Black lung disease
Black lung disease: A disease of the lungs that is caused by inhaling coal dust, which in some patients can lead to progressive massive fibrosis of the lungs and severely impaired lung function. Also known as anthracosis and coal miner’s pneumoconiosis.
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- Black plague
In 14th-century Europe, the victims of the “black plague” had bleeding below the skin (subcutaneous hemorrhage) which made darkened (“blackened”) their bodies. Black plague can lead to “black death” characterized by gangrene of the fingers, toes, and nose. Black plague is caused by a bacterium (Yersinia pestis) which is transmitted to humans from infected rats […]
- Blackhead
Blackhead: A familiar term for what is medically called an open comedo. A comedo, the primary sign of acne, consists of a widened hair follicle filled with skin debris, bacteria, and oil called sebum. A blackhead has a wide opening to the skin and is capped with a blackened mass of skin debris. In contrast, […]
- Blackwell, Elizabeth
Blackwell, Elizabeth: (1821-1910) The first woman to receive a medical degree from an accredited American college. Blackwell was born in Bristol, England. Her father was a nonconformist, liberal, and abolitionist. In 1832 with her family, she immigrated to Cincinnati, Ohio. Blackwell decided to become a doctor in 1844 after a family friend dying with cancer […]
- Bladder
Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste from the blood and produce urine, which enters the bladder through two tubes, called ureters. Urine leaves the bladder through another tube, the urethra. In women, the urethra is a short tube that opens just in front of the vagina. […]
- Bladder cancer
A common form of cancer that begins in the lining of the bladder. The most common warning sign is blood in the urine. Symptoms include pain during urination, frequent urination, and feeling the need to urinate without results. A diagnosis of bladder cancer is supported by findings in the medical history, physical examination, examination of […]