| optical righting reflexes | Visual stimuli that enable an animal to maintain the correct position of the head in space, by bringing about movements of the muscles of the neck and limbs. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| utricular reflexes | See: statotonic reflexes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| labyrinthine reflexes | Reflex's initiated through stimulation of receptors in the utricle or saemicircular canals. See: statotonic reflexes, statokinetic reflex, righting reflexes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| labyrinthine righting reflexes | Stimulation of the proprioceptors of the labyrinth causes changes in tone of the neck muscles which bring the head into its natural position in space. (05 Mar 2000) |
| abdominal | <anatomy> Pertaining to the abdomen. Origin: L. Abdominalis (18 Nov 1997) |
| abdominal abscess | <surgery> A localised pus-forming (suppurative) bacterial infection that occurs within the abdominal cavity as the result of a perforated viscus or post operative complication. Treatment requires either percutaneous or open surgical drainage. (27 Sep 1997) |
| abdominal adhesions | <surgery> Scarring that can occur within the abdomen in response to surgery or chronic inflammation. (27 Sep 1997) |
| abdominal angina | <surgery> A dull, crampy centralised abdominal pain that occurs 15-30 minutes after a meal. Associated with ischaemic bowel disease. Evaluated with mesenteric arteriography. (27 Sep 1997) |
| abdominal aorta | <anatomy> The largest arterial conduit below the diaphragm. This term refers to the portion of the aorta below the diaphragm to the bifurcation into the right and left common iliac arteries. It supplies blood to the abdominal viscera, pelvic organs and lower extremities. (20 Jun 2000) |
| abdominal aortic aneurysm | <surgery> A distended and weakened area in the wall of the abdominal aorta, more common in those who suffer from atherosclerosis. Symptoms include sudden, severe abdominal pain with radiation to the back. (27 Sep 1997) |
| abdominal aortic coarctation | <radiology> 2% of all coarctations, (most common site is thoracic: just distal to origin of L SCA), may be isolated congenital anomaly, associated with: thoracic aortic coarctation, idiopathic hypercalcaemia syndrome, rubella syndrome (ToRCHS), Takayasu arteritis, neurofibromatosis, radiation therapy, fibromuscular disease (12 Dec 1998) |
| abdominal aortic plexus | <anatomy, neurology> An autonomic plexus surrounding the abdominal aorta, directly continuous with the thoracic aortic plexus above and continued inferior to the bifurcation of the aorta as the superior hypogastric plexus. Synonym: plexus aorticus abdominalis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| abdominal apoplexy | <surgery> Mesenteric haemorrhage, thrombosis, or embolus involving the mesenteric or abdominal blood vessels. (05 Mar 2000) |
| abdominal ballottement | <procedure> Examination of the abdomen by palpation to detect excessive amounts of fluid (ascites) by causing organs to bob up and down in the fluid milieu. (05 Mar 2000) |
| abdominal canal | A passage in the lower anterior abdominal wall which in the male allows passage of the spermatic cord and in the female contains the round ligament. Because of the weakness it creates in the abdominal wall, it is the most frequent site for a hernia. (12 Dec 1998) |