01_189283 ffirs.qxp 4/25/08 6:40 PM Page i http://www.rashidislamiccenter.com TM Medical Dictionary Third Edition From the Doctors and Experts at WebMD http://www.allofislam.com/ 01_189283 ffirs.qxp 4/18/08 10:03 PM Page ii http://www.rashidislamiccenter.com Webster’s New World™ Medical Dictionary, Third Edition Copyright © 2008 MedicineNet.com. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4355, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising here from. 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For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, please visit our web site at www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the publisher upon request. ISBN: 978-0-470-18928-3 Printed in the United States of America 10987654321 Book production by Wiley Publishing, Inc. Composition Services http://www.allofislam.com/ 01_189283 ffirs.qxp 4/25/08 6:40 PM Page i http://www.rashidislamiccenter.com TM Medical Dictionary Third Edition From the Doctors and Experts at WebMD http://www.allofislam.com/ 01_189283 ffirs.qxp 4/18/08 10:03 PM Page ii http://www.rashidislamiccenter.com Webster’s New World™ Medical Dictionary, Third Edition Copyright © 2008 MedicineNet.com. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4355, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales or promotional materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for damages arising here from. The fact that an organization or Website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or a potential source of further information does not mean that the author or the publisher endorses the information the organization or Website may provide or recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that Internet Websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, Webster’s New World, and all related trademarks, logos and trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. For general information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002. Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, please visit our web site at www.wiley.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available from the publisher upon request. ISBN: 978-0-470-18928-3 Printed in the United States of America 10987654321 Book production by Wiley Publishing, Inc. Composition Services http://www.allofislam.com/ 01_189283 ffirs.qxp 4/18/08 10:03 PM Page iii http://www.rashidislamiccenter.com Acknowledgments At MedicineNet.com, a part of the WebMD network, we continue to foster the concept that you, the readers, are truly interested in understanding health issues and medical concepts. Accordingly, we have addressed the medical terms in this dictionary with sensitivity to potential concerns of those who are acutely or chronically confronting disease or health concerns. We are grateful for your interest in health topics as it is a driving force for the development of the Webster’s New World Medical Dictionary, Third Edition. On behalf of the MedicineNet.com division of WebMD, we wish to thank the staff at Wiley Publishing, Inc., especially Roxane Cerda and Suzanne Snyder, for bringing this dictionary to those who need it. We also thank the officers of MedicineNet.com, particularly Gene Lu and David Sorenson, who have supported the development of this dictionary. The excellence of the technical and editorial staffs at MedicineNet.com greatly facilitated this entire project. Dan Griffith and Michael Cupp provided the unique publishing software that made it all pos- sible. Cynde Lee, Kelly McKiernan, and Tanya Buchanan have performed magnificently in managing the vast amount of content and communication between authors and editors. David Sorenson has been an inspirational catalyst for motivation and consistent superior quality. William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR, thanks his children, Cara Shiel Krenn, Daniel, and Timothy for their support. He also acknowledges the support and encouragement of his parents, William and Virginia Shiel, as well as his dear mother-in-law, Helen Stark. With infinite gratitude and love he thanks his wife, Catherine, for her support, love, and editing. With gratitude he acknowledges the Herculean efforts of Frederick Hecht, MD, FAAP, FACMG in developing previous editions of this dic- tionary. And, with admiration beyond words, he thanks his dear friend, colleague, and co-founder of MedicineNet.com, Dennis Lee, MD. Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD wishes to thank her husband, Hubert Stöppler, and her children, Johannes, Anna, and Tilman, for their enduring support, love, and patience. She also gratefully acknowledges the support and encouragement of her parents, Kathryn B. Conrad and the late Henry E. Conrad, Jr. Thank you all. –William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR –Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD http://www.allofislam.com/ 01_189283 ffirs.qxp 4/18/08 10:03 PM Page iv http://www.rashidislamiccenter.com Get Additional Free Content Online As an added bonus to this fully revised third edition of the Webster’s New World™ Medical Dictionary, you can visit the companion website at www.medterms.com/wnw. You’ll find a free PDF Healthcare Guide to help you get the most out of your personal medical care. You can also listen to podcasts from Dr. William Shiel and Dr. Melissa Stöppler, the co-editors of the Webster’s New World Medical Dictionary, in which they discuss strategies to help you better com- municate with your doctors and caregivers.