new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease A human disease that is thought to be due to the same infectious agent as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad cow disease. Abbreviated nvCJD, this disease represents a new variant of CreutzfeldJakob disease. Both the human and bovine disorders are invariably fatal brain diseases with unusually long incubation periods and…
newborn screening Testing of newborns to screen for serious treatable diseases, many of which are genetic. Which newborn screening tests are done in the US are determined on a state-by-state basis. The most common newborn screening tests in the US are for hypothyroidism, phenylketonuria (PKU), galactosemia, and sickle cell disease. Testing for hypothyroidism and PKU…
NF1 Neurofibromatosis type 1.
NF2 Neurofibromatosis type 2.
NG tube See nasogastric tube.
neuralgia, facial Severe pain that usually occurs in bursts along the path of the trigeminal nerve, the chief sensory nerve of the face.
neuralgia, postherpetic The most common complication of shingles, persistence of the pain associated with shingles beyond 1 month, even after the rash is gone. The pain can be severe and debilitating, and it occurs primarily in persons over age 50. The pain of postherpetic neuralgia can be reduced by certain medications including tricyclic antidepressant medications…
neurectomy The surgical removal of part or all of a nerve.
neuritis Inflammation of nerves. There are many causes of neuritis, including various viruses and local irritation of a nerve by adjacent tissues.
neuroblastoma A childhood form of cancer that arises in the adrenal gland or in tissue in the nervous system that is related to the adrenal gland. Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumor outside the brain in infants and children. It is often present at birth but may not be detected until later in infancy…
neurodermatitis Scaly patches of skin on the head, lower legs, wrists, or forearms that are caused by a chronic itching and scratching. Also known as lichen simplex.
neuroendocrinology A branch of medicine concerned with the interactions between the nervous system and the endocrine system. The nervous and endocrine systems often act together to regulate the physiologic processes of the human body.