Glossary

anhidrosis (an-hi-dro-sis): Inability to tolerate heat.

differential diagnosis: Diagnosis of a condition whose signs and symptoms are shared by various other conditions.

dysesthesia: The abnormal and sometimes unpleasant sensation felt by a patient with partial damage to a peripheral nerve when skin is touched.

Horner's Syndrome: A group of symptoms that are due to a disorder of the sympathethic nerves in the cervical region. The syndrome consists of a constricted pupil (miosis), drooping of the upper eyelid (ptosis), and the absense of sweating over the affected side of the face(anhidrosis).

intercostal (in-ter-kos' tal): Between the ribs. [inter- + L. costa, rib]

miosis (mi-o-sis): Contraction of the pupil

neuropathic pain: Neuropathic pain occurs when peripheral nerve roots are involved with a tumor.

nociception (no-ci-sep-tion): The activity produced in the afferent nervous system by potentially tissue damaging stimuli. Pain is the perception of nociception.

lordosis: Inward curvature of the spine. A certain degree of lordosis is normal in the cervical and lumbar regions of the spine.


perineum: The region of body between the anus and the urethral opening including both skin and underlying muscle.

psychogenic pain: Pain is termed idiopathic if an underlying structural lesion cannot be identified or if the pain perceived seems to be excessive for the etiology identified.

ptosis (toe-sis): Sinking down or prolapse of an organ.


paravertebral (par-a-ver-te-bra): Alongside a vertebra or the vertebral column.

retroperitoneal
(re-tro-pe-ri-ton-eal): Behind the peritoneum