I-P 4

Photochemotherapy

The use of psoralens in addition to ultraviolet rays for patients with a significant amount of body surface area affected (> 10%).

Photodynamic Therapy

Treatment with drugs that become active when exposed to light.

Photophobia

Intolerance to bright light.

Phototherapy

The use of ultraviolet rays for patients with a significant amount of body surface area affected (> 10%).

Physical Dependence

A state of adaptation that is manifested by a drug-class specific withdrawal syndrome that can be produced by abrupt cessation, rapid dose reduction, decreasing blood level of the drug, and/or administration of an antagonist.

pilosebaceous Unit

A hair follicle and the surrounding sebaceous glands.

Plaque Psoriasis

The most common form of psoriasis and manifests as well-defined, sharply demarcated, erythematous plaques typically covered with silvery scales. These plaques are irregular, round to oval in shape, and are almost always found on the scalp, trunk, buttocks, and limbs.

Plasma cells

Antibody producing cells.

pleocytosis

Increased cell count, particularly an increase in white blood cells count in a bodily fluid, such as cerebral spinal fluid.

Pleuritis

nflammation of the lining (pleura) around the lungs.

Pneumatic Otoscopy

A diagnostic technique involving visualization of the tympanic membrane for transparency, position, and color, and its response to positive and negative air pressure to assess mobility.

Pneumothorax

A condition that occurs when air leaks into the space between chest wall and lung. The air pocket exerts pressure against the lung causing it, or a portion of it, to “collapse.” Often referred to as a collapsed lung.

Polycystic ovary Syndrome

Condition in which women have many small cysts on their ovaries that can lead to hormone imbalances and irregular periods.

Polycythemia

An abnormal increase in the number of erythrocytes in the blood.

Polycythemia vera

A hematologic cancer that is slow-growing in which the bone marrow produces excess red blood cells.

Polydipsia

Excessive Thirst

Polymerase Chain Reaction

A laboratory method used to make many copies of a specific DNA sequence.

Polyphagia

Eating excessively large amounts of food at a meal.

Polypharmacy

Taking multiple medications concurrently.

Polyps

Any growth or mass protruding from a mucous membrane.

Polyuria

Excessive excretion of urine resulting in profuse micturition

Posterior circulation

Blood supply to the posterior section of the brain through the vertebral, basilar, and posterior cerebral arteries (ie, brainstem, cerebellum, occipital lobe).

Prader-Willi Syndrome

A genetic disorder characterized by short stature, mental retardation, low muscle tone, abnormally small hands and feet, hypogonadism, and excessive eating leading to extreme obesity.

Prebiotic

Substance that can be used to nourish beneficial microbes in the gut.

Prediabetes

An asymptomatic but abnormal state that precedes the development of clinically evident diabetes.

Preemptive

Therapy administered prior to evidence of active disease (fever, radiological findings) but based on a positive biomarker or microbiological test.

Preload

The stretched condition of the heart muscle at the end of diastole just before contraction; volume in the left ventricle at the end of diastole estimated by the pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (also known as the pulmonary artery wedge pressure or pulmonary capillary wedge pressure).

Priapism

A prolonged, painful erection lasting more than 4 hours. Considered a medical emergency.

Primary Amenorrhea

Absence of menses by age 15 in the presence of normal secondary sexual development or within 5 years of thelarche (if occurs before age 10).

Probiotics

Dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacteria that promote health by stimulating optimal mucosal immune responses.

Proctitis

Inflammation confined to the rectum in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Proctosigmoiditis

Inflammation involving the sigmoid colon and rectum in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Prodrome

A symptom indicating the onset of a disease.

Progenitor.

A primitive cell.

Prognostic Factors

Biological or clinical markers associated with survival independent of therapy.

Progression Free Survival

The length of time during and after the treatment of a disease, such as cancer, that a patient lives with the disease but it does not get worse. In a clinical trial, measuring the progression-free survival is one way to see how well a new treatment works

Prolapse

The dropping, falling, sinking, or sliding of an organ from its normal position or location in the body.

Prophylaxis

Therapy administered in the absence of active disease (fever, radiological findings) or a positive biomarker or microbiological test.

Proptosis

Forward displacement of the eyeball.

Prostaglandin

Any of a large group of biologically active, carbon-20, unsaturated fatty acids that are produced by the metabolism of arachidonic acid through the cyclooxygenase pathway.

Prostate Specific Antigen

Protein produced by columnar secretory cells in the prostate that plays a role in the liquefaction of seminal fluid. Serum PSA levels greater than 10 ng/mL are associated with prostate cancer.

Prostatectomy

An operation to remove the prostate gland and tissues surrounding it.

Proctitis

Inflammation of the rectum.

Prostatic Hyperplasia

Benign enlargement of the prostate gland.

Prostatism

A syndrome associated with outlet obstruction at the bladder neck, and most commonly caused by benign prostatic hypertrophy.

Protease

Any of numerous enzymes that catalyze the breakdown of proteins.

Protectant

An agent that forms an occlusive barrier between the skin and surrounding moisture.

Proteinuria

The presence of measurable amounts of protein in the urine, which is often indicative of glomerular or tubular damage in the kidney.

Proteoglycan

Any one of a class of glycoproteins of high molecular weight that are found in the extracellular matrix of connective tissue. They are made up mostly of carbohydrate consisting of various polysaccharide side chains linked to a protein and resemble polysaccharides rather than proteins with regard to their properties.

Proteosome

An enzyme complex that degrades intracellular proteins.

Prothombin Time

A measure of coagulation representing the amount of time required to form a blood clot after the addition of thromboplastin to the blood sample; also known as Quick test.

Prothrombic State

A state of high coagulation of the blood.

Protooncogenes

Normal genes that are present in all normal cells and regulate cell function and replication, and through some genetic alteration caused by carcinogens, change into oncogenes.

Pruritus

Localized or generalized itching due to irritation of sensory nerve endings.

Pseudohyphae

Chains of easily disrupted fungal cells; not a true hypha.

Pseudophakic

Presence of a lens after cataract extraction.

Pseudopolyp

An area of hypertrophied gastrointestinal mucosa that resembles a polyp and contains non-malignant cells

Psoralens

Compounds that act as photosensitizing compounds.

Psoriatic Arthritis.

Inflammatory arthropathy associated with psoriasis. This condition is characterized by stiffness, pain, swelling, and tenderness around the joints and ligaments.

Pulmonary Artery Catheter

An invasive device used to measure hemodynamic parameters directly, including cardiac output and pulmonary artery occlusion pressure; calculated parameters include stroke volume and systemic vascular resistance.

Pulmonary Artery Catheter

An invasive device used to measure hemodynamic parameters directly, including cardiac output and pulmonary artery occlusion pressure; calculated parameters include stroke volume and systemic vascular resistance.

Pulmonary Artery occlusion Pressure

A hemodynamic measurement obtained via catheter placed into the pulmonary artery used to evaluate patient volume status within the left ventricle.

Pulmonary embolus

An obstruction of the pulmonary artery or one of its branches by material that originated elsewhere in the body. The embolic material is often either thrombus, air, tumor, or adipose tissue.

Pulmonary Hypertension

An elevation in the pulmonary arterial pressure that can lead to right ventricular failure and heart failure symptoms.

Pulse oximetry

A noninvasive method of measuring arterial oxygen saturation. A pulse oximeter is a small device placed on a finger or earlobe that reads reflected light from capillary blood and estimates oxygen saturation.

Pulsus paradoxus

A large fall in systolic blood pressure and pulse volume during inspiration or an abnormal variation in pulse volume during respiration in which the pulse becomes weaker with inspiration and stronger with expiration.

Pulsus paradoxus

A large fall in systolic blood pressure and pulse volume during inspiration or an abnormal variation in pulse volume during respiration in which the pulse becomes weaker with inspiration and stronger with expiration.

Punding

Stereotyped behavior with repetitive movement or actions. An adverse reaction to dopaminergic therapy.

Purified protein derivative

An extract of Mycobacterium tuberculosis used for intradermal injection to determine if a patient has been previously exposed based on immune response.

Purkinje fibers

Specialized myocardial fibers that conduct impulses from the atrioventricular node to the ventricles.

Purpura

A small hemorrhage of the skin, mucous membrane, or serosal surface.

Purulent

Containing, consisting of, or being pus.

Pustular psoriasis

Collection of neutrophils is great enough to be seen clinically. May be generalized or localized. Often characterized by widespread sterile pustules and erythema.

Pyuria

Presence of pus in urine when voided.