| posterior primary division | <anatomy, nerve> The smaller, posteriorly-directed major terminal branch (with the ventral primary ramus) of all 31 pairs of mixed spinal nerves, formed at the intervertebral foramen and turning abruptly posteriorly to divide into lateral and medial branches, both of which will supply the deep (true) muscles of the back. The medial branch (rami medialis ) of the dorsal primary ramus also supplies articular branches to the zygopophyseal joints and the periosteum of the vertebral arch. In the neck and upper back, the medial branch continues through the deep and superficial back muscles to supply overlying skin; in the lower back, the lateral branch does this. Nomina Anatomica lists dorsal primary rami as "rami dorsales" for each group of spinal nerves: 1) cervical (nervorum cervicalium ), 2) thoracic (nervorum thoracicorum ), 3) lumbar (nervorum lumbalium ), 4) sacral (nervorum sacralium ), and 5) coccygeal (nervi coccygei ). Synonym: ramus dorsalis nervorum spinalium, ramus dorsalis, rami posteriores nervorum spinalium, dorsal branch, posterior primary division. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| primary | Principal, primus, the first, first in order or in time of development, principal. Origin: L. Primarius (18 Nov 1997) |
| primary adhesion | Healing by fibrous adhesion, without suppuration or granulation tissue formation. Synonym: primary adhesion, primary union. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary adrenocortical insufficiency | Adrenocortical insufficiency caused by disease, destruction, or surgical removal of the adrenal cortices. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary aerodontalgia | Dental pain associated with expansion of trapped gases within a tooth, as under a filling or in an infected pulp. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary alcohol | An alcohol characterised by the univalent radical, -CH2OH. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary aldosteronism | An adrenocortical disorder caused by excessive secretion of aldosterone and characterised by headaches, nocturia, polyuria, fatigue, hypertension, potassium depletion, hypokalaemic alkalosis, hypervolaemia, and decreased plasma renin activity; may be associated with small benign adrenocortical adenomas. Synonym: Conn's syndrome, idiopathic aldosteronism. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary amenorrhoea | Amenorrhoea in which the menses have never occurred. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary amoebic meningoencephalitis | An invasive, rapidly fatal cerebral infection by soil amoebae, chiefly Naegleria fowleri, found in man and other primates and experimentally in rodents; the disease is characterised by a high fever, neck rigidity, and symptoms associated with upper respiratory infection such as cough and nausea; although organisms have been cultured from various organs, the brain is the primary focus, especially the olfactory lobes and cerebral cortex, which are first attacked by the amoebae that enter from nasal mucosa through the cribriform plate; death usually occurs two to three days after onset of symptoms. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary amputation | An amputation formerly performed during the period between trauma or incipient gangrene and suppuration. Synonym: intrapyretic amputation, primary amputation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary amyloidosis | <immunology, nephrology> A disease which is characterised by the deposition of the fibrous protein amyloid in one or more locations within the body. Amyloid deposition may occur in the kidney, brain, liver, heart, skin and lungs. A recognised complication is a restrictive cardiomyopathy. (05 Mar 1998) |
| primary anaesthetic | The compound that contributes most to loss of sensation when a mixture of anaesthetics is administered. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary antibody response | <immunology> Antibodies made upon first exposure to an antigen, mostly of the class IgM. (05 Mar 1998) |
| primary atelectasis | <chest medicine, paediatrics> A nonexpansion of the lungs after birth is known as primary atelectasis. Secondary atelectasis can occur at any age but is common in infants due to hyaline membrane disease. This form may also be seen in patients after surgery (general anaesthesia). See: atelectasis. (05 Mar 1998) |
| primary atypical pneumonia | An acute systemic disease with involvement of the lungs, caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae and marked by high fever, cough, relatively few physical signs, and scattered densities on X-rays; usually associated with development of cold agglutinins and antibodies to the bacteria. Synonym: atypical pneumonia, Eaton agent pneumonia, mycoplasmal pneumonia. (05 Mar 2000) |