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 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 occlusion Blockage of a coronary artery, which can cause a heart attack. See also acute myocardial infarction.
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…
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.
corporeal Pertaining to the body of an organ or the entire body.
corpse A dead body. The term corpse is more often used in mystery stories than in medicine, which prefers the term cadaver.
corpus The body of the uterus.
Corrigan pulse A pulse that is forceful and then suddenly collapses. It is usually found in patients with aortic regurgitation, a condition caused by a leaky aortic valve. The left ventricle of the heart ejects blood under high pressure into the aorta. Then the aortic valve normally shuts tight so that blood cannot return to…
cortex The outer layer of any organ.
cortex, cerebral The gray outer portion of the largest part of the brain, the cerebrum. Because it has thousands of complex folds, the cerebral cortex has a much larger surface area than one might think. Specific areas of the cerebral cortex govern sensory perception, voluntary response to stimuli, thought, memory, and the unique human capability…
cortical Having to do with the cortex, the outer layer of an organ.