| cold, common | A viral upper respiratory tract infection. A contagious illness caused by a number of different types of viruses. Because of the great number of viruses that can cause a cold, the body never builds up resistance (immune) against all of them. For this reason, colds are a frequent and recurring problem. In fact, preschool children average 9 colds a year; those in kindergarten, 12 colds a year; and adolescents and adults, 7 colds per year. Going out into the cold weather has no effect on the spread of a cold. Antibiotics do not help the common cold. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| common acute lymphoblastic leukaemia | <haematology, oncology> A sub-type of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia affecting cells early in the B lymphocyte lineage which accounts for about 80% of all acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Origin: Gr. Haima = blood (13 Nov 1997) |
| common antigen | Cross reacting antigen (epitope), a common antigen that occurs in 2 or more different molecules/organisms. Synonym: heterogenic enterobacterial antigen. (05 Mar 2000) |
| common baldness | Hair loss in women that may be associated with aging, hormones (androgens) or genetic predisposition. The pattern of baldness in women is different from that of men. In women there is thinning of the hair all over the scalp, but the frontal hairline is maintained. The hair loss is usually permanent. Treatment has been successful with topical minoxidil in some cases. (27 Sep 1997) |
| common basal vein | <anatomy, vein> The tributary to the inferior pulmonary vein (right and left) that receives blood from the superior and inferior basal veins. Synonym: vena basalis communis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| common bile duct | <anatomy> A duct that carries bile from the liver and gallbladder to the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). (27 Sep 1997) |
| common bile duct calculi | The presence of gallstones in the common bile duct. It is usually the result of passage of gallstones formed in the gallbladder into the common duct. Less commonly, stones form in a duct behind an obstruction caused by a stricture or ampullary stenosis. Stone type helps to determine site of origin: cholesterol or black pigment stones more likely form in the gallbladder, while almost all brown pigment stones in patients from western countries form in the bile ducts. (12 Dec 1998) |
| common bile duct diseases | Diseases of the common bile duct, vater's ampulla, or oddi's sphincter. (12 Dec 1998) |
| common bile duct neoplasms | Neoplasms of the common bile duct including vater's ampulla and oddi's sphincter. (12 Dec 1998) |
| common carotid artery | <anatomy, artery> Origin, right from brachiocephalic, left from arch of aorta; runs upward in the neck and divides opposite upper border of thyroid cartilage (C-4 vertebral level) into terminal branches, external and internal carotid. Synonym: arteria carotis communis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| common carotid plexus | An autonomic plexus accompanying the artery of the same name formed by fibres from the middle cervical ganglion. Synonym: plexus caroticus communis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| common cold | A viral upper respiratory tract infection. A contagious illness caused by a number of different types of viruses. Because of the great number of viruses that can cause a cold, the body never builds up resistance (immune) against all of them. For this reason, colds are a frequent and recurring problem. In fact, preschool children average 9 colds a year; those in kindergarten, 12 colds a year; and adolescents and adults, 7 colds per year. Going out into the cold weather has no effect on the spread of a cold. Antibiotics do not help the common cold. (12 Dec 1998) |
| common cold virus | Any of the numerous strains of virus aetiologically associated with the common cold, chiefly the rhinoviruses, but also strains of adenovirus, Coxsackievirus, ECHO virus, and parainfluenza virus. Synonym: cold virus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| common crus of saemicircular ducts | The united, nonampullary ends of the superior and posterior saemicircular ducts. Synonym: crus membranaceum commune ductus saemicircularis, common limb of membranous saemicircular ducts. (05 Mar 2000) |
| common duct | <anatomy> This is the main bile duct, which is formed as the right and left hepatic bile ducts join, this common duct empties bile into the duodenum. (09 Oct 1997) |