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…
liver transplantation Surgery to remove a diseased liver and replace it with a healthy liver (or part of one) from a donor. The most common reason for liver transplantation in children is biliary atresia (a disease in which the ducts that carry bile out of the liver are missing or damaged). The most common reason…
livid Black-and-blue, as from bruising.
LLETZ Large loop excision of the transformation zone, a procedure for treating high grade cervical dysplasia discovered on colposcopic examination. The surgeon uses a wire loop through which an electrical current is passed to remove the precancerous areas of the cervix. The procedure can be done in the physician’s office and requires only a local…
LLL 1 Left lower lobe, the bottom-left lobe of the lung. 2 La Leche League. 3 The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, a federal research facility that focuses on health and biomedicine, science and math education, the environment, energy, and national security.
LLQ Left lower quadrant (quarter). For example, the LLQ of the abdomen contains the descending portion of the colon.
lobar Having to do with a lobe. For example, lobar pneumonia is pneumonia in a single lobe of a lung.
lobe 1 A subdivision of an organ that is divided by fissures, connective tissue, or other natural boundaries. 2 A rounded projecting portion, such as the lobe of the ear.
lobectomy An operation to remove an entire lobe of the lung.
lobule A little lobe.
local therapy In the context of cancer, treatment that affects cells in the tumor and the area close to it. Also known as local treatment.