Category: Cp-Cx

A nonmedical term in common usage for the region where the legs come together, the place where the lower limbs divide. The word “crotch” is thought to be related to the word “crutch” since the first crutches were likely fashioned from the crotch of a tree, the place where its limbs divide.

In anatomy, a transverse cut through a structure or tissue. The opposite is longitudinal section.

A chronic inflammatory disease, primarily involving the small and large intestine, but which can affect other parts of the digestive system as well. It is named for Burrill Crohn, the American gastroenterologist who first described the disease in 1932. Crohn disease is usually diagnosed in persons in their teens or twenties, but can come to the fore…

Spontaneous tearing in parallel with the normal salivation of eating. The crocodile tears syndrome occurs most often following facial paralysis when nerve fibers destined for a salivary gland are damaged and by mistake regrow into a tear gland. Also called Bogorad’s syndrome, gustatolacrimal reflex, paroxysmal lacrimation.

The specialized care of patients whose conditions are life-threatening and who require comprehensive care and constant monitoring, usually in intensive care units. Also known as intensive care.

The use of physical evidence at the scene of the crime and the use of deductive and inductive reasoning to gain knowledge of the events surrounding the crime. Crime scene investigation is multidisciplinary and involves a systematic search of the crime scene; meticulous observation and documentation of the scene; photography and sketching of the scene; the identification,…

Congenital hypothyroidism (underactivity of the thyroid gland at birth), which results in growth retardation, developmental delay, and other abnormal features. Cretinism can be due to deficiency of iodine in the mother’s diet during pregnancy.

A clinical sign in medicine that is characterized by a peculiar crackling, crinkly, or grating feeling or sound under the skin, around the lungs, or in the joints. Crepitus in soft tissues is often due to gas, most often air, that has penetrated and infiltrated an area where it should not normally be (for example, in the soft…

A test that helps determine whether the kidneys are functioning normally. The kidneys maintain the blood creatinine in a normal range. Creatinine has been found to be a fairly reliable indicator of kidney function. As the kidneys become impaired for any reason, the creatinine level in the blood will rise due to poor clearance by the…

A chemical waste molecule that is generated from muscle metabolism. Creatinine is produced from creatine, a molecule of major importance for energy production in muscles. Approximately 2% of the body’s creatine is converted to creatinine every day. Creatinine is transported through the bloodstream to the kidneys. The kidneys filter out most of the creatinine and dispose of…