Glossary words (intro to sono)

Acute

Abrupt onset of disease or symptoms

Illness w/ short duration, rapid progression, needs urgent care

Anasarca

Massive generalized edema

Aneurysm

Bulge or weakening in blood vessel wall

More common in arteries

Anechoic

Without echoes

Structure that doesn’t produce echoes; appears black on ultrasound image

Angina

Severe chest pain

Pain often spreads to shoulder / arms / neck

Caused by inadequate blood supply to heart

Aphasia

Loss of ability to understand/express speech Caused by brain damage

Apnea

Cessation of breathing for short period of time

Typically during sleep (sleep apnea)

Arrhythmia

Abnormal heart rate

Ascites

Abnormal serous fluid buildup in peritoneal cavity

Atrophy

Wasting away of the size of a cell, tissue, or organ

Benign

Non cancerous growth / not harmful

Bradycardia

Abnormally slow heart rate

Below 60 bpm

Carcinoma

Malignant cancer that begins in epithelial tissue

Cancer cells continue growing & form new abnormal cells that invade other tissues

Chronic

Persisting over a long period

Diastole

Cardiac cycle where ventricles relax & refill with blood following systole

Dyspnea

Difficult or labored breathing

Ectopic

Out of place

Edema

Swelling caused by fluid retention

(Fluid buildup in interstitial spaces)

Effusion

Escape of fluid into a space

Ex: pleural or pericardial cavities

Embolus

Undissolved mass that travels through blood

Fibrillation

Rapid irregular contractions of heart’s muscle fibers

Fistula

Abnormal connection between two body parts or organs

Hemiplegia

Paralysis of one side of body

Hemopytsis

Bloody sputum (spit)

Hyperplasia

Enlargement of organ tissue

From increase cell reproduction rate

Hypoplasia

Underdevelopment of a tissue or organ

Iatrogenic

Illness caused by medical exam or treatment by healthcare provider

Ex: hives from medication

Idiopathic

Disease or condition with unknown cause

Interstital

Lying between

Intercellular / spaces between cells

Intubation

To put a tube in

Typically inserting breathing tube into trachea

Invasive

Extension of disease (usually cancer) into adjacent tissue

Ischemia

Decreased blood supply

Lesion

Any abnormal change to tissue or organ due to disease or injury

Malignant

To become severe / progressively worse

Malignant tumor is cancerous & can invade and destroy tissue. Can spread or metastasize to other parts of body

Myocardial infarction

Heart attack

Occurs when blood flow decreases/stops to a part of heart

Causes damage or death to heart muscle

Myocardium

Muscle tissue of heart

Forms thick middle layer between epicardium & endocardium

Necrosis

Death or decay of one or more cells OR portion of tissue with uncontrolled growth

Caused by injury or blood supply interruption

Neoplasm

Abnormal mass of tissue

Caused by when cells divide more than they should

Orthopnea

Difficulty breathing except in an upright position

Palpitation

When patient feels heart beating too hard/fast

Can be triggered by stress, exercise, medication

Paracentesis

Procedure to take out fluid (ascites) in peritoneal cavity

Paraplegia

Paralysis of lower extremities

Pericardium

Double walled sac

Contains heart & roots of great vessels

Perineum

Area between anus & scrotum or vulva

Peritoneum

Serous membrane

Lines abdominal cavity & covers abdominal organs

Has two layers : parietal & visceral

Pneumothorax

Abnormal collection of air in pleural space between lung & chest wall

Quadriplegia

Paralysis of all four limbs or entire body below neck

Retroperitoneal

Behind peritoneum

Septicemia

Serious bloodstream infection

Occurs when bacteria infection elsewhere in body enters bloodstream

Sign

Objective evidence of disease

Stenosis

Narrowing of a tubular structure or blood vessel

Systole

Phase of heartbeat

When heart muscle contracts & pumps blood into body

Tachycardia

Abnormally fast heart rate

Thoracentesis

Procedure to remove fluid from pleural cavity

Tumor

Abnormal growth of cells

Can be benign or malignant

Viscera

Internal organs of body

Particularly within abdominal & thoracic cavity