Dictionary

louse-borne typhus See typhus, epidemic.

low blood pressure See hypotension.

low placenta See placenta previa.

lower GI series A series of diagnostic X-rays of the colon and rectum, taken after the patient is given a barium enema. See also barium enema.

lithotomy Surgical removal of a stone.

lithotripsy A procedure that uses shock waves to break a stone in the kidney, urinary tract, or gallbladder. See lithotripsy, extracorporeal shock wave; lithotripsy, percutaneous nephro-.

lithotripsy, extracorporeal shock wave A technique for shattering a kidney stone or gallstone with a shock wave that is produced outside the body. Anesthesia may be necessary to control the pain, depending on the size and density of the stone and on the energy of the shock wave needed to break it up. The urologist…

lithotripsy, percutaneous nephro- A technique for removing large and/or dense kidney stones and staghorn stones. Abbreviated PNL. In PNL, there is no incision; rather, an access port is created by puncturing the kidney through the skin, and the port is then enlarged to allow insertion of instruments to break up and remove stones. The procedure…

lithotriptor A machine that is used to shatter kidney stones and gallstones by physical or other means, such as with shock waves.

livedo reticularis A mottled purplish discoloration of the skin. Livedo reticularis can be a normal condition that is simply more obvious when a person is exposed to the cold. It can also be an indicator of impaired circulation. Livedo reticularis has been reported in association with autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus; abnormal antibodies…

liver The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on the right side. The liver has a multitude of important and complex functions, including to manufacture proteins, including albumin (to help maintain the volume of blood) and blood clotting factors; to synthesize, store, and process fats, including fatty…

liver biopsy A procedure in which a small sample of the liver is removed for the diagnosis of abnormal liver conditions. The most common method for obtaining a liver biopsy is percutaneous (“through the skin”). A percutaneous biopsy involves insertion of a biopsy needle through the skin and chest wall over the lower right side…