| left-sidedness | The normal left-sided location of certain unpaired organs, such as the spleen and most of the stomach. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| left-to-right shunt | A diversion of blood from the left side of the heart to right (as through a septal defect), or from the systemic circulation to the pulmonary (as through a patent ductus arteriosus). (05 Mar 2000) |
| left-to-right shunts | <radiology> Atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, aorticopulmonary window, endocardial cushion defect, partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (12 Dec 1998) |
| left triangular ligament | <anatomy> A triangular fold of fibrous connective tissue and peritoneum that extends from the left lobe of the liver to the diaphragm. Synonym: ligamentum triangulare sinistrum. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left ventricle | <anatomy> The muscular chamber of the heart which accepts blood from the left atrium and ejects it into the aorta to the systemic circulation. (27 Sep 1997) |
| left-ventricular assist device | Mechanical pump inserted at some point in the circulation to parallel the activity of the left ventricle and thereby reduce its load. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left ventricular ejection time | The time measured clinically from onset to incisural notch of the carotid or other pulse; properly the time of ejection of blood from the left ventricle beginning with aortic valve opening and ending with aortic valve closure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left ventricular failure | <cardiology> A disorder where the left side of the heart fails to pump blood effectively. This results in a back flow (and pressure) and congestion of blood into the lungs. The causes of this condition include, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, anaemia, hyperthyroidism, atrial myxoma, drug toxicity and congenital heart disease. Risk factors include diabetes, alcoholism, obesity and smoking. Symptoms include increasing shortness of breath with activity and while lying flat. Other symptoms include cough, palpitations, fatigue, decreased urine production and waking in the middle of the nigh with difficulty breathing. Complications include pulmonary oedema, arrhythmias and pleural effusion. (27 Sep 1997) |
| left ventricular hypertrophy | <radiology> Coarctation, aortic stenosis (12 Dec 1998) |
| left ventricular myomectomy | Resection of myocardial tissue used in cases of idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left ventricular volume overload | <radiology> VSD, patent ductus arteriosus, mitral incompetence, aortic incompetence (12 Dec 1998) |
| ligament of left vena cava | The obliterated left common cardinal vein; it extends from the left brachiocephalic vein to the oblique vein of the left atrium. Synonym: ligamentum venae cavae sinistrae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lingula of left lung | An inferomedial projection from the anterior aspect of the upper lobe of the left lung which bounds the cardiac notch inferiorly. Synonym: lingula pulmonis sinistri. (05 Mar 2000) |
| accessory cephalic vein | <anatomy, vein> A variable vein that passes along the radial border of the forearm to join the cephalic vein near the elbow. Synonym: vena cephalica accessoria. (05 Mar 2000) |
| accessory hemiazygos vein | <anatomy, vein> Formed by the union of the fourth to seventh left posterior intercostal veins, passes along the side of the bodies of the fifth, sixth, and seventh thoracic vertebrae, then crosses the midline behind the aorta, oesophagus, and thoracic duct, and empties into the azygos vein, sometimes in common with the hemiazygos vein. Synonym: vena hemiazygos accessoria, vena azygos minor superior. (05 Mar 2000) |