Medical terms beginning with D

The same word covers a vessel relaxing on its own, a pupil widening in the dark, and a balloon forcing a narrowed passage open.

A procedure to remove tissue from the cervical canal or the inner lining of the uterus.

A device used to stretch or enlarge an opening.

To make something thinner, weaker, less concentrated, or less pure by adding something to it.

DIM is a compound formed when the body breaks down indole-3-carbinol from cruciferous vegetables and is sold as a dietary supplement.

A substance being studied in the treatment of advanced melanoma (a type of skin cancer) and other types of cancer.

One drug with several jobs: the drowsiness that limits its daytime use for allergy is the same effect sold as a sleep aid.

A drug or substance used to treat hypercalcemia (abnormally high blood calcium) and bone pain caused by some types of cancer.

An exam of the inside of the back of the eye using an ophthalmoscope (a flashlight-sized instrument with a light source and a set of rotating lenses).

Discharge refers either to fluid released from the body or to a patient's formal release from a hospital or other care setting.

Cancer that continues to grow or spread.

The length of time after treatment for a specific disease during which a patient survives with no sign of the disease.

The percentage of people in a study or treatment group who have not died from a specific disease in a defined period of time.

A chemical meant for surfaces and equipment, strong enough to kill most germs but too harsh for living skin.

A joint that has come apart and stayed apart, which is a different problem from one that slipped and went back.

In medicine, a disturbance of normal functioning of the mind or body.

A mental state marked by confusion about time, place, or who one is.

Disseminate means to spread widely, describing how a disease process, infection, or information extends beyond its original, limited location.

In medicine, refers to a part of the body that is farther away from the center of the body than another part.

Removal of the body and tail of the pancreas.