| cerebral amyloidosis | A condition where there is a deposition of amyloid (insoluble protein) in the walls of the arteries which supply the brain. This results in an increased risk of dementia and-or intracerebral haemorrhage. Cerebral amyloidosis or cerebral amyloid angiopathy, is a complication of primary amyloidosis. (27 Sep 1997) |
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| cerebral aneurysm | A dilated and weakened portion of a cerebral blood vessel that is prone to rupture. A cerebral aneurysm may occur as a birth defect or develop as the result of long-standing poorly controlled hypertension. Symptoms of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm include a sudden, severe thunderclap headache that may be associated with nausea, vomiting and a decreased level of consciousness. (27 Sep 1997) |
| cerebral angiography | Radiography of the vascular system of the brain after injection of a contrast medium. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cerebral anoxia | A reduced supply of oxygen to the brain. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cerebral anthrax | A form of anthrax, associated with pulmonary or intestinal anthrax, in which the specific bacilli invade the capillaries of the brain causing violent delirium; frequently associated with haemorrhagic meningitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cerebral aqueduct | An ependymal-lined canal in the mesencephalon about 20 mm long, connecting the third to the fourth ventricle. Synonym: aqueductus cerebri, aqueduct of cerebrum, aqueductus sylvii, iter a tertio ad quartum ventriculum, sylvian aqueduct. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cerebral arterial circle | The roughly pentagonally shaped circle of vessels on the ventral aspect of the brain in the area of the optic chiasm, hypothalamus, and interpeduncular fossa. See: circle of Willis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cerebral arteries | The arteries supplying the cerebral cortex. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cerebral arteriography | Radiography of the vascular system of the brain after injection of a contrast medium. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cerebral arteriovenous malformations | Vascular anomalies in which tangles of arteries are connected directly to veins without intervening capillaries. The resulting vessels are thin-walled owing to poorly developed elastic and muscle tissue within the media. They can be located anywhere in the brain and can produce headaches, seizures, focal neurologic deficits, or intracranial haemorrhage. Familial cases are rare, indicating that the problem reflects sporadic abnormalities in embryologic development. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cerebral calculus | A concretion in the brain or one of its ventricles. Synonym: cerebral calculus. Origin: encephalo-+ G. Lithos, stone (05 Mar 2000) |
| cerebral cladosporiosis | A mycotic brain infection due to Cladosporium trichoides (bantianum); macroscopically infected tissue has a characteristic brown colour. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cerebral compression | Pressure upon the intracranial tissues by an effusion of blood or cerebrospinal fluid, an abscess, a neoplasm, a depressed fracture of the skull, or an oedema of the brain. Synonym: compression of brain. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cerebral contusion | A bruise to the brain resulting from a head injury. May be visualised on a CT scan of the head. (27 Sep 1997) |
| cerebral death | A clinical syndrome characterised by the permanent loss of cerebral and brain stem function, manifested by absence of responsiveness to external stimuli, absence of cephalic reflexes, and apnea. An isoelectric electroencephalogram for at least 30 minutes in the absence of hypothermia and poisoning by central nervous system depressants supports the diagnosis. Synonym: brain death. (05 Mar 2000) |