Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «R»:
-
Radical prostatectomy
Radical prostatectomy: A surgery procedure that removes the entire prostate gland plus some surrounding tissue. During the procedure the pelvic lymph nodes may also be sampled for a biopsy. The goal is to remove the cancer entirely and prevent its spread to other parts of the body....
-
Radiculopathy
Radiculopathy: Any disease
of the spinal nerve roots and spinal nerves. It is synonymous with radiculitis.
Radiculopathy is characterized by pain which seems to radiate from the spine to extend outward to cause symptoms away from the source of the spinal nerve root irritation.Causes of radiculopa...
-
Radiculopathy, lumbar
Radiculopathy, lumbar: See Lumbar radiculopathy....
-
Radio frequency identification
Radio frequency identification: (RFID) A system for remotely storing and retrieving data. An RFID tag may be a little sticker that can be attached to an object. The tag contains an antenna that enables it to receive and respond to a radiofrequency query from an RFID device called a transceiver.
Most...
-
Radioactive
Radioactive: Emitting energy waves due to
decaying atomic nuclei. Radioactive substances are used in
medicine as tracers for diagnosis, and in treatment to kill
cancerous cells....
-
Radioactive iodine
Radioactive iodine: An isotope of the chemical
element iodine that is radioactive. Radioactive iodine is used in diagnostic
tests as well as in radiotherapy of an hyperactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), most often due to Graves' disease.
For hyperthyroidism, Radioactive iodine is administe...
-
Radioactive tracer
Radioactive tracer: A radioactive molecule that
can be sent through the body's circulatory or urinary
system, with its progress followed by a radiation-sensitive
machine....
-
Radioallergosorbent test
Radioallergosorbent test: An allergy test
done on a sample of blood. The test is used to check for
allergic sensitivity to specific substances. In the test, the sample of blood is mixed with substances known to trigger allergies. The test measures the level of allergy antibodies (specific IgE anti...
-
Radiofrequency ablation
Radiofrequency ablation: The use of electrodes to generate heat and destroy abnormal tissue.
In radiofrequency ablation (RFA), heat is generated locally by a high frequency, alternating current that flows from the electrodes. A probe is inserted into the center of the tumor and the non-insulated el...
-
Radiograph
Radiograph:
A film with an image of body tissues that was produced when the body was placed adjacent to the film while radiating with X-rays....
-
Radiography
Radiography: Film records (radiographs) of internal structures of the body. Radiography is made possible by X-rays (or gamma rays) passing through the body to act on a specially sensitized film....
-
Radioimmunoassay
Radioimmunoassay:
A very sensitive, specific laboratory test (assay) using radiolabeled (and unlabeled) substances in an immunological (antibody-antigen) reaction....
-
Radioinsensitive
Radioinsensitive: Not sensitive to X-rays and other
forms of radiant energy. For example, a tumor may be
radioinsensitive, and therefore cannot be successfully attacked using
radiation therapy. The opposite of radiosensitive....
-
Radioiodine
Radioiodine: An isotope of the chemical
element iodine that is radioactive. Radioiodine is used in diagnostic
tests as well as in radiotherapy of an hyperactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism), most often due to Graves' disease.
For hyperthyroidism, radioiodine is administered in capsule form o...
-
Radioisotope
Radioisotope: A version of a chemical element that has an unstable nucleus and emits radiation during its decay to a stable form. Radioisotopes have important uses in medical diagnosis, treatment, and research. A radioisotope is so-named because it is a radioactive isotope, an isotope being an alter...