| left triangular ligament | <anatomy> A triangular fold of fibrous connective tissue and peritoneum that extends from the left lobe of the liver to the diaphragm. Synonym: ligamentum triangulare sinistrum. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| left umbilical vein | <anatomy, vein> The vein that returns the blood from the placenta to the foetus; traversing the umbilical cord, it enters the foetal body at the umbilicus and passes thence into the liver, where it is joined by the portal vein; its blood then flows by way of the ductus venosus and the inferior vena cava to the right atrium. Synonym: vena umbilicalis sinistra. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left ventricle | <anatomy> The muscular chamber of the heart which accepts blood from the left atrium and ejects it into the aorta to the systemic circulation. (27 Sep 1997) |
| left ventricular ejection time | The time measured clinically from onset to incisural notch of the carotid or other pulse; properly the time of ejection of blood from the left ventricle beginning with aortic valve opening and ending with aortic valve closure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left ventricular failure | <cardiology> A disorder where the left side of the heart fails to pump blood effectively. This results in a back flow (and pressure) and congestion of blood into the lungs. The causes of this condition include, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, anaemia, hyperthyroidism, atrial myxoma, drug toxicity and congenital heart disease. Risk factors include diabetes, alcoholism, obesity and smoking. Symptoms include increasing shortness of breath with activity and while lying flat. Other symptoms include cough, palpitations, fatigue, decreased urine production and waking in the middle of the nigh with difficulty breathing. Complications include pulmonary oedema, arrhythmias and pleural effusion. (27 Sep 1997) |
| left ventricular hypertrophy | <radiology> Coarctation, aortic stenosis (12 Dec 1998) |
| left ventricular myomectomy | Resection of myocardial tissue used in cases of idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left ventricular volume overload | <radiology> VSD, patent ductus arteriosus, mitral incompetence, aortic incompetence (12 Dec 1998) |
| left-footed | Denoting one who uses the left leg by preference. Synonym: left-footed. Origin: sinistro-+ L. Pes (ped-), foot (05 Mar 2000) |
| left-handed | 1. Having the left hand or arm stronger and more dexterous than the right; using the left hand and arm with more dexterity than the right. 2. Clumsy; awkward; unlucky; insincere; sinister; malicious; as, a left-handed compliment. "The commendations of this people are not always left-handed and detractive." (Landor) 3. Having a direction contrary to that of the hands of a watch when seen in front; said of a twist, a rotary motion, etc, looked at from a given direction. Left-handed marriage, a morganatic marriage. See Morganatic. Left-handed screw, a screw constructed to advance away from the observer, when turned, as in a nut, with a left-handed rotation. An ordinary wood screw is right-handed. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| left-sided appendicitis | Appendicitis occurring on the left side of the abdomen, usually the left-lower quadrant, due to abnormal rotation of the gut (such as situs inversus). (05 Mar 2000) |
| left-sided heart failure | Inability of the left heart to maintain its circulatory load with corresponding rise in pressure in the pulmonary circulation usually with pulmonary congestion and ultimately pulmonary oedema. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left-sidedness | The normal left-sided location of certain unpaired organs, such as the spleen and most of the stomach. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left-to-right shunt | A diversion of blood from the left side of the heart to right (as through a septal defect), or from the systemic circulation to the pulmonary (as through a patent ductus arteriosus). (05 Mar 2000) |
| left-to-right shunts | <radiology> Atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, aorticopulmonary window, endocardial cushion defect, partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (12 Dec 1998) |