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[ A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z ] C Calcification: Process in which tissue or noncellular material in the body becomes hardened. Calcitonin: A hormone made in the thyroid gland that increases calcium deposition in bone and increases urinary calcium. The opposite function to parathyroid hormone. Calcitriol: Another name for activated Vitamin D, also called Vitamin D3. Calciuria: The urinary excretion of calcium. Calcium: An important element that helps make bone and teeth hard. It's necessary for proper functioning of muscles and nerves, blood coagulation and enzyme activation. Normally regulated in the body primarily by the parathyroid glands. In the diet, it can be found mainly in dairy products like milk and cheese. Calcium Oxalate: A compound made from calcium and oxalate. It can be in the monohydrate form, which is extremely hard, or dihydrate, which is quite brittle. Calcium oxalate is the most frequently found ingredient in kidney stones in the United States. Calcium oxalate stones: the most common kidney stones, made up of a hard crystalline compound, often mixed with calcium phosphate. Calcium Phosphate: Another compound that forms kidney stones. Calcium phosphate is more likely to occur due to a medical problem or illness. It is formed most often in alkaline solutions. There is a danger in treating some patients with uric acid stones where too much citrate or bicarbonate can alkalinize the urine too severely and allow calcium phosphate, which will not dissolve, to coat or cover the uric acid. Calculi: The plural of calculus. Refers to many stones. Calculus: 1. Stone. Concretion formed in any part of the body. 2. An abnormal concretion, usually composed of mineral salts, occurring chiefly in the hollow organs of their passages. Calyceal diverticulum: Calyx: a cup-like division of the renal pelvis where the filtering system and tubules drain into the renal pelvis. Cancellous: Denoting bone that has a lattice-like or spongy structure. Cancer: A general term used to describe various types of malignant neoplasms. Candida: A genus of yeast like fungi commonly found in nature. The gastrointestinal tract is the source of the most important species. Catheter: A long, slender tube that enters the body. Most often it's used to drain the bladder but a smaller version is used for special X-rays called Retrograde Pyelograms. Catheters are flexible and usually made of latex or silicone. Catheterization: Passage of a tubular, flexible, surgical instrument called a catheter into the bladder to remove urine. Catheterostat: A stand for holding catheters. Cauterize: To apply a cautery. To burn with the actual or potential cautery. Chemolysis: 1. Medical treatment of renal stones. Usually associated with the treatment of uric acid stones. 2. Chemical dissolution of stones. Citrate: An important urinary acid neutralizer and inhibitor of kidney stone formation. It is excreted by the kidneys and will be reduced if there is too great an acid load in the body. Potassium citrate is an oral supplement available as a liquid, tablet or dissolvable crystal packet that's used to increase the urinary citrate level. Cavity: A hollow space. Cefazolin: A broad spectrum cephalosporin antibiotic substance derived from cephalosporin C. Cell (Red Blood): Erythrocyte. Cell (White Blood): Leukocyte. Centigrade: Consisting of 100 degrees. One hundredth part of a circle. Centimeter: The hundredth part of a meter. Cholelithiasis: Gallbladder stones. Cholinergic: Relating to nerve cells or fibers that employ acetylcholine as their neurotransmitter. Coagulopathy: A disease affecting the clotting of the blood. Colic or Renal Colic: Colic: spasm in any hollow or tubular organ accompanied by pain. In urology, renal colic caused by expansion of the collecting system to obstruction caused by passage of a stone, clot or foreign body. Marked by intense pain and waves of spasm. The extremely severe pain associated with a kidney stone attack. Collecting System: The hollow, branched, interior portion of the kidney system that normally is full of urine. This is the target area for percutaneous procedures and the space in which most stones form. The exit of the collecting system (see Ureteropelvic junction) is shaped like a funnel and leads into the ureter, the tube that connects the kidney with the urinary bladder. Compressive Force: The force holding the stone in a solid mass. Convalescence: A period between the end of a disease and the patient's restoration to complete health. Creatinine: A component of urine and the final product of creatinine catabolism. Creatinine Clearance: A calculated value that is a good indicator of kidney function. Since serum creatinine is filtered by the kidneys based on kidney function, it is possible to measure the total urinary creatinine passed in 24 hours and calculate how much blood was filtered by the kidneys in that time to produce the creatinine found in the sample. It comes out to about 100 cc's per minute. Anything below 30 cc's is considered to be kidney failure. Crixivan stones: Protease-inhibitor-induced radiolucent stones. See Indinavir. Crossed Ectopia: Both kidneys on one side, one ureter crossing the midline. Cryo-: Relating to cold. Cryosurgery: An operation which decreases the temperature. Crystal: A solid form of a substance where the molecules are arranged in a repeating pattern or asymmetrical arrangement. In kidney stone disease, microscopic crystals of various stone materials can be seen in the urine when conditions are right. Crystalluria: The excretion of crystalline materials in the urine. CT Scan: Short for Computerized Tomography, this refers to a computer-manufactured image made from a special X-ray machine. The images are very good for soft tissues but often require contrast to look into the kidneys and the intestines. Also called a "CAT" scan. Most kidney stones will show up well on CT scans. Radiographic procedure in which narrow x-rays beam passes through a cross section of the body. This beam is received by a scintillator, which reads the density that tissue x-ray pass through. A computer prints out the densities as an illustration of the cross-section. Cyst: An abnormal sac containing gas, fluid, or semisolid material. Cysteine: Amino acid found in most proteins. Cystine: 1. An oxidation product of cysteine. 2. A naturally occurring amino acid, sometimes found in the urine, may form cystine calculus. Cystinuria: 1. Excessive excretion of cystine, along with lysine, arginine and ornithine. 2. A hereditary condition of excessive urinary excretion of cystine, lysine, ornithine, and arginine. Predominant manifestation is formation of cystine calculi in urine that has acid pH. Cystitis: An inflammation of the bladder, which is prevalent in women. Usually caused by a urinary bladder infection. Cystoscopy: A procedure where a special telescope, either rigid or flexible, is passed into the penis or female urethra and enters the bladder. It is used for inspection of these organs and to place tubes, ureteral catheters and Double-J stents in the ureters or kidneys. Cystoscopy is the most common urologic endoscopic procedure performed in clinics, physicians' offices and hospitals. Cystourethreoscopy: see cystoscopy Cystine stones: relatively rare kidney stones that develop when urine contains too much cystine (from protein breakdown).
[ A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z ] D Depletion: The removal of accumulated fluids or solids. Diagnose: To determine the nature of a disease. Diagnosis: The determination of the nature of a disease. Dialysis: 1. The process in which a machine filters and cleans the blood. An artificial kidney machine. 2. A medical treatment that filters the blood to remove liquids and chemicals that would normally be removed by functioning kidneys. (See Hemodialysis and Peritoneal dialysis). Dilation: The act of dilating or enlarging the lumen of a hollow structure. Dipstick: A thin plastic strip with various chemically treated pads attached at one end. The strip with its attached pads is dipped in the urine to be tested. The various pads turns colors depending on various chemical or cellular characteristics of the urine being tested. Acid content and concentration are two of the more common tests commonly performed with urinary dipsticks. Disease specific dipsticks for kidney stone patients with identified chemical problems are under development. Diuresis: Excretion of urine. Commonly denotes production of unusually large amounts of urine. Diuretic: 1. Promoting the excretion of urine. 2. An agent that increases the amount of urine. Diverticulum: A pouch or sac opening from a tubular or saccular organ, such as the gut or bladder. DNA: Stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid. This is the genetic code material found in virtually every living cell. When this DNA is digested, it produces urine, which ultimately forms uric acid. Detrusor muscle: A muscle at the base of the bladder responsible for expelling urine when it contracts. Donor: An individual form whom blood, tissue, or an organ is taken for transplantation. Dye: Any substance, usually iodine compound, used in intravenous urography, which caused the urinary tract to become radio opaque which, appears as white areas on x-ray film. [ A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z ]
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