| PICA | percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty; Porch Index of Communicative Abilities; posterior in... |
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| PPA | palpation, percussion, auscultation; pepsin A; phenylpropanolamine; phenylpyruvic acid; Pittsburgh p... |
| RBA | relative binding affinity; rescue breathing apparatus; right basilar artery; right brachial artery; ... |
| RCA | red cell agglutination; relative chemotactic activity; renal cell carcinoma; right carotid artery; r... |
| SCA | self-care agency; severe congenital anomaly; sickle-cell anemia; single-camera autostereoscopic [ima... |
| sulcus palatinus major | A groove on both the body of the maxilla and the perpendicular plate of the palatine bone; when the bones are articulated the grooves form the greater palatine canal. Synonym: sulcus palatinus major, pterygopalatine groove, sulcus for greater palatine nerve, sulcus pterygopalatinus. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| depression, major | Major depression is manifested by a combination of symptoms (see Depression, symptoms of) that interfere with the ability to work, sleep, eat, and enjoy once pleasurable activities. These disabling episodes of depression can occur once, twice, or several times in a lifetime. (12 Dec 1998) |
| ductus sublingualis major | The duct that drains the anterior portion of the sublingual gland; it opens at the sublingual papilla. Synonym: ductus sublingualis major, Bartholin's duct. (05 Mar 2000) |
| incisura ischiadica major | The deep indentation in the posterior border of the hip bone at the point of union of the ilium and ischium. Synonym: incisura ischiadica major, iliosciatic notch, sacrosciatic notch. (05 Mar 2000) |
| insurance, major medical | Insurance providing a broad range of medical services and supplies, when prescribed by a physician, whether or not the patient is hospitalised. It frequently is an extension of a basic policy and benefits will not begin until the basic policy is exhausted. (12 Dec 1998) |
| teres major | <anatomy, muscle> Origin, inferior angle and lower third of border of scapula; insertion, medial border of intertubercular groove of humerus; action, adducts and extends arm and rotates it medially; nerve supply, lower subscapular from posterior cord of brachial plexus (fifth and sixth cervical spinal nerves). Synonym: musculus teres major. (05 Mar 2000) |
| thalassaemia major | The dire disease also known as beta thalassaemia. The clinical picture of this form of anaemia was first described in 1925 by the paediatrician thomas benton cooley. Other names for the disease are cooley's anaemia and mediterranean anaemia. The term thalassaemia was coined by the nobel prise winning pathologist george whipple and the professor of paediatrics william bradford at u. Of rochester because thalassa in greek means the sea (like the mediterrranean sea) + -aemia means in the blood so thalassaemia means sea in the blood. Thalassaemia is not just one disease. It is a complex contingent of genetic (inherited) disorders all of which involve underproduction of haemoglobin, the indispensable molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen. The globin part of normal adult haemoglobin is made up of 2 alpha and 2 beta polypeptide chains. In beta thalassaemia, there is a mutation (change) in both beta globin chains leading to underproduction (or absence) of beta chains, underproduction of haemoglobin, and profound anaemia. The gene for beta thalassaemia is relatively frequent in people of mediterranean origin (for example, from italy and greece). Children with this disease inherit one gene for it from each parent (and so are said to be homozygous for beta thalassaemia). The parents are carriers (heterozygotes) with just one thalassaemia gene, are said to have thalassaemia minor, and are essentially normal. Their children affected with beta thalassaemia seem entirely normal at birth (because at birth we still have predominantly foetal haemoglobin which does not contain beta chains) but the anaemia emerges in the first few months of life and becomes progressively more severe leading to pallor and easy fatiguability, failure to thrive (grow), bouts of fever (due to infections) and diarrhoea. Treatment based on blood transfusions is helpful but not curative. Gene therapy will, it is hoped, be applicable to this disease. (12 Dec 1998) |
| trochanter major | A strong process at the proximal and lateral part of the shaft of the femur, overhanging the root of the neck; it gives attachment to the gluteus medius and minimus, piriformis, obturator internus and externus, and gemelli muscles. Synonym: trochanter major. (05 Mar 2000) |
| erythema multiforme major | <syndrome> This is a severe form of allergic reaction that most often results from a medication (for example penicillins). The rash can be generalised and even appear on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet. Stevens-Johnson syndrome is considered to be a variant of erythema multiforme that results in the formation of bullous (blebs) lesions on the soles of the feet, palms and inside the mouth. Stevens-Johnson syndrome may also occur in association with some viral infections and Mycoplasma infections. (27 Sep 1997) |
| etat major | The staff of an army, including all officers above the rank of colonel, also, all adjutants, inspectors, quartermasters, commissaries, engineers, ordnance officers, paymasters, physicians, signal officers, judge advocates; also, the noncommissioned assistants of the above officers. Origin: F, fr. Etat state + L. Major greater. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| justo major | See: pelvis justo major. (05 Mar 2000) |
| zygomaticus major | <anatomy, muscle> Origin, zygomatic bone anterior to temporozygomatic suture; insertion, muscles at angle of mouth; action, draws upper lip upward and laterally; nerve supply, facial. Synonym: musculus zygomaticus major, greater zygomatic muscle, musculus zygomaticus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| forceps major | Occipital radiation of the corpus callosum; that part of the fibre radiation of the corpus callosum which bends sharply backward into the occipital lobe of the cerebrum. Synonym: forceps major, forceps posterior, occipital part of corpus callosum, pars occipitalis corporis callosi. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fossa scarpae major | A triangular space at the upper part of the thigh, bounded by the sartorius and adductor longus muscles and the inguinal ligament, with a floor formed laterally by the iliopsoas muscle and medially by the pectineus muscle; the branches of the femoral nerve are distributed within the femoral triangle; it is bisected by the femoral vessels, which enter the adductor canal at its apex. Synonym: trigonum femorale, fossa scarpae major, Scarpa's triangle, subinguinal triangle. (05 Mar 2000) |
| fossa supraclavicularis major | The triangle bounded by the clavicle, the omohyoid muscle, and the sternocleidomastoid muscle; it contains the subclavian artery and vein. Synonym: fossa supraclavicularis major, trigonum omoclaviculare, greater supraclavicular fossa, omoclavicular triangle, subclavian triangle. (05 Mar 2000) |