Par-/para-: From 1 Different Sources
Prefixes that may mean beside or beyond, closely resembling or related to, or faulty or abnormal.
Stroke affecting one side... paraplegia
Paralysis, or PALSY, is loss of muscular power due to some disorder of the NERVOUS SYSTEM. Weakness – rather than total movement loss – is sometimes described as paresis. Paralysis may be temporary or permanent and may be accompanied by loss of feeling.
Paralysis due to brain disease The most common form is unilateral palsy, or HEMIPLEGIA, generally arising from cerebral HAEMORRHAGE, THROMBOSIS or EMBOLISM affecting the opposite side of the BRAIN. If all four limbs and trunk are affected, the paralysis is called quadraplegia; if both legs and part of the trunk are affected, it is called paraplegia. Paralysis may also be divided into ?accid (?oppy limbs) or spastic (rigid).
In hemiplegia the cause may be an abscess, haemorrhage, thrombosis or TUMOUR in the brain. CEREBRAL PALSY or ENCEPHALITIS are other possible causes. Sometimes damage occurs in the parts of the nervous system responsible for the ?ne control of muscle movements: the cerebellum and basal ganglion are such areas, and lack of DOPAMINE in the latter causes PARKINSONISM.
Damage or injury Damage to or pressure on the SPINAL CORD may paralyse muscles supplied by nerves below the site of damage. A fractured spine or pressure from a tumour may have this e?ect. Disorders affecting the cord which can cause paralysis include osteoarthritis of the cervical vertebrae (see BONE, DISORDERS OF), MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS), MYELITIS, POLIOMYELITIS and MENINGITIS. Vitamin B12 de?ciency (see APPENDIX 5: VITAMINS) may also cause deterioration in the spinal cord (see also SPINE AND SPINAL CORD, DISEASES AND INJURIES OF).
Neuropathies are a group of disorders, some inherited, that damage the peripheral nerves, thus affecting their ability to conduct electrical impulses. This, in turn, causes muscle weakness or paralysis. Among the causes of neuropathies are cancers, DIABETES MELLITUS, liver disease, and the toxic consequences of some drugs or metals – lead being one example.
Disorders of the muscles themselves – for example, muscular dystrophy (see MUSCLES, DISORDERS OF – Myopathy) – can disturb their normal working and so cause partial or complete paralysis of the part(s) affected.
Treatment The aim of treatment should be to remedy the underlying cause – for example, surgical removal of a displaced intervertebral
disc or treating diabetes mellitus. Sometimes the cause cannot be recti?ed but, whether treatable or not, physiotherapy is essential to prevent joints from seizing up and to try to maintain some tone in muscles that may be only partly affected. With temporary paralysis, such as can occur after a STROKE, physiotherapy can retrain the sufferers to use their muscles and joints to ensure mobility during and after recovery. Patients with permanent hemiplegia, paraplegia or quadraplegia need highly skilled nursing care, rehabilitative support and resources, and expert help to allow them, if possible, to live at home.... paralysis
A condition whose main characteristic is the delusion (see DELUSIONS) that other people are (in an unclear way) connected to the affected individual. A sufferer from paranoia constructs a complex of beliefs based on his or her interpretation of chance remarks or events. Persecution, love, jealousy and self-grandeur are among the emotions evoked. Acute paranoia – a history of less than six months – may be the result of drastic changes in a person’s environment, such as war, imprisonment, famine or even leaving home for the ?rst time. Chronic paranoia may be caused by brain damage, substance abuse (including alcohol and cannbis), SCHIZOPHRENIA or severe DEPRESSION. Those affected may become constantly suspicious and angry and tend to live an isolated existence, exhibiting di?cult and odd behaviour. Often believing themselves to be normal, they do not seek treatment. If treated early with antipsychotic drugs, they often recover; if not, the delusions and accompanying erratic behaviour become entrenched. (See MENTAL ILLNESS.)... paranoia
A plant or animal which lives upon or within or upon another living organism at whose expense it obtains some advantage without compensation. By convention, human parasitology covers the study of the protozoa, helminths and arthropods infecting humans.... parasite
An outdated term for the tertiary stage of SYPHILIS.... general paralysis of the insane
A pre?x meaning near, aside from, or beyond.... para
The puncture by hollow needle or TROCAR and CANNULA of any body cavity (e.g. abdominal, pleural, pericardial), for tapping or aspirating ?uid. (See ASPIRATION.)... paracentesis
(US, acetaminophen.) A non-opioid analgesic (see ANALGESICS) similar in e?cacy to aspirin, but without any demonstrable antiin?ammatory activity. It also has the advantage over aspirin of causing less gastric irritation. It is indicated for mild to moderate pain and pyrexia in a dose of 0.5–1g by mouth (maximum 4 doses every 24 hours).... paracetamol
A term applied to unusual feelings, apart from mere increase, or loss, of sensation, experienced by a patient without any external cause: for example, hot ?ushes, numbness, tingling, itching. Various paraesthesiae form a common symptom in some nervous diseases.... paraesthesia
A disorder or injury of the NERVOUS SYSTEM in which the affected individual suffers from weakness in both legs and sometimes of the muscles in the lower trunk.... paraparesis
The constriction of the PENIS behind the glans by an abnormally tight foreskin that has been retracted. The condition causes swelling and severe pain. Sometimes the foreskin can be returned by manual manipulation after an ice pack has been applied to the glans or a topical local anaesthetic applied. Sometimes an operation to cut the foreskin is required.... paraphimosis
The branch of PSYCHOLOGY that studies extrasensory perception. This includes precognition (seeing into the future); psychokinesis (a supposed ability of some people to move or change the state of objects by thinking); telepathy (communicating thoughts from one person to another); and clairvoyance (the ability to visualise events at a distance). These phenomena have no scienti?c explanation and some of these ‘abilities’ may be manifestations of mental illness such as SCHIZOPHRENIA.... parapsychology
A contact herbicide widely used in agriculture and horticulture. People using paraquat should be careful to protect their eyes and skin so as not to come into contact with it: a mouthful is enough to kill, and the substance is involved in around 40 suicides annually in the UK. Its major misuse has resulted from its being decanted from the professional pack into soft-drink bottles and kept in the kitchen. Medical assistance should be obtained as soon as possible, as some victims of poisoning may require hospital inpatient care, including renal DIALYSIS. Several medical centres have been set up throughout the country to provide treatment in cases of paraquat poisoning. Details of these can be obtained from the National Poisons Information Service.... paraquat
A general term applied to agents or substances destructive to parasites (see PARASITE).... parasiticide
Mimicking major aspects of parasympathetic function. EXAMPLES: Amanita muscaria mushrooms, Pilocarpine, Lobelia.... parasympathomimetic
One of the ORGANOPHOSPHORUS insecticides. It is highly toxic to humans and must therefore be handled with the utmost care.... parathion
A condition characterised by pain and PARAESTHESIA on the front and outer aspect of the thigh. It is more common in men than in women, and the victims are usually middle-aged, overweight and out of condition. It is due to compression of the lateral cutaneous nerve of the thigh, and exacerbated by an uncomfortable driving position when motoring long distances. Reduction in weight, improvement in general ?tness and correction of faulty posture usually bring relief. If these fail, surgical decompression of the nerve may help.... meralgia paraesthetica
The reverse of the normal movements of breathing (see RESPIRATION). The chest wall moves in instead of out when breathing in (inspiration), and out instead of in when breathing out (expiration). The spaces between the ribs are indrawn on inspiration – a symptom seen in children with respiratory distress, say, as a result of ASTHMA or lung infections. Patients with CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) often suffer from paradoxical breathing; and trauma to the rib cage, with fractured sternum and ribs, also cause the condition. Treatment is of the underlying cause.... paradoxical breathing
One of the small ovoid collections of cells occurring in the walls of the ganglia of the SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM adjacent to the SPINAL CORD. They are CHROMAFFIN cells and sometimes secrete ADRENALINE.... paraganglion
A tropical disease found mainly in the Far East. It is caused by infections of the lungs by a parasitic ?uke called Paragonimus westermani. The infection is acquired by eating insu?ciently cooked shell?sh. The affected person has symptoms similar to those of chronic BRONCHITIS; treatment is with the drugs CHLOROQUINE and bithionol.... paragonimiasis
A generic title for the professions which work closely with or are reponsible to the medical profession in caring for patients. A paramedical worker, coloquially called a ‘paramedic’, has skills, experience and quali?cations in certain spheres of health care. Examples are ambulance crew – primarily those trained to deal with emergencies; physiotherapists (see PHYSIOTHERAPY); radiographers (see RADIOGRAPHER); and dieticians (see DIETETICS).... paramedical
A measurement of a certain factor – for example, pulse rate, blood pressure, or haemoglobin concentration – that is relevant to a disorder under investigation. Often wrongly used to describe the range of test results.... parameter
A derangement of the MEMORY in which words are used without a comprehension of their meaning; it is also applied to illusions of memory in which a person in good faith imagines and describes experiences which never occurred to him or her.... paramnesia
Misplacement of words, or use of wrong words, in speech as a result of a lesion in the speech region of the BRAIN.... paraphasia
A form of PARANOIA. (See also MENTAL ILLNESS.)... paraphrenia
Non-fatal self-poisoning or self-injury, or attempted suicide. It is most common in the 12–15 age group. As a rule, the intention is not to commit suicide but to sound a cry for help to resolve an acute domestic, social or personal upset.... parasuicide
See ENTERIC FEVER.... paratyphoid fever
A big fall in a person’s systolic BLOOD PRESSURE when he or she breathes in. It may occur in conditions such as constrictive PERICARDITIS and pericardial e?usion, when the normal pumping action of the heart is hindered. ASTHMA may also cause pulsus paradoxus, as can CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD).... pulsus paradoxus
That part of the AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM which is connected with the BRAIN and SPINAL CORD through certain nerve centres in the midbrain, medulla, and lower end of the cord. The nerves from these centres are carried in the third, seventh, ninth and tenth cranial nerves and the second, third and fourth sacral nerves. The action of the parasympathetic system is usually antagonistic to that of the sympathetic system. Thus it inhibits the action of the HEART and augments the action of the INTESTINE; whereas the sympathetic augments the action of the heart and inhibits that of the intestine. (See diagram of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems under NERVOUS SYSTEM.)... parasympathetic nervous system
The scientific study of parasites. Although viruses and many types of bacteria and fungi are parasites, their study is conducted under the title of microbiology.... parasitology
The sensation of being unable to move at the moment of going to sleep or when waking up, usually lasting only a few seconds. It may be accompanied by hallucinations. Sleep paralysis most often occurs in people with narcolepsy. (See also cataplexy.)... sleep paralysis
Inability to move a part of the body, accompanied by rigidity of the muscles. Causes of spastic paralysis include stroke, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis. (See also paralysis.)... spastic paralysis
See PARALYSIS; MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE (MND).... bulbar paralysis
Macf.
Family: Rutaceae.
Habitat: Khasi Hills, submountain- ous Himalayan ranges in Garhwal, Kumaon in U.P., Maland areas of South, Pachmarhi (Madhya Pradesh), Sikkim and Western Ghats.
English: Citron.
Ayurvedic: Maatulunga, Lunga, Maatulaka, Mahaalunga, Bijpuura, Bijaahva.
Unani: Turanj.
Siddha/Tamil: Kadaranrathai, Naarthankai, Thurinjippazham.
Folk: Bijoraa.
Action: Fruit—antiscorbutic, refrigerant, astringent, carminative, stomachic, antibacterial. Used for dyspepsia, bilious vomiting, cold, fever, hiccough. Root— anthelmintic. Flowers and buds— astringent.
The peel contains coumarins, limet- tin, scoparone, scopoletin and um- belliferon; besides nobiletin, limonin,
Family: Rutaceae.
Habitat: Native to the West Indies. Commercialized in the USA. Cultivated mainly in Punjab.
English: Grapefruit, 'Marsh' Grapefruit.
Folk: Chakotraa. Chima Bombili- maas (Tamil Nadu).
Action: Young leaves—decoction is used to relieve cold or headache. Fruit—used for developing resistance against colds and influenza.
Grapefruit is rich in vitamins, minerals, potassium and pectin, which balance the acid reaction in the stomach and stimulate appetite. Half grapefruit contains vitamin A 318 IU, vitamin C 46.8 mg, niacin 0.2 mg, potassium 158 mg. The fruit contains beta- carotene and cartenoid lycopene. Ly- copene is especially noted for reducing the risk of prostate cancer. The fruit juice contains furanocoumarins, including bergamottin, also naringin, naringenin, limonin, quercetin, kaem- pferol and obacunone.For drug interactions with grapefruit juice, see Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007.Grapefruit is not to be confused with grape (Vitis vinifera).... citrus paradisi
Erb’s paralysis is a form of paralysis of the arm due to stretching or tearing of the ?bres of the brachial nerve plexus. Such damage to the brachial plexus may occur during birth, especially when the baby is unusually large, and it is found that the arm lies by the side of the body with elbow extended, forearm pronated, and the ?ngers ?exed. The infant is unable to raise the arm.... erb’s paralysis
Lust, Luck, Love, Money, Wishes ... grains of paradise
An old name for POLIOMYELITIS.... infantile paralysis
Injury as a result of the stretching of a baby’s brachial plexus during its birth may cause partial paralysis of the arm with atrophy of the muscles of the forearm and hand.... klumpke’s paralysis
One of the early antituberculous (see TUBERCULOSIS) antibiotics. It tended to cause DYSPEPSIA and has been replaced by newer antituberculous drugs with fewer side-effects. The ?rst-line drugs for tuberculosis are now rifampicin, isoniazid, and ethambutol.... para-amino salicylic acid
(Russian) Born on Good Friday Paraha, Parashy, Parashie, Parashi, Parashey, Parashee, Parashea... paraaha
(English) From the perfect place Paradice, Paradyse, Paradyce... paradise
The general name used to designate a series of saturated hydrocarbon compounds derived from petroleum. Liquid para?n is used in the treatment of CONSTIPATION. Externally, the hard and soft para?ns are used in various consistencies, being very useful as OINTMENTS and lubricants.... paraffin
Misplacement of words, or of letters in words, or wrong spelling, or use of wrong words in writing as a result of a lesion in the speech region of the BRAIN.... paragraphia
These are included in the paramyxoviruses (see MYXOVIRUSES) and divided into four types, all of which cause infection of the respiratory system (see RESPIRATION). Infection with type 3 begins in May, reaches a maximum in July or August and returns to base-line level in October. Types 1 and 2 are predominantly winter viruses. Children are commonly affected and the manifestations include CROUP, fever, and a rash.... parainfluenza viruses
See PARKINSONISM.... paralysis agitans
Poisoning by saxitoxin, a toxin present in some shellfish, usually in tropical or subtropical seas. Symptoms of respiratory arrest, or brain involvement occur in some 8% of cases, resulting in death. Saxitoxin is related to tetrodotoxin.... paralytic shellfish poisoning
Statistical techniques designed for use when data have certain characteristics.... parametric statistics
Sited within some of the bones of the SKULL, these are spaces ?lled with air and lined by MUCOUS MEMBRANE. The sinuses comprise frontal and maxillary (a pair of each), ethmoidal (a group of small spaces), and two sphenoid sinuses. They drain into the nasal cavities (see NOSE). When a person has an upper respiratory infection, the sinuses sometimes become infected: this causes pain, purulent discharge from the nose and obstruction of the nasal passages (see SINUSITIS). Generally all that is required is a decongestant and antibiotic but, occasionally, infection may spread to produce a cerebral abscess or cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (see BRAIN, DISEASES OF).... paranasal sinus
(Indian) A woman against whom others are measured... paras
Parasites circulating in the blood stream.... parasitaemia
The number of malaria parasites in a specified volume of blood.... parasite density
A type of association where one organism depends for metabolism on the other.... parasitism
A division of the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system that controls normal digestive, reproductive, cardiopulmonary, and vascular functions and stimulates most secretions. This subsystem works as a direct antagonist to the sympathetic division, and organ functions balance between them.... parasympathetic
An intermediate host which becomes infected by consuming another intermediate host and in which the parasite does not develop any further than in the first intermediate host. Also called a “transport host”.... paratenic host
These are several minute glandular masses embedded in the lower edge of the thyroid gland. They produce Parathyroid Hormone (PTH), part of the calcium-phosphorus control system. Calcium levels in the blood MUST be within a narrow band of safety. If free calcium drops too low, PTH acts on the kidneys and blocks calcium loss in urine, amplifies calcium absorption into the portal blood (from food and from submucosal storage) and stimulates release of calcium from bone storage. When levels are back up, the hormone backs off. Oddly enough, the thyroid gland secretes its virtual antagonist, calcitonin, which, when calcium levels are too high, stimulates the urine excretion, bone retention and digestive resistance to calcium, and when the blood levels drop, recedes. The body finds calcium levels to be so critical that it has in place TWO separate, mutually antagonistic negative feedback systems,,,like a binary star system. (Be thankful I didn’t bring in the calcium maintenance of minerocortical steroid hormones or vasopressin)... parathyroids
1490-1541. Theophrastus Bombastus Hohenheim. Physician and alchemist. Owed his early education to his father, a physician. Learned the practice of medicine from many sources but lost faith in the orthodox profession of his day. Supported the Doctrine of Signatures, which is really a doctrine of analogies that suggest every herb reveals by its shape, colour and scent the disease it can cure. See: DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES. The first to introduce into pharmacy the minerals antimony, mercury and sulphur, now known to be inimical to health and which have led the practice of medicine further away from the pure Hippocratic concept. He taught that diseases were specific entities and should be cured by specific remedies. ... paracelsus
A form of enteric fever caused by bacteria of the Salmonella group. A notifiable disease. Treatment the same as for TYPHOID FEVER. ... paratyphoid
A failure, usually temporary, of the normal contractility of the muscles of the intestine. Paralytic ileus commonly follows abdominal surgery and may also be induced by severe abdominal injury, peritonitis, internal bleeding, acute pancreatitis, or interference with the blood or nerve supply to the intestine. Symptoms include a swollen abdomen, vomiting, and failure to pass faeces. The condition is treated by resting the intestine. A tube passed through the nose or mouth into the stomach or intestine removes accumulated fluids and keeps the stomach empty. Body fluid levels are maintained by intravenous infusion (drip).... ileus, paralytic
The active ingredient of many sunscreen preparations. Its abbreviation is.... para-aminobenzoic acid
A tumour-like swelling under the skin caused by prolonged exposure to paraffin. Paraffinomas may form in the lungs if paraffin is inhaled.... paraffinoma
A rare, inherited condition that affects young people. Periodic paralysis is characterized by episodes of muscle weakness, which vary in frequency from daily to every few years and last from a few minutes to a few hours. In some cases, there is a drop in the potassium levels in the blood; in others, the levels rise. A carbohydraterich meal may trigger an attack. The condition often clears up without treatment by age 40.... paralysis, periodic
A term for any health-care worker other than a doctor, nurse, or dentist. The term usually refers to ambulance staff who attend accidents or medical emergencies.... paramedic
see delusional infestation.... delusional parasitosis
paralysis of the facial nerve, causing weakness and loss of function of the muscles it serves. It occurs in *Bell’s palsy. The commonest cause is infection with the herpes simplex virus.... facial paralysis
a reflex action of the body that develops by five to six months and never disappears. If the body is held by the waist face down and lowered, the arms and legs extend automatically.... forward parachute reflex
see parapharyngeal space.... lateral parapharyngeal space
n. a genus of yeast-like fungi causing infection of the skin and mucous membranes. The species P. brasiliensis causes a chronic skin disease, South American *blastomycosis.... paracoccidioides
adj. describing a hormone that is secreted by an endocrine gland and affects the function of nearby cells, rather than being transported distally by the blood or lymph.... paracrine
n. any distortion of hearing.... paracusis
n. the vestigial remains of part of the embryonic *mesonephros that are found near the testis of the adult. Some of the mesonephric collecting tubules persist as the functional *vasa efferentia but the rest degenerate almost completely. A similar vestigial structure (the paroophoron) is found in females.... paradidymis
n. (in *family therapy) a surprising interpretation or suggestion made in the course of therapy in order to demonstrate the relationship between a psychological symptom and a system of family relationships.... paradox
n. one of a series of hydrocarbons derived from petroleum. Paraffin wax (hard paraffin), a whitish mixture of solid hydrocarbons melting at 45–60°C, is used in medicine mainly as a base for ointments and in microscopy for *embedding specimens. Liquid paraffin is a mineral oil formerly used as a laxative; combined with soft paraffin (white or yellow), it is used as an emollient, as a lubricating ointment for treating dry eyes, and to impregnate gauze dressings to prevent the fibres from sticking.... paraffin
n. a tumour, related to *phaeochromocytoma, arising from *paraganglion cells. Such tumours can occur around the aorta, the carotid artery (carotid body tumour), and the cervical portion of the vagus nerve (*glomus tumour), as well as in the abdomen and the eye. They are usually benign and treated by surgery, but occasionally can be malignant, requiring systemic treatment.... paraganglioma
(parageusis) n. abnormality of the sense of taste.... parageusia
n. a genus of large tropical parasitic *flukes that are particularly prevalent in the Far East. The adults of P. westermani live in the human lungs, where they cause destruction and bleeding of the tissues (see paragonimiasis). However, they may also be found in other organs of the body. Eggs are passed out in the sputum and the larvae undergo their development in two other hosts, a snail and a crab.... paragonimus
n. a former name for one of the types of *Hodgkin’s disease. It is now known as lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin’s disease and has the best prognosis of all the types.... paragranuloma
a group of large RNA-containing viruses that cause infections of the respiratory tract producing mild influenza-like symptoms. They are included in the paramyxovirus group (see myxovirus).... parainfluenza viruses
adj. situated close to or beside the *median plane.... paramedian
see Müllerian duct.... paramesonephric duct
see significance.... parametric test
(pelvic cellulitis) n. inflammation of the loose connective tissue and smooth muscle around the uterus (the parametrium). The condition may be associated with *puerperal infection.... parametritis
n. the layer of connective tissue surrounding the uterus.... parametrium
a rare disorder in which prolonged contraction of muscle fibres (see myotonia) is precipitated by cold and exercise. It is due to a mutation in the sodium-channel gene.... paramyotonia congenita
n. see myxovirus.... paramyxovirus
the air-filled spaces, lined with mucous membrane, within some of the bones of the skull. They open into the nasal cavity, via the meatuses, and are named according to the bone in which they are situated. They comprise the frontal sinuses and the maxillary sinuses (one pair of each), the ethmoid sinuses (consisting of many spaces inside the ethmoid bone), and the two sphenoid sinuses. See illustration.... paranasal sinuses
signs or symptoms occurring in a patient with cancer that result from antibodies or *ectopic hormones produced by the cancer and are not due directly to local effects of the cancer cells. Examples are *myasthenia gravis secondary to a tumour of the thymus, a cerebellar syndrome in patients with lung cancer (due to anti-*Purkinje cell antibody), and a peripheral neuropathy in patients with breast cancer. Removal of the cancer usually leads to resolution of the problem.... paraneoplastic syndrome
(lateral parapharyngeal space) the region at the side of the *pharynx. Infection in this space can result in a parapharyngeal abscess. It is also a site where tumours can develop.... parapharyngeal space
n. an abnormal protein of the *immunoglobulin series. Paraproteins appear in malignant disease of the spleen, bone marrow, liver, etc. Examples of paraproteins are *myeloma globulins, *Bence-Jones protein, and *macroglobulin.... paraprotein
n. an obsolete name for the earliest phase of *mycosis fungoides.... parapsoriasis
adj. situated close to the sternum. The parasternal line is an imaginary vertical line parallel to and midway between the lateral margin of the sternum and the vertical line through the nipple.... parasternal
adj. relating to the area around a *stoma, which often appears as a hernia or bulge. Following surgery, muscle structure is interrupted making it weaker and prone to stretching. Straining can cause intestinal contents to herniate through the weakened spot.... parastomal
adj. opposing the effects of the *parasympathetic nervous system. *Antimuscarinic drugs have this effect by preventing acetylcholine from acting as a neurotransmitter.... parasympatholytic
n. the tissue of a tendon sheath that fills up spaces round the tendon.... paratenon
n. see parathyroid hormone.... parathormone
n. surgical removal of one or more of the *parathyroid glands, usually as part of the treatment of *hyperparathyroidism.... parathyroidectomy
(PTH-RP) a protein that is secreted by certain malignant tumours and is the main cause of malignant *hypercalcaemia. PTH-RP, which has effects similar to *parathyroid hormone, stimulates generalized bone resorption and excessive calcium reabsorption in the kidney tubules. It is most commonly produced by lung tumours, squamous-cell carcinomas of other organs, melanomas, and tumours of the breast, liver, pancreas, bladder, and prostate.... parathyroid hormone-related protein
(in *nuclear medicine) a scan that can help to localize the site of a parathyroid adenoma before surgical removal, to treat primary *hyperparathyroidism. The tracer is technetium-99m-labelled sestamibi (a small protein), which is selectively absorbed by overactive parathyroid glands.... sestamibi parathyroid scan
a condition in which attacks of sudden weakness and flaccidity occur in patients with *thyrotoxicosis, seen most often in males of Asian descent. The attacks last from hours to days; they can be prevented by potassium supplements and subsequent treatment of the thyrotoxicosis.... thyrotoxic periodic paralysis
Health Encyclopedia