Dictionary

corpus The body of the uterus.

corpse A dead body. The term corpse is more often used in mystery stories than in medicine, which prefers the term cadaver.

corporeal Pertaining to the body of an organ or the entire body.

corpora cavernosa Two chambers that run the length of the penis and are filled with spongy tissue. Blood flows in and fills the open spaces in this spongy tissue to create an erection.

coronavirus One of a group of viruses, so named because they look like a corona or halo when viewed under the electron microscope. Coronaviruses are the second leading cause of the common cold (after the rhinoviruses). A new coronavirus was discovered to be responsible for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). See also severe acute respiratory…

coronary occlusion Blockage of a coronary artery, which can cause a heart attack. See also acute myocardial infarction.

coronary artery spasm A sudden constriction of a coronary artery that deprives the heart muscle of blood and oxygen. This can cause a type of sudden chest pain referred to as variant angina or Prinzmetal angina. Coronary artery spasm can be triggered by emotional stress, medicines, street drugs (particularly cocaine), and exposure to extreme cold….

coronary artery disease Impedance or blockage of one or more arteries that supply blood to the heart, usually due to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Abbreviated CAD. A major cause of illness and death, CAD begins when hard cholesterol substances (plaques) are deposited within a coronary artery. The plaques in the coronary arteries can lead…

coronary artery bypass graft See bypass, coronary.

coronary artery A vessel that supplies the heart muscle (myocardium) with blood that is rich in oxygen. The coronary arteries encircle the heart in the manner of a crown (in Latin, corona means “crown”). Like other arteries, the coronary arteries may be subject to arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). See also artery.

coronal plane A vertical two-dimensional imaginary slice through the body from head to foot and parallel to the shoulders.

corneal ring, intrastromal A plastic ring designed to be implanted in the cornea in order to flatten the cornea and thereby correct, or reduce the degree of, nearsightedness (myopia). The ring is placed in the corneal stroma, the middle of the five layers of the cornea.