Medical terms beginning with D

Delirium is a sudden, fluctuating disturbance of attention and awareness that develops over hours to days, distinct from the gradual decline of dementia.

An acquired, progressive decline in memory, reasoning and other thinking abilities severe enough to interfere with daily life.

A drug displaced by its own breakdown product, which relieves no pain, lingers longer than the parent drug, and irritates the nervous system.

A dendritic cell captures and displays antigens to other immune cells, acting as a key link between the body's initial and adaptive immune responses.

A vaccine made of antigens and dendritic antigen-presenting cells (APCs).

Not stubbornness and not stupidity but a protective reflex, and one that often loosens on its own as the news becomes bearable.

In religion, describes a group whose members are organized under a common name and set of rules and have common beliefs and practices.

It replaces the root rather than the visible tooth, and everything above the gum line simply attaches to what is anchored in bone.

Much of the job is spotting disease early, from decay and gum inflammation to the first signs of oral cancer.

Denys-Drash syndrome is a rare genetic disorder combining early kidney failure, abnormal sexual development, and a high risk of Wilms tumor.

A drug that protects healthy tissues from the toxic effects of anticancer drugs.

The full chemical name of DNA, and it is descriptive: a sugar missing an oxygen, a nucleus, and an acid.

A form of the anticancer drug cytarabine that is contained inside very tiny, fat-like particles.

Not simply sadness turned up: the loss of interest and the physical changes are as central as the low mood itself.

A substance that is made naturally by some bacteria, fungi, and other organisms, and can also be made in the laboratory.

A derivative is a substance produced by chemically modifying another compound, typically retaining some structural or functional relationship to its source.

Controlled sanding of the skin, relying on the fact that skin regrows from below when only the top is taken away.

Where a rash sits is often the strongest clue to its cause, since contact reactions trace the outline of whatever touched the skin.

A type of tumor that begins as a hard nodule and grows slowly.

One of the few specialties where the same doctor examines the lesion, takes the biopsy and removes the cancer, often in one visit.