This glossary hopes to explain some of the medical terms that we have come across, and is by no means meant to be a definitive medical resource. Just click on a letter below, clicking on any of the N to Z will take you to the next page.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Ablation - elimination or removal. Also refers to a procedure that eliminates extra electrical pathways within the heart that cause fast or irregular heart rhythms.
ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitor - a medication that opens up blood vessels, making it easier for the heart to pump blood forward to the body; also used to lower blood pressure.
Acyanotic - refers to a group of congenital heart defects in which there is a normal amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, giving a pink color to the lips and nailbeds.
Anastomosis - a surgical connection, often between two blood vessels.
Aneurysm - a thin, weakened area in a blood vessel or area of the heart.
Angiography - an x-ray study that uses dye injected into arteries to study blood circulation.
Angioplasty - a non-surgical procedure for treating narrowed arteries.
Anticoagulant - a medication that keeps blood from clotting.
Antihypertensive - a medication that lowers blood pressure.
Aorta - the largest artery in the body and the primary blood vessel which carries oxygenated blood out of the heart to the rest of the body.
Aortic arch - the curved portion of the aorta (the large blood vessel that carries oxygen-rich blood away from the heart to the body).
Aortic regurgitation - backwards leakage of blood from the aorta, through a weakened aortic valve, and into the left ventricle, resulting in stress in the left heart and inadequate blood flow to the body.
Aortic stenosis - narrowing of the opening of the aortic valve (the valve that regulates blood flow from the left ventricle into the aorta).
Aortic valve - the valve that regulates blood flow from the heart into the aorta.
Arrhythmia (Also called dysrhythmia.) - a fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat.
Arterioles - small branches of arteries.
Artery - a blood vessel that carries oxygenated blood away from the heart to the body.
Arteriosclerosis - commonly called "hardening of the arteries" a variety of conditions caused by fatty or calcium deposits in the artery walls causing them to thicken.
Asplenia - absence of the spleen, either from improper development before birth, or due to the surgical removal of the spleen resulting from injury or disease.
Atresia - inadequate development of an organ or part of an organ during pregnancy.
Atretic - not fully formed.
Atrial fibrillation - a very fast and irregular beating of the atria (the upper two chambers of the heart).
Atrial flutter - a very fast beating of the atria (the upper two chambers of the heart).
Atrial septal defect (ASD) - a hole in the wall between the right and left atria (the two upper chambers of the heart).
Atrial septum - the wall between the right and left atria (the two upper chambers of the heart).
Atrioventricular canal - refers to a congenital heart defect involving an opening low in the atrial septum, an opening high in the ventricular septum, and abnormal development of the mitral and/or tricuspid valves.
Atrium (atria pl.) - one of two upper chambers in the heart.
Atrioventricular block - an interruption of the electrical signal between the atria and the ventricles.
Atrioventricular (AV) node - a cluster of cells between the atria and ventricles that regulate the electrical current.
Bacterial endocarditis - a bacterial infection of the valves and interior surfaces of the heart.
Balloon angioplasty - a procedure usually done in the cardiac catheterization laboratory that uses a catheter (tube) with a balloon in the tip to open up a narrowed valve or blood vessel.
Beta blocker - a medication that limits the activity of epinephrine (a hormone that increases blood pressure).
Bicuspid - a valve that has two leaflets.
Biopsy - a procedure in which tissue samples are removed from the body for microscopic examination to establish a diagnosis.
Blood clot - a thick, gelled mass of blood.
Blood pressure - the force or pressure exerted by the heart when pumping blood; the pressure of blood in the arteries.
Blood pressure cuff - a device usually placed around the upper portion of the arm to measure blood pressure.
Brady - suffix meaning slow.
Bradycardia - abnormally slow heartbeat.
Bundle-branch block - a condition in which the heart's electrical system is unable to normally conduct the electrical signal.
Calcium channel blocker - a medication that lowers blood pressure.
Capillaries - tiny blood vessels between arteries and veins that distribute oxygen-rich blood to the body.
Cardiac - pertaining to the heart.
Cardiac arrest - the stopping of heartbeat.
Cardiac catheterization - a diagnostic procedure in which a tiny, hollow tube (catheter) is inserted into an artery or vein in order to evaluate the heart and blood vessels.
Cardiac output - the amount of blood that goes through the circulatory system in one minute.
Cardiologist - a physician who specializes in the medical evaluation and treatment of heart diseases.
Cardiology - the clinical study and practice of treating the heart.
Cardiomyopathy - a disease of the heart muscle that causes it to lose its pumping strength.
Cardiovascular (CV) - pertaining to the heart and blood vessel (circulatory) system.
Cardioversion - the procedure of applying electrical shock to the chest to change an abnormal heartbeat into a normal one.
Carotid artery - the major arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain.
Catheter - a small, thin tube; may refer to a tube used during a cardiac catheterization procedure to inject dye, obtain blood samples, and measure pressures inside the heart; may also refer to a small tube used to help drain the bladder during and after a surgical procedure.
Cholesterol - a waxy substance that is produced by the human body. It is also found in animal fats, shellfish, and in dairy products (such as beef, chicken, pork, butter, milk, cheese, and eggs).
Cineangiography - the procedure of taking moving pictures to show the passage of dye through blood vessels.
Circulatory system - pertaining to the heart and blood vessels, and the circulation of blood.
Closed heart surgery - an operation that repairs problems involving the blood vessels attached to the heart, and may not need the use of the heart-lung bypass machine.
Coarctation of the aorta - a congenital heart defect that results in narrowing of the aorta.
Collateral vessels - new blood vessels that are created by the body to provide extra blood flow to an area when the blood vessel(s) that are already there are too small, narrowed, or blocked.
Computerized tomography scan (Also called CT or CAT scan.) - a non-invasive procedure that takes cross-sectional images of the brain or other internal organs; to detect any abnormalities that may not show up on an ordinary x-ray.
Conduction system - the electrical system inside the heart that stimulates the heart to beat.
Congenital - present at birth.
Congenital heart defect - a heart problem present at birth, caused by improper development of the heart during fetal development.
Congenital heart disease - see congenital heart defect.
Congestive heart failure - a condition in which the heart cannot pump out all of the blood that enters it, which leads to an accumulation of blood in the vessels leading to the heart and fluid in the body tissues. Excess blood in the pulmonary (lung) blood vessels can also occur, leading to fluid accumulation in the lungs.
Coronary arteries - two arteries that come from the aorta to provide blood to the heart muscle.
Cyanosis - insufficient oxygen in the blood.
C yanotic - appearing blue, due to insufficient oxygen in the blood
Defibrillator - an electronic device used to establish normal heartbeat.
Dextrocardia - a heart that is “flipped over,” so that the structures that are normally on the right side of the chest are on the left, and vice versa. The arteries and veins are connected correctly; occurs due to an abnormality in heart development during pregnancy.
Diastole - the time during each heartbeat when the ventricles are at rest, filling with blood and not pumping.
Diastolic blood pressure - the lowest blood pressure measure in the arteries, which occurs between heartbeats.
DiGeorge syndrome (Also known as Shprintzen, velo-cardio-facial, and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.) - A genetic disease caused by a missing piece of chromosome material on chromosome #22 that results in many different health problems, and affects the normal fetal development of the heart, thymus, and parathyroid glands.
Diuretic - a medication that helps the kidneys to remove excess fluids from the body, lowering blood pressure as well as decreasing edema (swelling).
Doppler ultrasound - A procedure that uses sound waves to evaluate heart, blood vessels, and valves.
Double outlet right ventricle - a congenital heart defect in which both the aorta and the pulmonary artery are connected to the right ventricle.
Down syndrome (Also called Trisomy 21.) - A combination of birth defects caused by the presence of an extra #21 chromosome in each cell of the body. Many children with Down syndrome also have congenital heart disease - usually atrioventricular canal defect.
Ductus arteriosus - a connection between the aorta and the pulmonary artery that is necessary in fetal life, but becomes unnecessary after birth.
Dyspnea - shortness of breath.
Dysrhythmia - an abnormal heart rhythm.
Ebstein's anomaly - Abnormal development of the tricuspid valve during pregnancy, causing an abnormally positioned valve that does not open easily (stenosis) and allows backflow of blood from the right ventricle into the right atrium (regurgitation).
Echocardiogram (echo) - a procedure that evaluates the structure and function of the heart by using sound waves recorded on an electronic sensor which produce a moving picture of the heart and heart valves.
Edema - swelling.
Effusion - a collection of fluid in a closed cavity.
Ejection fraction - the measurement of the amount of blood pumped out of the ventricles.
Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) - a test that records the electrical activity of the heart, shows abnormal rhythms (arrhythmias or dysrhythmias), and detects heart muscle stress.
Electrophysiological study (EPS) - a cardiac catheterization to study electrical current in patients who have arrhythmias.
Endocardium - the membrane that covers the inside surface of the heart.
Endocarditis - a bacterial infection of the valves and interior surfaces of the heart.
End-to-end anastomosis - surgical connection of two segments of blood vessel by stitching the open end of one segment to the open end of another segment.
Enlarged heart - a condition of the heart in which it is larger than normal.
Epicardium - the membrane that covers the outside of the heart.
Exercise electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) - a test to assess the cardiac rhythm and function by having the child exercise on a treadmill or bicycle.
Failure to thrive - failure to grow and gain weight; often due to increased energy expenditure with congenital heart disease.
Fibrillation - rapid contractions of the heart muscles.
Fluoroscopy - an x-ray procedure that takes continuous pictures to evaluate moving structures within the body, such as the heart.
Flutter - ineffective contractions of the heart muscles.
Fontan procedure - A surgical procedure performed to repair heart defects in which only one ventricle is functional. It connects the right atrium to the pulmonary artery, allowing oxygen-poor (blue) blood from the body to flow into the lungs.
Foramen ovale - a hole between the right and left atria, present in all unborn children, that remains open after birth for variable periods of time.
Glenn shunt - A surgical connection between the superior vena cava and the right pulmonary artery, allowing oxygen-poor (blue) blood to flow into the lungs.
Heart attack (Also called myocardial infarction.) - occurs when one of more regions of the heart muscle experience a severe or prolonged decrease in oxygen supply caused by a blocked blood flow to the heart muscle.
Heart block - interrupted electrical impulse to heart muscles.
Heart-lung bypass machine - a machine that performs for the heart and lungs during open heart surgery.
Heart valve prolapse - a condition of the heart valve in which it is partially open when it should be closed.
High blood pressure (Also called hypertension.) - blood pressure that is above the normal range.
High density lipoprotein (HDL) - the "good" cholesterol that promotes breakdown and removal of cholesterol from the body.
Holter monitor - A portable EKG machine worn for a 24-hour period or longer to evaluate irregular, fast, or slow heart rhythms while engaging in normal activities.
Homograft - a blood vessel taken from a tissue donor, used to replace a defective blood vessel, most often the pulmonary artery or aorta.
Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (Also called HOCM, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, asymmetrical septal hypertrophy, or ASH, or idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis or IHSS.) - enlarged heart muscle that causes impeded blood flow.
Hypoplastic - refers to an abnormally small organ or blood vessel due to abnormal development prior to birth.
Hypoplastic left heart syndrome - a congenital heart defect in which the left side of the heart is poorly developed, resulting in small mitral valve, left ventricle, and aorta.
Hypoplastic right heart syndrome - a congenital heart defect in which the right side of the heart is poorly developed, resulting in small Tricuspid valve, right ventricle, and p ulmonary artery .
Hypotension - low blood pressure.
Hypoxia - abnormal oxygen content in the organs and tissues of the body.
Immunosuppressive medications - medications that suppress the body's immune system; used to minimize rejection of transplanted organs.
Incision - a cut made with a surgical instrument during an operation.
Inferior vena cava - the large blood vessel (vein) that returns blood from the legs and abdomen to the heart.
Insufficiency - a valve deformity that allows the blood to leak backwards when the valve is closed.
Ischemia - decreased flow of oxygenated blood to an organ due to obstruction in an artery.
Ischemic heart disease - coronary artery disease or coronary heart disease caused by narrowing of the coronary arteries and decreased blood flow to the heart.
Jugular veins - veins that carry blood from the head back to the heart.
Kawasaki disease - An immune system disorder affecting the heart, particularly the coronary arteries.
Left atrium - the upper left-hand chamber of the heart. It receives oxygen-rich (red) blood from the lungs via the four pulmonary veins, and then sends this blood to the left ventricle.
Left ventricle - the lower left-hand chamber of the heart. It receives oxygen-rich (red) blood from the left atrium and pumps it into the aorta, which takes the blood to the body. The left ventricle must be strong and muscular in order to pump enough blood to the body to meet its requirements.
Lesion - an injury or wound.
Lipid - a fatty substance in the blood.
Lipoproteins - transporters of fatty substances in the blood.
Low density lipoprotein (LDL) - the primary cholesterol-carrying substance in the body. In large amounts, it accumulates inside arteries.
Lumen - the hollow area inside a blood vessel.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - a diagnostic procedure that uses a combination of large magnets, radiofrequencies, and a computer to produce detailed images of organs and structures within the body.
Marfan syndrome - A genetic disorder which affects the connective tissue of the body. It causes dilation of blood vessels and abnormalities of cardiac valves.
Mechanical valve - an artificial valve used to replace a diseased or defective valve, most often the aortic valve.
Median sternotomy - an incision in the center of the chest, from the top to the bottom of the breastbone, used for many congenital heart defect repair surgeries.
Mitral valve - the valve that controls blood flow between the left atrium and left ventricle in the heart.
Mitral valve prolapse - an abnormality of the valve between the left atrium and left ventricle of the heart that causes backward flow of blood from the left ventricle into the left atrium.
Monounsaturated fats - dietary fats, such as olive oil or canola oil, that may lower LDL cholesterol levels.
Murmur - a blowing or rasping sound heard while listening to the heart that may or may not indicate problems within the heart or circulatory system.
Myocardial infarction (Also called heart attack.) - occurs when one of more regions of the heart muscle experience a severe or prolonged decrease in oxygen supply caused by a blocked blood flow to the heart muscle.
Myocardial ischemia - insufficient blood flow to part of the heart.
Myocarditis - inflammation of the heart muscles.
Myocardium - the muscular layer of the heart.
29 October, 2004
