Medical Dictionary

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ε, capital: E

Epsilon, the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet.
Symbol for molar absorption coefficient or extinction coefficient.
In chemistry, denotes a position of a substituent located on the fifth atom from the carboxyl or other primary functional group.

Symbol for exa-
Emmetropia
Eneman
Estgegen.
Extraction ratio.
Energy.
Internal energy.
Electromotive force.
Enzyme
Experimenter
Eye
Glutamyl.
Glutamic acid.
Obsolete symbol for einsteinium.
As a subscript, refers to expired gas, or to something that is missing or absent.

E0+, E0, Eh
Symbols for oxidation-reduction potential.

E. coli
A straight rod-shaped gram-negative bacterium (Escherichia coli of the family Enterobacteriaceae) that is used in public health as an indicator of fecal pollution (as of water or food) and in medicine and genetics as a research organism and that occurs in various strains that may live as harmless inhabitants of the human lower intestine or may produce a toxin causing intestinal illness, e.g., one million acid-resistant E. coli per gram of feces.

E2
Symbol for estradiol.

E1
Symbol for estrone.

Ea
Abbreviation for energy of activation.

e

Elementary charge
Base of natural, or Napierian, logarithms (2.71828...). It is the limit of 1 + (1/n!).

EAE
Abbreviation for experimental allergic encephalitis.

Eagle
Harry, U.S. physician and cell biologist, 1905–1992. See E. basal medium, E. minimum essential medium.

Eagle
Watt W., 20th century U.S. otolaryngologist.

Eales
Henry, English ophthalmologist, 1852–1913. See E. disease.

ear (er) [TA]
The organ of hearing: composed of the external e., which includes the auricle and the external acoustic, or auditory, meatus; the middle e., or the tympanic cavity with its ossicles; and the internal e. or inner e., or labyrinth, which includes the semicircular canals, vestibule, and cochlea. SEE ALSO: auricle. SYN: auris [TA] . [A.S. eáre]

Aztec e. an auricle with the lobule absent.
bat e. SYN: lop-e..
bladder e. protrusion of a portion of the bladder into proximal inguinal canal; often seen in pediatric VCUGs and rarely of clinical significance.
Blainville ears asymmetry in size or shape of the auricles.
boxer's e. SYN: cauliflower e..
Cagot e. (ka-go′) an auricle having no lobulus. [a people in the Pyrenees among whom physical stigmata are common]
cauliflower e. thickening and induration of the e. with distortion of contours following extravasation of blood within its tissues. SYN: boxer's e..
darwinian e. an auricle in which the upper border is not rolled over to form the helix, but projects upward as a flat, sharp edge.
dog e. redundant corner of skin, usually the result of mismatch of skin edges in a wound closure, leaving an excessive hump or triangular bit of tissue.
external e. SYN: auris externa. SEE ALSO: auricle, external acoustic meatus, pinna.
glue e. middle e. inflammation with thick mucoid effusion caused by long-standing eustachian tube obstruction.
internal e. SYN: auris interna. SEE ALSO: labyrinth.
lop e. SYN: outstanding e.. See lop-e..
middle e. SYN: auris media. SEE ALSO: tympanic cavity.
Morel e. a large, misshapen, outstanding auricle, with obliterated grooves and thinned edges.
Mozart e. a deformity of the pinna where the two crura of the antihelix and the crus of the helix are fused, giving a bulging appearance of the superior part of the pinna. [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1756–1791, composer, said to have had this deformity]
outstanding e. excessive protrusion of the e. from the head, usually due to failure of the antihelical fold to develop. SYN: lop e., protruding e..
protruding e. SYN: outstanding e..
scroll e. a deformity of the external e. in which the pinna is rolled forward.
Stahl e. a deformed external e., in which the fossa ovalis and upper portion of the scaphoid fossa are covered by the helix; once regarded as a stigma of degenerate constitution.
swimmer's e. SYN: otitis externa.
telephone e. noise-induced hearing loss due to exposure to static over telephones.
Wildermuth e. an e. in which the helix is turned backward and the anthelix is prominent.

earache (er′ak)
Pain in the ear. SYN: otalgia, otodynia.

eardrum (er′drum)
The middle ear. Cf.:tympanic membrane. SYN: tympanum.

Earle
Wilton R., U.S. pathologist, 1902–1964. See E. L fibrosarcoma, E. solution.

earpiece (erpes)
A part of a device inserted into the external auditory canal to deliver sound to the ear.

earplug (er′plug)
Generic term for occlusive devices for the external auditory canal for protection of hearing against noise-induced hearing loss or to prevent water from getting into the ear. SEE ALSO: hearing protectors, under protector.

earth (ˈərth)

Soil; the soft material of the land, as opposed to rock and sand.
An easily pulverized mineral.
An insoluble oxide of aluminum or of certain other elements characterized by a high melting point. [A.S. eorthe]
alkaline earths alkaline e. elements, under element.
diatomaceous e. a powder made of desiccated diatom material; used as a filtering agent, adsorbent, and abrasive in many chemical operations.
fuller's e.
- An amorphous variety of kaolin of varying composition, containing an aluminum magnesium silicate. The name is derived from an ancient process of cleansing or &dquor;fulling&dquor; wool to remove the oil and dirt particles with a water slurry of e. or clay.
- A refined clay sometimes used as a dusting powder or applied moistened with water as a form of poultice. Currently refers to any clay that can be used for the purpose of decolorizing in oil refining. Used as decolorizer for oils and other liquids, filtering medium, filler for rubber, and in agricultural formulations. [fr. fulling, an old process of cleaning wool, with e. or clay]
rare earths lanthanides.

earwax (er′waks)
SYN: cerumen.

eat (et)
1. To take solid food. 2. To chew and swallow any substance as one would food. 3. To corrode. [A.S. etan]

Eaton
Lee M., U.S. neurologist, 1905–1958. See E.-Lambert syndrome.

Eaton
Monroe A., U.S. microbiologist, *1904. See E. agent.

E.B., EB
Abbreviation for elementary bodies (1) , under body.

Ebbinghaus
Hermann, German, 1850–1909. See E. test.

Eberth
Karl J., German physician, 1835–1926. See E. bacillus, E. lines, under line, E. perithelium.

Ebner
Victor von. See von E..

ebonation (e-bo-na′shun)
Removal of loose fragments of bone from a wound. [L.]

ébranlement (a-brahn-la-mon′)
Twisting a polyp on its stalk to cause atrophy. [Fr.]

Ebstein
Wilhelm, German physician, 1836–1912. See E. anomaly, E. disease, E. sign, Armanni-E. change, Armanni-E. kidney, Pel-E. disease, Pel-E. fever.

EBT
Abbreviation for electron beam tomography.

ebullism (eb′u-lizm)
Formation of water vapor bubbles in the tissues brought on by an extreme reduction in barometric pressure; occurs if the body is exposed to pressures above an altitude of 63,000 feet, or if a diver rises rapidly from a great depth to the surface. [L. ebullire, to boil out]

ebur (e′bur)
A tissue resembling ivory in outward appearance or structure. [L. ivory] e. dentis SYN: dentine.

eburnation (e-bur-na′shun)
A change in exposed subchondral bone in degenerative joint disease in which it is converted into a dense substance with a smooth surface like ivory. SYN: bone sclerosis. [L. eburneus, of ivory] e. of dentin a condition observed in arrested dental caries wherein decalcified dentin is burnished and takes on a polished, often brown-stained appearance.

eburneous (e-bur′ne-us)
Resembling ivory, especially in color.

eburnitis (e-bur-ni′tis)
Increased density and hardness of dentin, which may occur after the dentin is exposed. [L. eburneus, of ivory, + G. -itis, inflammation]

EBV
Abbreviation for Epstein-Barr virus.

EC
Abbreviation for Enzyme Commission of the International Union of Biochemistry, used in conjunction with a unique number to define a specific enzyme in the Enzyme Commission's list [Enzyme Nomenclature] (1984); e.g., E. 1.1.1.1 defines an alcohol dehydrogenase and E. 2.6.1.1 defines aspartate aminotransferase, also known as glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (GOT).

ec-
Out of, away from. [G.]

E-cadherin (e-cad-her′in)
SYN: uvomorulin.

écarteur (a-kar-ter′)
A type of retractor. [Fr. écarter, to separate]

ecaudate (e-kaw′dat)
Tailless. [L. e- priv. + cauda, tail]

ecboline (ek′bo-len)
SYN: ergotoxine.

eccentric (ek-sen′trik)
1. Abnormal or peculiar in ideas or behavior. SYN: erratic (1) . 2. Proceeding from a center. Cf.:centrifugal (2) . 3. SYN: peripheral. [G. ek, out, + kentron, center]

eccentrochondroplasia (ek-sen′tro-kon-dro-pla′ze-a)
Abnormal epiphysial development from eccentric centers of ossification. [G. ek, out + kentron, center, + chondros, cartilage, + plasis, a molding]

eccentropiesis (ek-sen′tro-pi-e′sis)
Pressure exerted from within outward. [G. ek, out, + kentron, center, + piesis, pressure]

ecchondroma (ek-kon-dro′ma)
1. A cartilaginous neoplasm arising as an overgrowth from normally situated cartilage, as a mass protruding from the articular surface of a bone, in contrast to enchondroma. 2. An enchondroma which has burst through the shaft of a bone and become pedunculated. SYN: ecchondrosis. [G. ek, from, + chondros, cartilage, + -oma, tumor]

ecchondrosis (ek-kon-dro′sis)
SYN: ecchondroma.

ecchordosis physaliphora (ek-kor-do′sis fiz-al-e-for′-me-a)
A notochordal rest of the cranial clivus that may form a small tumor.

ecchymoma (ek-i-mo′ma)
A slight hematoma following a bruise. [G. ek, out, + chymos, juice, + -oma, tumor]

ecchymosis (ek-i-mo′sis)
A purplish patch caused by extravasation of blood into the skin, differing from petechiae only in size (larger than 3 mm diameter). [G. ekchymosis, e., fr. ek, out, + chymos, juice] bilateral medial orbital ecchymoses SYN: raccoon eyes, under eye. Tardieu ecchymoses subpleural and subpericardial petechiae or ecchymoses (or both), as observed in the tissues of persons who have been strangled, or otherwise asphyxiated. SYN: Tardieu petechiae, Tardieu spots.

ecchymotic (ek-i-mot′ik)
Relating to an ecchymosis.

Eccleston
See Paget-E. stain.

eccrine (ek′rin)
1. SYN: exocrine (1) . 2. Denoting the flow of sweat from skin glands unconnected to hair follicles. [G. ek-krino, to secrete]

eccrinology (ek-ri-nol′o-je)
The branch of physiology and of anatomy concerned with the secretions and the secreting (exocrine) glands. [G. ekdrino, to secrete, + logos, study]

eccrisis (ek′ri-sis)
1. The removal of waste products. 2. Any waste product; excrement. [G. separation]

eccritic (e-krit′ik)
1. Promoting the expulsion of waste matters. 2. An agent that promotes excretion.

eccyesis (ek-si-e′sis)
SYN: ectopic pregnancy. [G. ek, out, + kyesis, pregnancy]

ecdemic (ek-dem′ik)
Denoting a disease brought into a region from without. [G. ekdemos, foreign, from home, fr. demos, people]

ecdysiasm (ek-diz′e-azm)
A morbid tendency to undress to produce sexual desire in others. [fr. G. ekdyo, to remove one's clothes]

ecdysis (ek′di-sis)
Desquamation, sloughing, or molting as a necessary phenomenon to permit growth in arthropods and skin renewal in amphibians and reptiles. [G. ekdysis, shedding]

ecdysist (ek-dis-ist)
A person who engages in ecdysiasm.

ECF
Abbreviation for extracellular fluid.

ECF-A
Abbreviation for eosinophil chemotactic factor of anaphylaxis.

ECFV
Abbreviation for extracellular fluid volume.

ECG
Abbreviation for electrocardiogram.

ecgonine (ek′go-nen, -nin)
The important part of the cocaine molecule; a topical anesthetic; basis of many coca alkaloids. e. benzoate SYN: benzoylecgonine.

Echidnophaga gallinacea (ek-id-nof′a-ga gal-i-na′se-a)
The sticktight flea, a serious pest of poultry in subtropical America; also frequently attacks domestic mammals and humans.

echin-
See echino-.

echinate (ek′i-nat)
SYN: echinulate.

echino-, echin-
Prickly, spiny. [G. echinos, hedgehog, sea urchin]

Echinochasmus (e-ki-no-kaz′mus)
A genus of digenetic flukes (family Echinostomatidae), particularly common in wading and fish-eating birds; the species E. perfoliatus var. japonicus is reported as a rare intestinal parasite of humans in Japan. [echino- + G. chasma, open mouth]

echinococciasis (e-ki′no-kok-se′a-sis)
SYN: echinococcosis.

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