Category: An-An

A type of anesthetic procedure used to numb the foot for surgical procedures. The entire foot is anesthetized by blocking the five peripheral nerves that innervate the foot at the level of the ankle.

The ankle joint is complex. It is made up of two joints: the true ankle joint and the subtalar joint: The true ankle joint is composed of 3 bones: the tibia which forms the medial (inside) portion of the ankle; the fibula which forms the lateral (outside) portion of the ankle; and the talus underneath. The true…

The condition in which the two eyes have unequal refractive power. One eye may be myopic (nearsighted) and the other hyperopic (farsighted) or one eye may be markedly stronger than the other. Anisometropia is a serious concern in newborns and young children because it can lead to amblyopia (impaired vision in one eye). With a major degree…

Excessive inequality in the size of the red blood cells. Anisocytosis is apparent on a blood smear examined under a microscope.

A condition in which the left and right pupils of the eyes are not of equal size. The size of the pupil determines how much light is let into the eye. With anisocoria, the larger pupil lets more light enter the eye. There are many causes of anisocoria, including eye injury or infection and swelling…

Unequal, unlike, or dissimilar. As in anisocoria, anisocytosis, and anisometropia. From the Greek anisos meaning unequal, from an-, not, + isos, equal. The opposite of aniso- is iso-.

In hematology, short for anisocytosis.

A parasitic disease caused by nematodes (worms) that attach to the wall of the esophagus, stomach, or intestine. Anisakiasis is also known as herring worm disease. The parasite is transmitted to human when eating raw or undercooked fish or squid. Symptoms of anisakiasis include nausea, vomiting, abdominal distention and pain, diarrhea, blood and/or mucus in the stool, and fever. Allergic reactions can also occur.…

A measurement of the interval between the sum of “routinely measured” cations minus the sum of the “routinely measured” anions in the blood. The anion gap = (Na+ + K+) – (Cl- + HCO3-) where Na- is sodium, K+ is potassium, Cl- is chloride, and HCO3- is bicarbonate. The anion gap can be normal, high,…

A negatively charged ion. Pronounced an-I-on. An anion is as opposed to a cation, which is a positively charged ion.