Palliative treatment
palliation, to slow the progression of local disease, as opposed to a cure.
The Latin “pallium” referred to a type of cloak in ancient Greece and Rome and, later, to a white woolen band with pendants in front and back worn by the pope or an archbishop as a symbol of full episcopal authority. Pallium was modified to form “palliate,” an adjective meaning “cloaked” or “concealed” and a verb meaning “to cloak,” “to cloth,” or “to shelter.” Today “palliation” implies the disguising or concealing of badness or evil and suggests the alleviation of the vile effects of wickedness or illness.
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- Pallidotomy
A surgical operation performed on the globus pallidus to destroy it. The purpose of this operation is to relieve involuntary movements or muscular rigidity, as, for example, in Parkinson’s disease. The globus pallidus is a pale-appearing spherical area in the brain. (Globus is a Latin word meaning a globe or sphere; pallidus refers to its […]
- Pallidum
Part of what are called the basal ganglia of the brain which consist of the globus pallidus and the ventral pallidum. The globus pallidus itself is a pale-appearing spherical area in the brain. (Globus is a Latin word meaning a globe or sphere. Pallidus refers to its pallor relative to the surrounding brain substance.) The […]
- Pallister-Killian syndrome
A condition with multiple malformations at birth and mental retardation due to isochromosome 12p mosaicism (an abnormal chromosome #12 in some cells).
- Palm
The grasping side of the hand; the flexor surface of the hand. In contrast to the back of the hand, the extensor surface of the hand. From the Latin “palma” for the outstretched palm of the hand. The palm tree is so named from the resemblance of the shape of its frond to the palm […]
- Palmar
Pertaining to the palm (the grasping side) of the hand. The ancient Romans used the word “palma” for the outstretched palm of the hand. By comparison, the term “volar” applies to both the palm and sole. It comes from word “vola” which the Romans used for “the palm of the hand and the sole of […]