Week 8 Medical Terminology

distention

the state of being swollen, stretched, or enlarged beyond normal bounds

obstipation

inability to pass flatus or bowel movement

dysphagia

difficulty swallowing

odynophagia

pain with swallowing

acute diarrhea

painless loose or watery stools that last less than 14 days duration

persistent diarrhea

painless loose or watery stools that last between 14 and 30 days duration

chronic diarrhea

painless loose or watery stools that last more than 30 days duration

constipation

inability to pass bowel movements with normal passage of flatus; should be present for the last 3 months with symptom onset at least 6 months prior to diagnosis and meet at least two of the following conditions:

<3 bowel movements per week

≥25% or more defecations with either straining or sensation of incomplete evacuation

lumpy or hard stools

or manual facilitation

involuntary guarding

involuntary flexion of muscles at the site of inflammation upon palpation, sign of intra-abdominal infection

peritonitis

sign of intra-abdominal sepsis, abdominal will be rigid and board-like upon palpation with marked diffuse

tenderness with palpation; patients will also report significant pain with deep breathing and coughing as the result of irritation of the inflamed peritoneal cavity

rebound tenderness

pain with release of tension from palpation, associated with intra-abdominal infection

mcburney sign

tenderness at deep palpation at McBurney point (1/3 the distance between the anterior superior iliac spine and the umbilicus), associated with appendicitis

rovsing sign

palpation of the left lower quadrant resulting in pain in the right lower quadrant, suggestive of appendicitis

murphy sign

associated with acute cholecystitis; deep palpation of the right upper quadrant resulting in inspiratory halt upon deep inspiration; result of the diaphragm pushing the gallbladder down toward the point of deep palpation, causing tenderness

smegma

cheesy, whitish material; may accumulate normally under the foreskin

femoral hernia

least common type of hernia, originating below the inguinal ligament and more lateral than an inguinal hernia; no hernia contents can be palpated in the scrotum, and it can be difficult to differentiate from lymph nodes

indirect inguinal hernia

most common type of hernia, originating from above the inguinal ligament at the internal inguinal ring; hernia contents can be palpated coming down the inguinal canal, touching the fingertip

direct inguinal hernia

less common than indirect hernia, usually seen in older men, and originating from above the inguinal ligament near the external inguinal ring; hernia contents are rarely palpated in the scrotum, and it does not course down the inguinal canal

phimosis

tight prepuce (foreskin) that cannot be retracted over the glans

paraphimosis

tight prepuce (foreskin) that, once retracted, cannot be returned; edema ensues

hypospadias

congenital displacement of the urethral meatus to the inferior surface of the penis; meatus may be subcoronal,midshaft, or at the junction of the penis and scrotum (penoscrotal)

cryptorchidism

testis is atrophied and lies outside the scrotum in the inguinal canal, abdomen, or near the pubic tubercle; it may also be congenitally absent; there is no palpable testis or epididymis in the unfilled scrotum

testicular torsion

twisting of the testicle on its spermatic cord produces an acutely painful, tender, and swollen organ that is often retracted upward in the scrotum; cremasteric reflex is nearly always absent on the affected side

hydrocele

nontender, fluid-filled mass within the tunica vaginalis that transilluminates, and the examining fingers can palpate above the mass within the scrotum

varicocele

gravity-mediated varicose veins of the spermatic cord, usually found on the left; feels like a soft “bag of worms” in the spermatic cord above the testis, and, if prominent, appears to distort the contours of the scrotal skin (note: varicocele collapses in the supine position, so examination should be both supine and standing)

anal verge

junction between the outside of the anus with skin with hair and hairless skin

dentate line

divides the upper two-thirds of the anal canal with the distal third, between the transition zone of the anoderm and columnar mucosal tissue

prostate gland, base

most proximal portion of the prostate felt during a rectal examination; prostatic tissue located near the seminal vesicles

prostate gland, apex

distalmost portion of the prostate felt during a rectal examination

prostate gland, median sulcus

groove on the surface of the prostate palpable during a rectal examination that separates the left and right prostatic lobes

anal fissures

tear in the skin distal to the dentate line typically caused by increased sphincter tone

hemorrhoids

vascular cushions that help maintain resting anal pressure and tone

anal fistulas

complication of anorectal abscesses that results in an abnormal connection between internal mucosal and external skin

condylomas

manifestation of human papillomavirus infection; anal warts

pruritus ani

itching and irritation of the skin at the anus; can be the result of poor hygiene or external hemorrhoids