> Probability of malignancy by size and type Size (cm) less than 1 1-2 greater than 2 --------------------------- tubular 1% 10% 34% mixed (TV) 4% 9% 45% villous 10% 10% 54%, most colon polyps (90%) are hyperplastic (size less than 5 mm) (12 Dec 1998) |
| arterial arches of colon | Anastomosing branches of the colic arteries that form arch's in the mesocolon from which the walls of the colon are supplied. See: marginal artery of colon. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ascending colon | <anatomy> The first part of the colon (large intestine) that starts in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen and ends at the transverse colon in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. (27 Sep 1997) |
| bands of colon | teniae coli |
| cancer, colon | A malignant tumour arising from the inner wall of the large intestine. The third leading cause of cancer in males, fourth in females in the U.S. Risk factors for cancer of the colon and rectum (colorectal cancer) include heredity, colon polyps, and long standing ulcerative colitis. most colorectal cancers develop from polyps. Removal of colon polyps can prevent colorectal cancer. Colon polyps and early cancer can have no symptoms. Therefore, regular screening is important. Diagnosis can be made by barium enema or by colonoscopy with biopsy confirmation of cancer tissue. Surgery is the most common treatment for colorectal cancer. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cancer, colon: screening and surveillance | Colon cancer is both preventable and curable. It is preventable by removing precancerous colon polyps. It is curable if early cancer is surgically removed before cancer spread to other parts of the body. Therefore, if screening and surveillance programs were practiced universally, there would be a major reduction in the incidence and mortality of colon cancer. (12 Dec 1998) |
| marginal artery of colon | Artery formed by anastomoses between the right and left colic artery's; it passes downward from the left colic flexure to the aboral end of the pelvic colon. Synonym: artery of Drummond, Riolan's arc. (05 Mar 2000) |
| giant colon | An abnormally large or dilated colon, the condition may be congenital or acquired, acute or chronic. (18 Nov 1997) |