Hamartoma

Hamartoma (noun): the presence of an overabundance of normal tissue in a normal location

Cachexia

Cachexia (noun): wasting, weight loss, and loss of muscle mass, typically associated with a chronic disease process

Congenital

Congenital (adjective): present at birth; not synonymous with hereditary (some but not all congenital defects are hereditary)

Homeostasis

Homeostasis (noun): a state of internal physiologic balance or equilibrium, characterized by the tendency to correct deviations in order to return to a "set point" for one or more parameters

Ecchymosis

Ecchymosis (noun): a larger hemorrhage, up to several centimeters in diameter

Petechia

Petechia (noun): a pinpoint hemorrhage, up to 1-2 millimeters in diameter

Hemorrhage

Hemorrhage (noun, or less commonly a verb): loss of blood from within the blood vessels

Suppurative

Suppurative (adjective): characterized by the formation or presence of pus

Phlebitis

Phlebitis (noun): inflammation of a vein

Anorexia

Anorexia (noun): loss of appetite, especially as the result of disease; in vet med, anorexia has no psychological connotations

Cornified

Cornified (adjective): converted from normal tissue into a hard, keratinized tissue; cornification literally means becoming horn-like

Mucociliary escalator

Mucociliary escalator (noun): an anatomical portion of the upper respiratory system in which mucus is produced and cilia move in one direction to carry mucus and any inhaled foreign material up toward the mouth so it can be coughed out or swallowed

Pyogenic

Pyogenic (adjective): producing pus; example: a pyogenic infection is an infection that produces pus

Cerumen

Cerumen (noun): ear wax

Blepharospasm

Blepharospasm (noun): a spasm of the eyelid muscles, resulting in blinking

Choristoma

Choristoma (noun): an abnormality in which there is growth of a tissue in a location where that tissue is not usually found (i.e. ectopic tissue)

Ectopic

Ectopic (adjective): occurring in an abnormal place or position; can describe a tissue (e.g. thyroid gland tissue growing in an unusual place), an organ (e.g. a kidney not in the normal location), or a process (e.g. a pregnancy in which the fetus implants in the Fallopian tube instead of the uterus)

Atresia

Atresia (noun): the absence of an opening in a passage or cavity; can be caused by a congenital failure of the passage to open or by an abnormal closure of the passage

Catecholamine

Catecholamine (noun): a chemical that functions as a hormone or neurotransmitter and is usually associated with a response to stress; examples include epinephrine and dopamine.

Splenomegaly

Splenomegaly (noun): enlargement of the spleen

Catarrhal

Catarrhal (adjective): characterized by the production or presence of mucus

Desmosome

Desmosome (noun): a small area on the surface of a cell that functions to maintain physical continuity with a second cell

Gonitis

Gonitis (noun): inflammation of the knee

Balanoposthitis

Balanoposthitis (noun): inflammation of the penis and prepuce (the skin around the penis)

Dyspnea

Dyspnea (noun): difficulty breathing

Senescent

Senescent (adj.): growing old; aging.

Apoptosis

Apoptosis (noun): a programmed process by which cells cause their own death; commonly referred to as "cellular suicide." Apoptosis can happen in a disease process or it can happen in the normal development of an organ or tissue. Example: as a female dog finishes estrus (heat cycle), many cells in her reproductive tract undergo apoptosis, and are replaced at the start of her next estrus.

Icterus

Icterus (noun): a yellowish discoloration of the skin, whites of the eyes, and mucous membranes (e.g. gums) caused by a disease process that affects bile. Similar to jaundice, but not exactly the same.

Ataxia

Ataxia (noun): a loss of coordination of the muscles. In vet med, we usually use this to describe a loss of coordination of the limbs, i.e. as the animal walks or runs.

Theriogenology

Theriogenology (noun): the branch of veterinary medicine dealing with reproduction and obstetrics