encopresis The inability to control the elimination of stool. Encopresis can have a variety of causes, including inability to control the anal sphincter muscle or gastrointestinal problems, particularly chronic diarrhea and Crohn’s disease. Several neurological disorders, including Tourette syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder, are also occasionally associated with the symptom of encopresis, particularly in children. Preventive…
endarterectomy An operation to clear an artery of accumulated cholesterol-containing matter along its inner wall to restore normal blood flow. An endarterectomy removes diseased material from the inside of an artery, and also removes any occluding atheromatous deposits, the aim being to leave a smooth lining within the vessel, so the blood can flow freely….
endemic Present in a community at all times, but occurring in low frequency. For example, malaria is endemic in some areas of the world. In comparison to endemic, epidemic denotes a sudden outbreak, and pandemic denotes an epidemic that spreads across a region. See also epidemic; pandemic.
endemic typhus See typhus, murine.
endocardium The lining of the interior surface of the heart chambers. The endocardium consists of a layer of endothelial cells and an underlying layer of connective tissue.
endocervical curettage The removal of tissue from the inside of the cervix, using a spoon-shaped instrument called a curette.
endocrine Pertaining to hormones and the glands that make and secrete them into the bloodstream through which they travel to affect distant organs. See also endocrinology; endocrinopathy.
endocrinology The study of the medical aspects of hormones, including diseases and conditions associated with hormonal imbalance, damage to the glands that make hormones, or the use of synthetic or natural hormonal drugs. An endocrinologist is a physician who specializes in the management of hormone conditions.
endocrinopathy A disease of an endocrine gland. The term endocrinopathy is commonly used as a medical term for a hormone problem. Common endocrinopathies include hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.
endoderm The innermost of the three primary germ cell layers (the other two being the mesoderm and ectoderm) that make up the very early embryo. It differentiates to give rise first to the embryonic gut and then to the linings of the respiratory and digestive tracts and the liver and pancreas. Also referred to as…
endogenous Originating from inside an organism. For example, endogenous cholesterol is cholesterol that is made inside the body, not derived from the diet. See also exogenous.
endometrial biopsy A common procedure for sampling the inner lining of the uterus (the endometrium). Endometrial biopsy is usually done to learn the cause of abnormal uterine bleeding, although it may be used to determine the cause of infertility, test for uterine infections, and monitor the response to certain medications. The main problems resulting from…