| catastrophic illness | An acute or prolonged illness usually considered to be life-threatening or with the threat of serious residual disability. Treatment may be radical and is frequently costly. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| catastrophic reaction | The disorganised behaviour that is the response to a severe shock or threatening situation with which the person cannot cope. (05 Mar 2000) |
| catatonia | <neurology, psychiatry> A syndrome of psychomotor disturbances seen in schizophrenic disorders characterised by periods of either muscular rigidity, excitement or stupor. (16 Mar 1998) |
| catatonic | <neurology, psychiatry> A phase of schizophrenia where the patient is unresponsive. The tendency to assume a fixed posture and inability to move or talk are characteristic of this phase. (16 Mar 1998) |
| catatonic dementia | Dementia with catatonic symptoms. (05 Mar 2000) |
| catatonic excitement | An excited catatonic state seen in one of the schizophrenic disorders. See: catatonia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| catatonic pupil | Transient pupillary dilation with absence of pupillary reaction to light and convergence. (05 Mar 2000) |
| catatonic rigidity | Rigidity associated with catatonic psychotic states in which all muscles exhibit flexibilitas cerea. (05 Mar 2000) |
| catatonic schizophrenia | Schizophrenia characterised by marked disturbance, which may involve stupor, negativism, rigidity, excitement, or posturing; sometimes there is rapid alteration between the extremes of excitement and stupor. Associated features include stereotypic behaviour, mannerisms, and waxy flexibility; mutism is particularly common. (05 Mar 2000) |
| catatonic stupor | Stupor associated with catatonia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| catatrichy | Presence of a forelock of hair that is separate or different in appearance; may be inherited. See: Waardenburg syndrome. Origin: cata-+ G. Thrix, hair (05 Mar 2000) |
| catatricrotic | Denoting a pulse tracing with three minor elevations interrupting the downstroke. (05 Mar 2000) |
| catatricrotism | A condition of the pulse marked by three minor expansions of the artery following the main beat, producing three secondary upward waves on the downstroke of the pulse tracing. Origin: cata-+ G. Tri-, three, + krotos, beat (05 Mar 2000) |
| catatropic image | <ophthalmology, physiology> The two images formed by the anterior and posterior surfaces of the cornea and the two images formed by the anterior and posterior surfaces of the lens. Synonym: catatropic image, Purkinje images, Sanson's images. (05 Mar 2000) |