| Bell's muscle | <anatomy> A band of muscular fibres, forming a slight fold in the wall of the bladder, running from the uvula to the opening of the ureter on either side, bounding the trigonum. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| bell sound | In cases of a large pulmonary cavity or of pneumothorax, a clear metallic sound obtained by striking a coin, held against the chest, by another coin, or by flicking the chest wall with one's fingernail; the sound is heard on auscultating the chest wall on the same side anteroposteriorly. Synonym: anvil sound, bell sound, coin test. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Bell's palsy | A condition that involves the facial nerve (VII cranial nerve) and results in the paralysis of one side of the face. Bell's (facial nerve palsy) can be differentiated from a central (stroke) deficit by the inability to raise the eyebrow on the affected side. (27 Sep 1997) |
| Bell's phenomenon | A patient with peripheral facial paralysis cannot close the eyelids of the affected side without at the same time moving the eyeball upward and outward. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Bell's respiratory nerve | <anatomy, nerve> Arises from the fifth, sixth, and seventh cervical nerves (roots of brachial plexus), descends the neck behind the brachial plexus, and is distributed to the serratus anterior muscle; it is somewhat unusual in that it courses on the superficial aspect of the muscle is supplies; its paralysis results in "winged scapula". Synonym: nervus thoracicus longus, Bell's respiratory nerve, external respiratory nerve of Bell, posterior thoracic nerve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bell stage | Third stage of tooth development, wherein the cells form the inner enamel epithelium, the stratum intermedium, the stellate reticulum, and the outer enamel epithelium; the enamel organ assumes a bell shape. (05 Mar 2000) |
| syndrome, martin-bell | Better known as the fragile X syndrome, the most common heritable form of mental retardation. Fragile x syndrome is due to mutation (changes) at the fragile x site and so perforce is x-linked (carried on the x chromosome). Although it is usually more severe in males than females, the syndrome is due to a dynamic mutation (a trinucleotide repeat) that can change in length and hence in severity from generation to generation, from person to person, and even within a given person. The fragile x syndrome is known as the martin-bell syndrome in honor of their discovery of it in 1943. (12 Dec 1998) |
| external respiratory nerve of Bell | <anatomy, nerve> Arises from the fifth, sixth, and seventh cervical nerves (roots of brachial plexus), descends the neck behind the brachial plexus, and is distributed to the serratus anterior muscle; it is somewhat unusual in that it courses on the superficial aspect of the muscle is supplies; its paralysis results in "winged scapula". Synonym: nervus thoracicus longus, Bell's respiratory nerve, external respiratory nerve of Bell, posterior thoracic nerve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| anorectal spasm | Painful spasm of the muscle about the anus without known cause; probably a neurosis. Synonym: anorectal spasm. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bronchial spasm | Spasmodic contraction of the smooth muscle of the bronchi. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cadaveric spasm | Rigor mortis occurring irregularly in the different muscles, causing movements of the limbs. (05 Mar 2000) |
| canine spasm | The semblance of a grin caused by facial spasm especially in tetanus. Synonym: canine spasm, cynic spasm, risus sardonicus, sardonic grin, spasmus caninus, trismus sardonicus. Origin: L. Risus, laugh + caninus, doglike (05 Mar 2000) |
| vasomotor spasm | Spasmodic contraction of the smaller arteries. (05 Mar 2000) |
| carpopedal spasm | <clinical sign> Spasms of the hands or feet that may be seen in association with hypocalcaemia or hyperventilation. (08 Jan 1998) |
| masticatory spasm | Involuntary convulsive muscular contraction affecting the muscles of mastication. (05 Mar 2000) |