Dictionary

familial A condition that tends to occur more often in family members than is expected by chance alone. A familial disease may be genetic (such as cystic fibrosis) or environmental (such as chicken pox).

false rib One of the last five pairs of ribs. A rib is said to be false if it does not attach to the sternum (the breastbone). The upper three false ribs connect to the costal cartilages of the ribs just above them. The last two false ribs usually have no ventral attachment to anchor…

false positive A result that indicates that a given condition is present when it is not. An example of a false positive would be if a particular test designed to detect cancer returns a positive result but the person does not have cancer.

false negative A result that appears negative when it should not. An example of a false negative would be if a particular test designed to detect cancer returns a negative result but the person actually does have cancer.

fallopian tube One of the two tubes that transport eggs from the ovary to the uterus. The Fallopian tubes have small hair-like projections called cilia on the cells of the lining. These tubal cilia are essential to the movement of the egg through the tube and into the uterus. If the tubal cilia are damaged…

FALDH deficiency See Sjogren’s syndrome.

falciparum malaria See malaria, falciparum.

fainting See syncope.

failure to thrive The inability of a child to physically grow as quickly and as much as his or her peers. Abbreviated FTT. There is no official consensus as to what constitutes FTT. It usually refers to a child whose growth is below the 3rd or 5th percentiles for his or her age or whose…

failure, heart See congestive heart failure.

Fahr syndrome A rare, inherited, progressive brain disorder that is characterized clinically by involuntary movements, prolonged muscle contractions, and dementia. It is characterized by abnormal deposits of calcium in the basal ganglia and cerebral cortex of the brain. The gene that is responsible for Fahr syndrome has been mapped to chromosome 14. There is no…

FAE Fetal alcohol effect.