Dictionary

lower segment cesarean section See caesarean section, lower segment.

LP Lumbar puncture.

LQTS Long QT syndrome.

LSCS Lower segment cesarean section.

lubricant An oily or slippery substance. A vaginal lubricant may be helpful for women who feel pain during intercourse because of vaginal dryness.

LUL Left upper lobe, the top-left lobe of the lung.

lumbago An older, medically imprecise term referring to pain in the lower back.

lumbar Referring to the five lumbar vertebrae, the disks below them, and the corresponding area of the lower back. The lumbar vertebrae and their disks are situated below the thoracic vertebrae and above the sacral vertebrae in the spinal column and are surrounded by soft tissues, including ligaments and large muscles.

lumbar puncture A procedure in which cerebrospinal fluid is removed from the spinal canal for diagnostic testing or treatment. Abbreviated LP. The patient usually lies sideways for the procedure, although LPs in infants are often done upright. After local anesthesia is injected into the small of the back (the lumbar area), a needle is inserted…

lumbar vertebrae The five vertebrae situated between the thoracic vertebrae and the sacral vertebrae in the spinal column. The lumbar vertebrae are represented by the symbols L1 through L5.

lumpectomy The surgical removal of a small tumor, which may be benign or cancerous. In common use, lumpectomy refers especially to removal of a lump from the breast. Lumpectomy, often with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, can be an alternative to mastectomy in cases of nonmetastatic breast cancer.

lung One of a pair of three-lobed breathing organs located within the right and left sides of the chest. The lungs remove carbon dioxide from the blood and bring oxygen into the blood. Air comes into the lungs via the trachea, traveling evenly into the left and right lungs by means of the left and…