Dictionary

tap, spinal See lumbar puncture.

tap, joint See arthrocentesis.

tamponade, chronic A long-standing situation in which an excess of fluid inside the pericardial sac combines with thickening of the pericardial sac to progressively compress the heart and impair its performance.

tamponade, cardiac A life-threatening situation in which there is such a large amount of fluid (usually blood) inside the pericardial sac around the heart that it interferes with the performance of the heart. If cardiac tamponade is left untreated, the result is dangerously low blood pressure, shock, and death. The excess fluid in the pericardial…

tampon A pack or pad that is used to stop or collect the flow of blood or other fluids. A tampon may be made of cotton, sponge, or another material. Tampons serve in surgery to control bleeding and are used to stop severe nosebleeds. Vaginal tampons collect the flow of menstrual blood.

Tamoxifen is an antiestrogen medication that works by competing with estrogen for binding sites in target tissues, such as breast tissue, and blocking estrogen’s effects there. By interfering with estrogen activity, tamoxifen helps slow or stop the growth of certain types of breast cancer cells that depend on estrogen to grow. Tamoxifen is used for…

talus The ankle bone, or the ankle itself. The ankle joint is formed by the talus and the bottom of the tibia and fibula, which rest upon it.

talipes equinovarus The most common (classic) form of clubfoot. With this talipes equinovarus, the foot is turned in sharply, and the person seems to be walking on the ankle. See clubfoot.

talipes See clubfoot.

Takayasu disease A chronic inflammatory disease of the aorta and its branch arteries. The cause is unknown. The disease is most common in young women of Asian descent and usually begins between 10 and 30 years of age. Symptoms include painful, cool, or blanched extremities, dizziness, headaches, chest and abdominal pain, and low-grade fever. The…

taint To poison, infect, or spoil.

tail 1 A slender appendage, such as the tail of the pancreas. 2 The appendage that protrudes from the backside of an animal. A person can appear to have a tail due to the presence of extra segments of the coccyx.