| ball valve | Any of a variety of prosthetic cardiac valve's comprised of a ball within a retaining cage affixed to the orifice; when appropriately sized, used in aortic, mitral, or tricuspid position. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| ball valve action | The intermittent blockage of a tube or outlet of a cavity by some object or material that permits passage in one direction but not in the other. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ball-valve thrombus | Ball thrombus intermittently occluding the mitral or tricuspid orifice. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ball variance | Swelling and changes in shape and consistency of the ball in a ball-valve prosthesis, especially in one replacing the aortic valve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| chondrin ball | One of the globular masses formed by a group of cells enclosed in a capsule, in hyaline cartilage. (05 Mar 2000) |
| wool ball | A trichophytobezoar formed chiefly of wool and vegetable matter in the stomach of sheep. (05 Mar 2000) |
| hair ball | A hair cast in the stomach or intestinal tract, common in cats. Synonym: hair ball, pilobezoar. Origin: tricho-+ bezoar (05 Mar 2000) |
| food ball | A gastric concretion formed of vegetable fibres, with the seeds and skins of fruits, and sometimes starch granules and fat globules. Synonym: food ball. Origin: phyto-+ bezoar (05 Mar 2000) |
| fungus ball | A compact mass of fungal mycelium and cellular debris, 1 to 5 cm in diameter, residing within a lung cavity; such cavities may be produced by bacterial as well as mycotic infectious agents, but they are usually produced by Aspergillus fumigatus or, more rarely, by A. Niger. See: aspergilloma. (05 Mar 2000) |