bruxism Grinding and gnashing of the teeth. Bruxism is due to clenching of the teeth other than in chewing and is associated with forceful lateral or protrusive jaw movements. This results in the grinding or rubbing together of the teeth. Bruxism can injure teeth and cause local pain in the mouth or jaw and may…
Brushfield spot A little white spot on the surface of the iris. Brushfield spots are arranged in a ring, concentric with the pupil. These spots occur in normal children but are far more frequent in those with Down syndrome. Also called speckled iris.
bruit A sound heard over an artery or vascular channel, reflecting turbulence of flow. Most commonly, a bruit is caused by abnormal narrowing of an artery. Listening for a bruit in the neck with a stethoscope is a simple way to screen for narrowing (stenosis) of the carotid artery, which can be a result of…
bruise Injury of the soft tissues that results in breakage of the local capillaries and leakage of red blood cells. In the skin it can be seen as a reddishpurple discoloration that does not blanch when pressed. When a bruise fades, it becomes green and brown, as the body metabolizes the blood cells in the…
Brucellosis An infectious disease characterized by rising and lowering (undulant) fever, sweating, muscle and joint pains, and weakness. Brucellosis is caused by the bacterium Brucella, which can be transmitted in unpasteurized milk from cattle, sheep, and goats; cheese made from this unpasteurized milk; and contact with diseased animals. Antibiotics are used to treat Brucellosis. Also…
Brown’s syndrome An eye abnormality that can present at birth characterized by an inability to elevate the eyeball when trying to move the eyeball to the outside. Brown’s syndrome can also be caused by other conditions that affect the normal function of the eye muscles, such as nodules from rheumatoid arthritis or rare tumors in…
bronchus A large air tube that begins at the end of the trachea and branches into the lungs. The supporting walls of the bronchus are made up in part of cartilage.
bronchospasm, exercise-induced See asthma, exercise-induced.
bronchospasm A temporary narrowing of the airways in the lung. Bronchospasm causes the breathing difficulties seen in asthma. See also asthma.
bronchoscopy A procedure using a bronchoscope to diagnose and treat lung conditions and disease. See also bronchoscope.
bronchoscope A thin, flexible instrument with a lighted viewing tube that is used to visualize the air passages to the lungs.
bronchopulmonary segment A subdivision of one lobe of a lung, based on the connection to the segmental bronchus. For example, the right upper lobe of the lung has apical, anterior, and posterior segments.