tinea capitis A fungal infection (known as ringworm) of the scalp. This disorder occurs most commonly in children, especially those in late childhood and adolescence. It appears as scalp scaling associated with bald spots. Treatment involves antifungal medications.
tinea barbae A fungal infection (known as ringworm) of the bearded area of the face and neck, with swelling and marked crusting, often with itching. In the days when men went to the barber daily for a shave, tinea barbae was called barber’s itch. Treatment involves antifungal medications.
tilt-table test A test that involves placing a patient on a table with a foot-support, tilting the table upward, and measuring the blood pressure and pulse. Symptoms are recorded with the patient in diverse positions. The tilt-table test is designed to detect postural hypotension (orthostatic hypotension), a condition caused by changing body position from a…
tight foreskin See phimosis.
t.i.d. A prescription abbreviation meaning three times a day. See also Appendix A, “Prescription Abbreviations.”
tick-borne disease A disease that is carried by or caused by a tick. Examples of tick-borne diseases in the US include babesiosis (a malaria-like infection), ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, relapsing fever (also called tick fever, most common in the western US), Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tick paralysis, and tularemia (rabbit fever). Anyone working in the outdoors,…
tick bite A bite from a bloodsucking parasitic insect that punctures the skin with a sharp beak and burrows into the skin with its head. Tick bites can carry serious illness, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, other forms of tick typhus, and Lyme disease. See also tick-borne disease.
tic disorder A disorder that is characterized by the presence of tics. If both motor and vocal tics are present for more than 6 months, the diagnosis of Tourette’s syndrome may be made. Diagnosis is made via observation. Treatment can involve medications but is not usually recommended for minor tics that are not bothersome to…
tic A repetitive movement that is difficult, if not impossible, to control. Tics can affect any group of muscles. The most common are facial tics, such as eye-blinking, nose-twitching, and grimacing. Tics that affect the muscles used to produce speech are known as vocal tics and can range from grunts or whistles to the repetition…
tibial bowing Improper growth of the tibia in the leg that causes bowlegs or other leg problems. The tibia may bow anteriorly (in the front) or posteriorly (in the back). See also tibia vara.
tibia vara A condition that is characterized by disturbance of normal growth in the inner part of the upper tibia. Tibia vara causes a bowlegged gait and can impair the knees significantly. It is most common in children of African descent. Treatment usually involves surgery, although a knee-ankle-foot orthosis brace may be used. Also known…
tibia The larger of the two long bones in the lower leg. The tibia is familiarly known as the shinbone.