Guide to Medical Terminology

Click here for a printable hand-out of many of these terms.

ANGIOMA

localized vascular lesion of the skin and subcutaneous tissue that results from overgrowth of blood or lymph vessels; a 19th century term, replaced by hemangioma or lymphangioma

ANGIOMATOSIS

a condition characterized by multiple angiomas or hemangiomas

ANOMALY

deviation from the average or normal

ARTERIOGRAPHY

an x-ray test to demonstrate the blood vessels of an organ, using dye injected into an artery in the arm or leg. The dye outlines the blood vessels.

ARTERIOVENOUS (A.V.) FISTULA

an abnormal communication between an artery and a vein, bypassing the capillary bed

ARTERIOVENOUS (A.V.) MALFORMATION

abnormal, tangled collections of dilated blood vessels that result from congenitally malformed vascular structures in which the arterial blood flows directly into veins without passing through the capillaries

BILATERAL

relating to or having two sides

CAT SCAN

(Computed Axial Tomography) x-ray test of any organ, including the brain, that uses computer reconstruction of multiple images at different planes

CELLULITIS

infection of the skin or connective tissue

CONGENITAL

existing at birth; may be genetic (hereditary) or due to some influence occuring during gestation, even up to the moment of birth

CUTANEOUS LESIONS

a wound or injury of the skin or a pathologic change in the skin tissue

DUPLEX (DOPPLER) ULTRASOUND

a non-invasive study examining extremities and organs with ultrasound, evaluating blood flow through blood vessels

EPIPHYSIS

the end of a bone

EPIPHYSEODESIS (EPIPHYSEAL ARREST)

surgery to correct leg-length discrepancy by fusion or metal fixation of the growth plate

FLASH LAMP TUNABLE PULSED-DYE LASER

laser treatment currently considered the best for removal of port wine stain

GIRTH

a measure around a part of the body (or around an extremity)

HEMANGIOMA

vascular tumor or malformation that enlarges by rapid cellular proliferation and invariably regresses.
Click here Vascular Anomalies for a better definition.

HEREDITARY v

transmitted from parent to offspring

HYPERPLASIA

increase in number of cells in tissue or organ

HYPERTROPHY

general increase in bulk of a part or organ

KLIPPEL-TRENAUNAY SYNDROME vs. KLIPPEL-TRENAUNAY-WEBER SYNDROME

The medical community has used these terms interchangeably, but the consensus today is to distinguish K-T as involving hypertrophy, venous varicosities, and lymphatic anomalies and port-wine stain but without significant arteriovenous fistulas; K-T-W is a misnomer: Parkes-Weber Syndrome includes high shunt arteriovenous fistulas. These are not the same syndrome.

LYMPHANGIOMA

old term for a fairly well-circumscribed nodule or mass of lymphatic vessels or channels, that vary in size, more properly a lymphatic malformation

MRI SCAN

(Magnetic Resonance Imaging) a scan of the body which uses magnetic energy, rather than radiation, to view an organ or body part, especially useful for visualizing soft tissue

PHLEBITIS

inflammation of a vein

PHYSIS

the site of growth near the end of long bones; called the "epiphyseal plate" or "growth plate"

PORT-WINE STAIN

a flat pink, red, or purplish lesion, present at birth; a capillary malformation

PROGNOSIS

predicted outcome

THROMBOSIS

clotting within a blood vessel

TUMOR

a swelling or a mass

UNILATERAL

confined to one side only

VASCULAR MALFORMATION

abnormal development of blood vessels. These are not malignant tumors, since the lesions exhibit a normal rate of endothelial cell turnover throughout their natural history (grows with the person)
Click here Vascular Anomalies for a better definition.

This section is an attempt to define, in layman's terms, the complicated terminology you may have encountered in your discussions with medical professionals as you have sought care for yourself or your child with Klippel-Trenaunay. It is our hope that you will keep it available to help you understand the terminology you may read or hear.

If you have further questions, do not hesitate to ask your health care professional to explain the language used, to your satisfaction.