Abscess
Abscess: A local accumulation of pus anywhere in the body. The following are some examples of abscesses:
A skin abscess is better known as a common boil;
A peritonsillar abscess is a persistent collection of pus behind the tonsils; and
A perianal abscess is a pool of pus that forms next to the anus, often causing considerable tenderness and swelling in that area and pain on sitting down and on defecating.
Read Also:
- Absence of the breast
Absence of the breast: A rare condition wherein the normal growth of the breast or nipple never takes place and they are congenitally absent. Absence of the breast, also called amastia, is frequently not an isolated problem. Unilateral amastia (amastia just on one side) is often associated with absence of the pectoral muscles (the muscles […]
- Abscess, perianal
Abscess, perianal: An abscess next to the anus that causes tenderness, swelling, and pain on defecation.
- Absence seizure
Absence seizure: A seizure that takes the form of a staring spell. The person suddenly seems to be “absent.” An absence seizure involves a brief loss of awareness, which can be accompanied by blinking or mouth twitching. Absence seizures have a very characteristic appearance on an electroencephalogram (EEG). Also called a petit mal seizure.
- Abse, Dannie
Abse, Dannie: British pulmonary physician and poet. Abse was born in 1923 in Cardiff, Wales to a Jewish family. He studied medicine first in Wales and then at King’s College, London. He published his first collection of poetry in 1948 and qualified as a physician in 1950. Since then he has continued to combine his […]
- Absent eye
Absent eye: Also called anophthalmia, a congenital malformation (birth defect) of the globe. Anophthalmia refers, strictly speaking, to absence of the globe and ocular tissue from the orbit. However, in most cases of anophthalmia, CT scans show some remnants of the globe, indicating they represent severe microphthalmia (small eyes). Anophthalmia/microphthalmia may involve one or both […]