| decompression sickness | A disorder characterised by joint pains, respiratory manifestations, skin lesions, and neurologic signs, occurring in aviators flying at high altitudes and following rapid reduction of air pressure in persons who have been breathing compressed air in caissons and diving apparatus. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| decompression, surgical | A surgical operation for the relief of pressure in a body compartment or on a body part. (12 Dec 1998) |
| internal decompression | Removal of intracranial tissue, usually tumour or brain tissue. To relieve pressure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| optic nerve sheath decompression | A venting of the optic nerve sheath into the retrobulbar space, by slitting or by fenestrating the sheath. See: optic nerve sheath fenestration. (05 Mar 2000) |
| orbital decompression | Removal of a portion of the bony orbit, usually superior (Naffziger operation), lateral (Kronlein operation), or inferior (Ogura operation). (05 Mar 2000) |
| trigeminal decompression | Decompression of the trigeminal nerve root. (05 Mar 2000) |
| explosive decompression | Sudden severe expansion of gases due to a reduction in ambient pressure. Synonym: explosive decompression. (05 Mar 2000) |
| algid stage | The stage of collapse in cholera. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bacteria-free stage of bacterial endocarditis | Endocarditis described prior to the antibiotic era and presumably due to spontaneous healing of the bacterial vegetations. (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) |
| bud stage | First stage of tooth development; development of the primordia of the enamel organs, the tooth buds. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cap stage | Second stage of tooth development wherein there is development of the inner and outer enamel epithelium. (05 Mar 2000) |
| vegetative stage | The quiescent stage of a cell or its nucleus in which no karyokinetic changes are taking place. Synonym: vegetative stage. (05 Mar 2000) |
| genital stage | Referring to the psychic organization derived from, and characteristic of, the Freudian genital period of the infant's psychosocial organization. See: genitality. See: anality, orality. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mechanical stage | <microscopy> A device provided for adjusting the position of a specimen, usually by translation in two directions at right angles to each other. (05 Aug 1998) |