Question | Answer |
Urology | study of the urinary system |
Urologist | a specialist in urology |
Nephrology | study of the structure, function, and diseases of the kidneys |
Nephrologist | a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders of the kidneys |
Urinary system | consisting of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra, removes wastes from the blood and helps to maintain water and electrolyte balance |
Reabsorption | process in the kidney that puts useful substances (water, glucose, amino acids) back into the blood |
Nephrotic Syndrome | group of symptoms characterized by chronic loss of protein in the urine, leads to depletions of body protein, especially albumin. (a syndrome characterized by edema and large amounts of protein in the urine and usually increased blood cholesterol) |
Floating Kidney | The condition of a downward displacement of a kidney; also known as nephroptosis |
Nephron | functional unit of the kidney; produce urine by filtration, reabsorption and secretion; made up of a glomerulus, collecting tubule & Bowman's Capsule. |
ARF | acute renal failure |
BNO | Bladder neck obstruction |
BPH | Benign prostatic hyperplasia; benign prostatic hypertrophy |
BUN | blood urea nitrogen |
CRF | chronic renal failure |
CT | computed tomography |
cysto | cystoscopy |
DRE | digital rectal examination |
ED | erectile dysfunction |
ESRD | end-stage renal disease |
ESWL | extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy |
EU | excretory urography |
IVP | intravenous pyelogram; intravenous pyelography |
IVU | intravenous urogram; intravenous urography |
KUB | kidney, ureter, bladder |
PKD | polycystic kidney disease |
PSA | prostate-specific antigen |
RP | retrograde pyelography |
TURP | transurethral resection of the prostate |
UA | urinalysis |
US | ultrasonography, ultrasound |
UTI | urinary tract infection |
VCUG | voiding cystourethrogram; voiding cystourethrography |
azoturia | elevated and excessive levels of nitrogen substrates and urea in the urine |
diuresis | increased formation and secretion of urine |
dysuria | painful or difficult urination |
end-stage renal disease (ESRD) | a severe stage of chronic renal failure that requires life-sustaining treatment with either dialysis or a kidney transplant. BUN may be as high as 150 to 250 mg/dL. |
enuresis | inability to control the flow of urine and involuntary urination |
hypospadias | an abnormal condition in males in which the urethra opens on the under surface of the penis |
interstitial nephritis | condition assiciated with pathological changes in the renal interstitial tissue which results in destruction of nephrons and severe impairment in renal function |
renal hypertension | high blood pressure resulting from kidney disease |
uremia | excess of urea and other nitrogenous waste in the blood as a result of kidney failure |
Wilms tumor | rapidly developing malignant neoplasm of the kidney that usually occurs in children |
blood urea nitrogen (BUN) | Blood test to determine the level of urea in the blood--a high BUN indicates the kidney's inability to excrete urea |
computed tomography (CT) | a scanning technique using multiple x-rays to construct three-dimensional images |
Kidney, ureter, bladder (KUB) | Radiographic examination to determine the location, size, shape, and malformation of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder KUB radiography may also detect stones and calcified areas. |
pyelography | Radiographic study of the kidney, ureters, and usually the bladder after injection of a contrast agent |
intravenous pyelography (IVP) | radiographic imaging in which a conctrast medium in injected intravenously and serial x-ray films are taken to provide visualization of the entire urinary tract. produces a pyelogram or urogram |
retrograde pyelography (RP) | RP. Radiographic imaging in which a contrast medium is introduced through a cystoscope directly into the bladder and ureters using small-caliber catheters |
renal scan | Nuclear medicine imaging procedure that determines renal function and shape through measurement of a radioactive substance that is injected intravenously and concentrates in the kidney |
urinalysis | the physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine and its components |
voiding cystourethrography (VCUG) | radiography of the bladder an urethra after the introduction of a contrast medium and during the process of voiding urine |
catheterization | insertion of a catheter into a body cavity or organ to instill a substance or remove fluid, most commonly, through the urethra into the bladder to withdraw urine |
dialysis | filtering process used to clease blood of high concentrations of metabloic waste products, draw off excess fluids, and regulate body chemistry when kidneys fail to function properly |
hemodialysis | method of removing impurities by pumping the patient's blood through a dialyzer, the specialized filter of the artificial kidney machine (hemodialyzer) |
peritoneal dialysis | Method of removing impurities using the peritoneum as the filter; catheter insertion in the peritoneal cavity is required to deliver cleansing fluid (dialysate) that is washed in and out in cycles |
renal transplant | surgical implantation of a donor kidney to replace a non functioning kidney |
asymptomatic | without symptoms |
auscultation | listening to sounds within the body (usually with a stethoscope) |
impotence | inability to achieve or maintain an erection |
palpable | capable of being touched or felt |
percussion | tapping a part of the body for diagnostic purposes |
cyst/o, vesic/o | bladder |
glomerul/o | glomerulus |
nephr/o, ren/o | kidney |
aden/o | gland |
carcin/o | cancer |
enter/o | interstine (usually small) |
pyel/o | renal pelvis |
ureter/o | ureter |
urethr/o | urethra |
erythr/o | red |
gastr/o | stomach |
hemat/o | blood |
hepat/o | liver |
lith/o | stone |
noct/o | night |
olig/o | scanty |
py/o | pus |
rect/o | rectum |
scler/o | hardening; sclera |
ur/o, urin/o | urine |
ven/o | vein |
-ectomy | excision, removal |
-pexy | fixation |
-plasty | surgical repair |
-rraphy | suture |
-stomy | forming an opening |
-tome | instrument to cut |
-tomy | incision |
-tripsy | crushing |
-algia, -dynia | pain |
-cele | hernia, swelling |
-cyte | cell |
-logy | study of |
-megaly | enlargement |
-oma | tumor |
-ectasis | dialation, expansion |
-edema | swelling |
-emesis | vomiting |
-grade | to go |
-gram | record, writing |
-graphy | process of recording |
-iasis | abnormal condition |
-itis | inflammation |
-lith | stone, calculus |
-logist | specialist in the study of |
-osis | abnormal condition |
-pathy | disease |
-pepsia | digestion |
-phagia | swallowing, eating |
-phobia | fear |
-ptosis | prolapse, downward displacement |
-rrhea | discharge, flow |
-scope | instrument for examining |
-scopy | visual examination |
-uria | urine |
-al, -ic, -ous | pertaining to |
-ia | condition |
-ist | specialist |
a-, an- | without, not |
dys- | bad; painful; difficult |
in- | in, not |
Intra- | in, within |
poly- | many, much |
retro- | backward, behind |
supra- | above, excessive, superior |
malignant | tending to cause death; highly injurious; aggressively malevolent; Ex. malignant tumor |
nephrons | one of a million tiny filtered structures found in the kidneys that removes wastes from blood and produces urine. |
benign | not dangerous to health |
bilateral | pertaining to both sides |
cholelithiasis | the formation of gallstones |
cystocele | hernia of the urinary bladder |
diuretics | Drugs that eliminate fluid by increasing urine output by the kidneys |
edema | swelling caused by excess fluid in the body tissues |
hematuria | the presence of blood in the urine |
nephrolithotomy | incision into the kidney for the removal of stones |
oliguria | production of an abnormally small amount of urine |
polyuria | excessive urination |
ureteropyeloplasty | surgical repair of ureter and renal pelvis |
urinary incontinence | inability to control the flow of urine and involuntary urination |