| long-acting thyroid stimulator | <endocrinology, immunology> A thyroid stimulating antibody which is directed against a receptor for TSH on the thyroid gland. This antibody acts like TSH and stimulates the thyroid to produce excessive amounts of thyroid hormone. The presence of this antibody generally indicates Grave's disease (hyperthyroidism). Acronym: LATS (15 Nov 1997) |
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| abdominal aortic plexus | <anatomy, neurology> An autonomic plexus surrounding the abdominal aorta, directly continuous with the thoracic aortic plexus above and continued inferior to the bifurcation of the aorta as the superior hypogastric plexus. Synonym: plexus aorticus abdominalis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acromial plexus | A vascular network between the acromion and the skin of the shoulder, formed by anastomoses of the acromial branch of the suprascapular artery with the acromial branch of the thoracoacromial artery. Synonym: rete acromiale, acromial plexus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| annular plexus | A nerve plexus near the corneoscleral junction from which myelinated and unmyelinated nerves pass to the cornea. Synonym: plexus annularis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| anterior coronary plexus | The part of the cardiac plexus that accompanies the coronary arteries on the anterior aspect of the heart. (05 Mar 2000) |
| aortic lymphatic plexus | A plexus of lymph nodes and connecting vessels lying along the lower portion of the abdominal aorta. Synonym: plexus aorticus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ascending pharyngeal plexus | An autonomic plexus on the artery of the same name, formed of fibres from the superior cervical ganglion. Synonym: plexus pharyngeus ascendens. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Auerbach's plexus | One of two ganglionated neural networks which together form the enteric nervous system. The myenteric (auerbach's) plexus is located between the longitudinal and circular muscle layers of the gut. Its neurons project to the circular muscle, to other myenteric ganglia, to submucosal ganglia, or directly to the epithelium, and play an important role in regulating and patterning gut motility. (12 Dec 1998) |
| axillary plexus | A lymphatic plexus formed of the lymph nodes, with their afferent and efferent vessels, in the axilla. Synonym: plexus axillaris. (05 Mar 2000) |
| basilar plexus | A venous plexus on the clivus, connected with the cavernous and petrosal sinuses and the internal vertebral (epidural) venous plexus. Synonym: plexus basilaris, basilar sinus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Batson's plexus | Any of four interconnected venous networks surrounding the vertebral column; anterior external vertebral venous plexus, the small system around the vertebral bodies; posterior external vertebral venous plexus, the extensive system around the vertebral processes; anterior internal vertebral venous plexus, the system running the length of the vertebral canal anterior to the dura; posterior internal vertebral venous plexus, the system running the length of the vertebral canal posterior to the dura; the latter two constitute the epidural venous plexus. Synonym: plexus venosus vertebralis, Batson's plexus, vertebral venous plexus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| batson venous plexus | <radiology> Paravertebral venous plexus, can carry tumour emboli directly to brain from pelvis or abdomen (12 Dec 1998) |
| brachial plexus | A network of lower cervical and upper dorsal spinal nerves supplying the arm, forearm and hand. (27 Sep 1997) |
| brachial plexus neuropathy | A neurological disorder, of unknown cause, characterised by the sudden onset of severe pain, usually about the shoulder and often beginning at night, soon followed by weakness and wasting of various forequarter muscles, particularly shoulder girdle muscles; both sporadic and familial in occurrence with the former much more common; often preceded by some antecedent event, such as an upper respiratory infection, hospitalization, vaccination, or non-specific trauma; usually attributed to a brachial plexus lesion, because the nerve fibres involed are most often derived from the upper trunk, but actually multiple proximal mononeuropathies. Synonym: acute brachial radiculitis, brachial plexitis, brachial plexus neuropathy, Parsonage-Turner syndrome, shoulder-girdle syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cardiac plexus | A wide-meshed network of anastomosing cardiopulmonary and splanchnic nerves arising from the afferent and autonomic nerve fibres (sympathetic) and vagus (parasympathetic) nerves, surrounding the arch of the aorta, the pulmonary artery, and continuing to the atria, ventricles, and coronary vessels. Synonym: plexus cardiacus. (05 Mar 2000) |