| cardiac tamponade | Interference with the venous return of blood to the heart due to an extensive accumulation of blood in the pericardium (pericardial effusion). Tamponade may occur as a complication of dissecting thoracic aneurysm, pericarditis, renal failure, acute myocardial infarction, hypothyroidism, autoimmune disease (for example lupus), chest trauma or a malignancy. Fluid in the pericardial sac is demonstrated by echocardiogram. Treatment involves the emergent removal of the fluid. This may be accomplished by a needle aspiration technique or emergency surgery (pericardial window). (27 Sep 1997) |
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| cardiac tube | The primitive tubular heart in the embryo, before its division into chambers. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac valve prosthesis | See: valve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac valvular incompetence | Failure of a valve to perform its fundamental function: insurance of one-way flow; manifested by regurgitation of blood in the opposite direction when the valve is supposed to be closed. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac veins | See: anterior cardiac veins, great cardiac vein, middle cardiac vein, venae cordis minimae. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac volume | The volume of the heart, usually relating to the volume of blood contained within it at various periods of the cardiac cycle. The amount of blood ejected from a ventricle at each beat is stroke volume. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cardialgia | 1. Obsolete term for pyrosis. Synonym: cardiodynia. Origin: cardi-+ G. Algos, pain (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiataxia | Extreme irregularity in the action of the heart. Origin: cardi-+ G. Ataxia, disorder (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiatelia | Incomplete development of the heart. Origin: cardi-+ G. Ateles, incomplete (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiectasia | Dilation of the heart. Origin: cardi-+ G. Ektasis, a stretching (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiectomy | Excision of the cardiac part of the stomach. Origin: cardi- + G. Ektome, excision (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiectopia | Abnormal placement of the heart. See: ectopia cordis. Origin: cardi-+ G. Ektopos, out of place (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardinal | Chief or principal;in embryology, relating to the main venous drainage. Origin: L. Cardinalis, principal (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardinal ligament | <anatomy> A fibrous band attached to the uterine cervix and the vault of the lateral fornix of the vagina; continuous with the tissue ensheathing the pelvic vessels. Synonym: cervical ligament of uterus, ligamentum transversale colli, Mackenrodt's ligament. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardinal ocular movements | Eye rotations to the right and left, upward to the right and left, and downward to the right and left, to diagnose positions of gaze. (05 Mar 2000) |