| fold of left vena cava | A pericardial fold lying between the left oblique vein of the atrium and the left superior pulmonary vein containing the obliterated remains of the left superior vena cava. Synonym: plica venae cavae sinistrae, Marshall's vestigial fold, vestigial fold. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| left | Of or pertaining to that side of the body in man on which the muscular action of the limbs is usually weaker than on the other side; opposed to right, when used in reference to a part of the body; as, the left ear. Also said of the corresponding side of the lower animals. Left bank of a river, that which is on the left hand of a person whose face is turned downstream. Left bower. See Bower. Left center, the members whose sympathies are, in the main, with the members of the Left, but who do not favor extreme courses, and on occasions vote with the government. They sit between the Center and the extreme Left. Over the left shoulder, or Over the left, an old but still current colloquialism, or slang expression, used as an aside to indicate insincerity, negation, or disbelief; as, he said it, and it is true, over the left. Origin: OE. Left, lift, luft; akin to Fries. Leeft, OD.lucht, luft; cf. AS.left (equiv. To L. Inanis), lyftadl palsy; or cf. AS.lf weak. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| left atrial pressure | <radiology> 15-20 mm Hg redistribution 20-25 interstitial oedema 25-30 airspace oedema (12 Dec 1998) |
| left atrioventricular valve | <anatomy, cardiology> The heart valve that divides the left atrium and left ventricle. During left atrial contraction, the mitral valve opens to allow blood to flow into the left ventricle. Upon closure, the mitral valve prohibits the regurgitation of blood back into the left atrium. The mitral valve is the only heart valve that has only 2 valve cusps (all others have 3). (13 Nov 1997) |
| left atrium | <anatomy> The thin-walled chamber of the heart which pumps blood into the left ventricle for ejection into the systemic circulation. (27 Sep 1997) |
| left auricular appendage | The small conical projection from the left atrium of the heart. Synonym: auricula sinistra, left auricular appendage. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left axis deviation | A mean electrical axis of the heart pointing to -30 |
| left branch | Of a pair of branches, the branch passing to the left side of the body, to the left member of a bilateral pair of structures, or to the left portion of an unpaired structure; the other member of the pair being a right branch. Synonym: ramus sinister. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left colic artery | <anatomy, artery> Origin, inferior mesenteric; distribution, descending colon and splenic flexure; anastomoses, middle colic, sigmoid. Synonym: arteria colica sinistra. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left colic flexure | The bend at the junction of the transverse and descending colon. Synonym: flexura coli sinistra, splenic flexure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left colic lymph nodes | Small nodes along the left colic artery and its branches that drain the left flexure and upper part of the descending colon; efferent vessels pass to the inferior mesenteric nodes. Synonym: nodi lymphatici colici sinistri. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left colic vein | <anatomy, vein> A tributary of the inferior mesenteric vein that accompanies the left colic artery and drains the left flexure and descending colon. Synonym: vena colica sinistra. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left coronary artery | <anatomy, artery> Origin, left aortic sinus; distribution, it divides into two major branches, an anterior interventricular which descends in the anterior interventricular sulcus, and a circumflex branch which passes to the diaphragmatic surface of the left ventricle; gives atrial, ventricular, and atrioventricular branches. Synonym: arteria coronaria sinistra. (05 Mar 2000) |
| left coronary artery branches | <radiology> Left anterior descending (LAD) artery, diagonal branches, septal branches (short br. at 90' angle), left circumflex artery (LCA), obtuse marginal branches (12 Dec 1998) |
| left coronary vein | <anatomy, vein> Begins at the apex of the heart (where it anastomoses with the middle cardiac vein), runs first with the anterior interventricular artery as it ascends the anterior interventricular groove, then turns to the left as it approaches or reaches the coronary groove to run with the circumflex branch of the left coronary artery; it merges with the oblique vein of the left atrium to form the coronary sinus. Synonym: vena cordis magna, left coronary vein, vena cardiaca magna. (05 Mar 2000) |