claudication, intermittent Pain in the calf that comes and goes, typically felt while walking, and usually subsiding with rest. Intermittent claudication can be due to temporary artery narrowing due to vasospasm, permanent artery narrowing due to atherosclerosis, or complete occlusion of an artery to the leg. The prognosis is generally favorable because the condition often…
claudication, venous Limping and/or pain resulting from inadequate venous drainage.
clavicle See collarbone.
clavus See corn.
clay-shoveler’s fracture See fracture, clayshoveler’s.
cleft lip A fissure in the upper lip that is due to failure of the left and right sides of the fetal lip tissue to fuse, an event that should take place by 35 days of fetal age. Cleft lip can be on one side only or on both sides. Because failure of lip fusion…
chronic disease A disease that persists for a long time, typically 3 months or more. Examples of chronic diseases include arthritis, diabetes, and emphysema. In comparison, an acute illness is of short duration. See also acute.
chronic fatigue syndrome A debilitating and complex disorder characterized by profound fatigue that lasts 6 months or longer, is not improved by bed rest, and may be worsened by physical or mental activity. Abbreviated CFS. Persons with CFS most often function at a substantially lower level of activity than they were capable of before the…
chronic illness An illness that lasts 3 months or more.
chronic leukemia Cancer of the blood cells that progresses slowly, as opposed to acute leukemia, which progresses rapidly. The two major types of chronic leukemia are chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). See also leukemia, chronic phase of.
chronic lymphocytic leukemia See leukemia, chronic lymphocytic.
chronic myeloid leukemia See leukemia, chronic myeloid.