Medical glossary for healthcare interpreters

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Atrophic gastritis

chronic inflammation of the stomach that causes the breakdown of the mucous membranes of the stomach.

Atrophy

a continuous decline of a body part or tissue, usually a muscle, following a period of disuse or immobility.

Atypical

not usual; abnormal; often refers to the appearance of pre-cancerous or cancerous cells. (see also hyperplasia.)

Auditory brainstem response (abr) test

test used to screen for hearing impairments in infants and young children.

Auditory nerve

eighth cranial nerve that connects the inner ear to the brainstem.

Auditory perception

ability to identify, interpret, and attach meaning to sound.

Auditory prosthesis

device that substitutes or enhances the ability to hear.

Augmentative devices

tools that help individuals with limited or absent speech to communicate.

Aural rehabilitation

techniques used with people who are hearing impaired to improve their ability to speak and to communicate.

Autoimmune process

a process where the body's immune system attacks and destroys body tissue that it mistakes for foreign matter.

Autologous transplant

a procedure in which a patient's own bone marrow is removed, treated with anticancer drugs or radiation, then returned to the patient.

Autopsy

examination of a body after death; performed to determine cause of death, or to verify a diagnosis.

Avascular necrosis

death of tissue due to a depletion of blood supply.

Avulsion

when a muscle is forcefully stretched beyond its freely available range of motion, or when it meets a sudden, unexpected resistance while contracting forcefully.

Axilla

armpit.

Axillary dissection

a surgical procedure in which the lymph nodes in the armpit (axillary nodes) are removed and examined; often used to determine if breast cancer has spread to the axillary nodes.

Axon

the long, hair like extension of a nerve cell that carries a message to a nearby nerve cell.

Balance disorder

disruption in the labyrinth - the inner ear organ that controls the balance system allowing individuals to know where their bodies are in the environment.

Balance 

biological system that enables individuals to know where their bodies are in the environment and to maintain a desired position; normal balance depends on information from the labyrinth in the inner ear, and from other senses such as sight and touch.

Balloon angioplasty (also called coronar

a procedure used to widen narrowed arteries. The procedure uses a catheter with a deflated balloon at the tip that is inserted into the narrowed part of the artery. The balloon is then inflated, causing the artery to dilate (widen).