Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

uvula
The anatomic structure that dangles down-
ward at the back of the mouth and is attached to the
rear of the soft palate.
uvulitis
Inflammation of the uvula. Uvulitis has
many causes, including infection with a virus, fun-
gus, or bacteria or the result of a side effect of a
medication.
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uvulitis
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vaccination
See 
immunization.
vaccination, children’s
See 
children’s immu-
nizations.
vaccine
A microbial preparation of killed or
modified microorganisms that can stimulate an
immune response in the body to prevent future
infection with similar microorganisms. Vaccines are
usually delivered by intramuscular injection.
VACTERL association
A nonrandom association
of birth defects. VACTERL is a mnemonic in which
the letters each stand for one or more type of mal-
formation:
V
= Vertebral anomalies; and
A
= Anal atresia (no hole at the bottom
end of the intestine);
C
= Cardiac defect, most often ventricu-
lar septal defect;
TE
= TracheoEsophageal fistula (com-
munication between the esophagus and
trachea) with esophageal atresia (part of
the esophagus is not hollow);
R
= Renal (kidney) abnormalities; and
L
= Limb abnormalities, most often
radial dysplasia (abnormal formation 
of the thumb or the radius bone in the 
forearm).
The VACTERL association has been recurrently
observed in newborn babies. It is more common in
the children of diabetic mothers than in the general
population. For some years that was all that was
known about the cause of the VACTERL association.
The VACTERL association has been linked to inhibi-
tion of cholesterol synthesis and down-regulation
(the damping down) of a biochemical pathway in
the shaping of the embryo that requires cholesterol.
Treatment involves surgery to correct the physical
defects, as possible.
vagina
The muscular canal that extends from the
cervix to the outside of the body. It is usually 6 to 7
inches in length, and its walls are lined with mucous
membrane. It includes two vaultlike structures: the
anterior (front) vaginal fornix and the posterior
(rear) vaginal fornix. The cervix protrudes slightly
into the vagina, and through a tiny hole in the cervix
(the os), sperm make their way toward the internal
reproductive organs. The vagina also includes
numerous tiny glands that make vaginal secretions.
vagina, septate
A rare condition in which the
vagina is divided, usually longitudinally, to create a
double vagina. This situation can be easily missed by
the patient and even by the physician on exam. If the
patient becomes sexually active prior to diagnosis,
one of the vaginas stretches and becomes dominant.
The other vagina slips slightly upward and flush and
can be difficult to enter.