Word Of The Day

Dorland's Word of the Day is a great way to broaden your knowledge of medical terminology. With a new and interesting term brought to you from the 32nd edition of Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary each day, it's an easy and fun way to increase your medical vocabulary!

You can view a new word on this website each day.

Today's Word

loose anagen hair syndrome

a syndrome of unknown etiology, usually seen in children, in which scalp hair can be plucked easily and painlessly during the anagen part of the hair cycle, owing to defective anchorage of the hair shaft to the follicle; there is also slowing of hair growth.

Word of the Day Archive

long QT syndrome

prolongation of the Q-T interval combined with torsades de pointes and manifest as several different forms; it may be acquired, usually due to metabolic or cardiac abnormality or to drug administration, or congenital, occurring either with deafness (Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome) or without (Romano-Ward syndrome). It may lead to serious arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death.

L?fgren's syndrome

erythema nodosum in conjunction with bilateral adenopathy of hilar lymph nodes, seen as a manifestation of sarcoidosis.

Liddle syndrome

a rare autosomal dominant syndrome characterized by hypertension with excessive renal reabsorption of sodium, depletion of potassium, and low activity of renin and aldosterone.

lacrimo-auriculo-dento-digital (LADD) syndrome

a syndrome of autosomal dominant inheritance, characterized by abnormalities of the nasolacrimal ducts, ears, limbs, and teeth, often with mixed hearing loss. Abnormalities of the salivary glands and urogenital system may also occur. Spelled also lacrimoauriculodentodigital syndrome. Called also Levy-Hollister syndrome.

hyperimmunoglobulinemia D syndrome (HIDS)

a periodic fever inherited as an autosomal recessive trait, caused by mutations in the gene for mevalonate kinase and having onset usually before one year of age. It is characterized by attacks of high fever preceded by chills, occurring at intervals of approximately 4-8 weeks and lasting 4-6 days, often accompanied by headache, arthritis and arthralgia, erythematous lesions, and hepatosplenomegaly; serum IgD levels are continuously high. Called also Dutch-type periodic fever and hyperimmunoglobulinemia D with periodic fever syndrome.

hungry bone syndrome

a condition seen after parathyroidectomy in patients who had had hyperparathyroidism; rapid deposition of calcium in bones leads to hypocalcemia.

hepatopulmonary syndrome

arterial hypoxemia caused by pulmonary vasodilation in conjunction with chronic liver disease, usually occurring as a result of portal hypertension in cirrhosis.