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Maries ataxia (ma-rez) [Pierre Marie,

Fr. neurologist, 18531940] Hereditary

cerebellar ataxia caused by bilateral

cortical atrophy of the cerebellum.

Abadies sign (a-badez,ba-dez) [Jean

Abadie, Fr. neurologist, 18731946] In

tabes dorsalis, insensibility to pressure

over the Achilles tendon.

Abadies sign (a-ba-dez) [Charles A.

Abadie, Fr. ophthalmologist, 1842

1932] In exophthalmicgoiter, spasm of

the levator palpebrae superioris.

abasia (a-ba ze-a ) *Gr. a-, not,

basis,

step] 1. Motor incoordination in walking.2. Inability to walk due to impairment of

coordination. abasic, abatic, adj.

a.-astasia Lack of motor coordination

with inability to stand or walk. SYN:

astasia-abasia.

paralytic a. Abasia in which the leg

muscles are paralyzed.

paroxysmal trepidant a. Abasia

caused by trembling and sudden stiffening

of the legs on standing, making

walking impossible.

Abbotts method (abotz) *Edville G.

Abbott, U.S. orthopedicsurgeon, 1871

1938] A treatment for scoliosis that is

no longer used, in which a series of plaster

jackets were applied to straighten

the spine.

ABCD A mnemonicto aid health care providers

in the recognition of malignant

melanoma. The letters represent asymmetry,

border, color, and diameter.

Pigmented lesions on the skin with

irregularities of growth and color and

diameters greater than 6 mm have a

considerable likelihood of being melanomas

and should be professionally examined.

Additional characteristics of

melanomas include the sudden change

of an existing mole or sudden appearance

of pigmented moles. In some cases

an existing mole that was flat elevates

above the skin. The letter E is used as

a memory aid for this expansion or

evolution of skin lesions (thus the

mnemonicis sometimes referred to as

ABCDE). SEE: illus. melanoma.

abdiction (ab-dkshn) The intolerance

or avoidance of drugs or chemicals

abdominal rings The apertures in the abdominal

wall. External inguinal or superficial:

An interval in the aponeurosis

of the external oblique muscle, just

above and to the outer side of the crest

of the pubicbone.

abdominocentesis (ab-dom-no-sente

ss) *L. abdomen, belly,

Gr. kentesis,

puncture] Puncture of the abdomen

with an instrument for withdrawal

of fluid from the abdominal cavity. SYN:

abdominal paracentesis

Abernethys fascia (aber-nethe) [John

Abernethy, Brit. surgeon, 17641831]A layer of areolar tissue separating the

external iliacartery from the iliac fascia

over the psoas muscle.

abetalipoproteinemia (a-ba ta -lpo-

proten-eme-a ) *Gr. a-, not,

beta

lipos, fat,

protos, first,

haima,

blood] An inherited disorder marked by

an absence of beta lipoproteins in the

blood and low levels of cholesterol, fatty

acids, and chylomicrons. The red blood

cells have a thorny or spiked appearance

(i.e., acanthocytosis). It is most often

seen in Ashkenazi Jews. Symptoms

include retinal macular degeneration


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andchronicprogressiveneurologicaldeficits,

which usually begin in childhood.

Affected infants develop steatorrhea

and growth retardation. Later clinical

manifestations include ataxia; by adolescence,

many patients are unable to

walk. Vitamin E may be helpful in arresting

the progression of neurological

aspects. SYN: Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome.

SEE: acanthocyte for illus.

abeyance (a-ba ans) *O. Fr.+ A temporary

suspension of activity, sensation,

or pain.

ability An individuals performance capability

for a given task, based on geneticmakeup

and learning.cognitive a. The ability of the brain

to process, retrieve, and store information.

Impairment of these brain functions

is common in patients with dementia,

drug intoxication, or head

injury.

constructional a. The ability to copy

or draw shapes, figures, or lines (e.g.,

with a pen and paper). This nonverbal

ability depends on the integration of

several higher brain functions, includingperception, planning, and motor coordination.

It is lost in organicbrain

syndromes.

functional a. The ability to perform

activities of daily living, including bathing,

dressing, and other independent

living skills, such as shopping and

housework. Many functional assessment

tools are available to quantify

functional ability. SEE: activities of

daily living.

impaired transfer a. Limitation of independent

movement between two

nearby surfaces. SEE

abiotrophy (ab-e-ot_ro-fe) [_ _ _ _

trophe, nourishment] Premature loss of

vitality or degeneration of tissues and

cells with consequent loss of endurance

and resistance.

ablactation (ab-lak-ta _shu n) [L. ab,

from, _ lactatio, suckling] 1. The cessation

of milk secretion.

ablepharia (a b-le-fa _re-a ) [Gr. a-, not,

_

blepharon, eyelid] Congenital absence

of or reduction in the size of the eyelids.

ablepharous (a -blef_a-ru s), adj.

Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale

test ABBR: AIMS test. A system used

to assess abnormal involuntary movements,

such as hand tremors or rhythmicmovements

of the tongue and jaw,

that may result from the long-term

administration

of psychotropic drugs. The

test is often given before patients are

started on antipsychotic drugs and then

readministered periodically to monitor

side effects.

abortus (a-bor_tu s) [L.] A fetus born before

20 weeks gestation or weighing less

than 500 g.

abrachia (a-bra _ke-a ) [Gr. a-, not, _

brachium, arm] Congenital absence of

arms.

abrachiocephalia (a-bra _ke-o-se-fa

_le-a)

[_ _ _ _ kephale, head] Congenital

absence of arms and head

abrasion (a-bra _zhun) [_ _ radere, to

scrape] 1. Scraping away of skin or mucousmembrane as a result of injury or

by mechanical means, as in dermabrasion

for cosmetic purposes. SEE: avulsion;

bruise. 2. Wearing away of the substance

of a tooth. It usually results from

mastication but may be produced by

mechanical


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or chemical means.

absinthism (absn-thzm) Deterioration

of the nervous system following excessive

use of absinthe.

absorptiometry (ab-sorp_she-om_e-tre

)

The measurement of the dissipation of

x-rays as they pass through substances

(e.g., body tissues).

dual energy x-ray a. ABBR: DEXA;

DEX. A radiographictec hnique used to

measure the average density of the mineral

concentration of bone (e.g., at the

femur, the heel, or the forearm). It is

used primarily in the diagnosis of osteopenia

and osteoporosis.

abulia (a-bu _le-a ) [Gr. a-, not, _ boule,

will] 1. Absence of or decreased ability

to exercise willpower (or initiative) or to

make decisions. 2. Syndrome of slow reaction,

lack of spontaneity, and brief

spoken responses. It may be part of the

clinical picture that accompanies injuries

to or diseases of the internal capsules,

basal ganglia, or frontal lobes of

the brain.

ABVDAdriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine,

and dacarbazine, a combination of

chemotherapy drugs.

acalculia (a-kal-ku _le-a ) [Gr. a-, not, _

L. calculare, to reckon] A learning or

speech disorder characterized by the inability

to perform simple arithmeticoperations.

acampsia (a

-ka

mp_se

-a

) [_ _ kamptein,to bend] Inflexibility of the joints

of a limb; rigidity; ankylosis.

acanthamebiasis (a-kan_tha-me-b _a

-ss)

A rare infection of the brain and meninges

caused by free-living amebae. The

organisms invade the nasal mucosa of

persons swimming in fresh water, the

natural habitat ofAcanthamoeba and

Naegleria fowleri. The organisms invade

the central nervous system

through the olfactory foramina. The

symptoms begin after an incubation period

of 2 to 15 days and are those of

acute meningitis. Debilitated or

immunocompromised

persons are esp. susceptible.

Diagnosis is made by finding

the amebae in the spinal fluid. Treatment

is virtually ineffective and most

patients die within a week of onset.

Swimming pools adequately treated

with chlorine are not a source of the

amebae. SEE: meningoencephalitis, primaryamebic.

acanthesthesia (a-kan_thes-the _ze-a)

[Gr. akantha, thorn, _ aisthesis, sensation]

A sensation as of a pinprick; a

form of paresthesia.

acanthocephaliasis (a-kan_tho-sef-a -l

_a-

ss) Widespread infection of skin and

bones with Acanthocephala. It is mostoften seen in immunosuppressed patients.

acanthocyte (a-kan_tho-st_) [Gr.

akantha,

thorn, _ kytos, cell] An abnormal

erythrocyte that in wet preparations

has cytoplasmic projections so that the

cell appears to be covered with thorns.

SEE: illus.; abetalipoproteinemia.

acanthocytosis (a

-ka

n_tho

-s

-to

_s

s)[_

_ _ _ osis, condition] Acanthocytes

in the blood.

acanthokeratodermia (a-kan_tho-ker_a-

to-der_me-a) [_ _ keras, horn, _

derma, skin] Hypertrophy of the horny


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portion of the skin of the palms of the

hands and soles of the feet and thickening

of the nails.

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