Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

Vrolik disease
See 
osteogenesis imperfecta
type II.
VSD
Ventricular septal defect.
vulva
The female external genital organs, includ-
ing the labia, clitoris, and entrance to the vagina.
vulvar pain, chronic
See 
vulvodynia.
vulvitis
Inflammation of the external genital
organs of the female, often caused by the yeast
Candida albicans. See also 
yeast vulvitis.
vulvodynia
Chronic pain in the area of the
female vulva. The main symptom is pain, usually a
burning irritation or rawness of the genitals. The
pain may be constant or intermittent, localized or
diffuse. It can last for months or longer, and it can
vanish as suddenly as it started. The cause of vulvo-
dynia is unknown. Many women with vulvodynia
have a history of treatment for recurrent vaginal fun-
gal infections. Treatments can include the use of
drugs, use of nerve blocks to numb the vulvar
nerves, and biofeedback therapy to relax pelvic
muscles. See also 
vulvitis; yeast vulvitis.
von Recklinghausen disease
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Waardenburg syndrome
A genetic syndrome
that features varying degrees of hearing loss and
pigmentation changes in the skin and hair. A differ-
ence of color between the iris of one eye and the
other (heterochromia iridis) is often present.
Abbreviated WS. Individuals with WS may also have
a white forelock, early graying of the scalp hair
before age 30, or a wide space between the inner
corners of the eyes. There are many genetic forms
of WS. 
Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
A rare,
chronic low-grade and slow-growing malignancy of
plasma cells. These plasma cells multiply out of
control, invade the bone marrow, lymph nodes, and
spleen, and characteristically produce huge
amounts of the antibody macroglobulin (IgM). 
The excess IgM causes the blood to thicken.
Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia can occur in
younger people but is usually seen in people over
age 65. See also 
lymphoma; plasma cell.
warfarin
An anticoagulant medication (brand
names: Coumarin, Panwarfin, Sofarin) that is taken
to treat blood clots or overly thickened blood. Some
patients also take warfarin to reduce their risk of
clots, stroke, or heart attack. Warfarin works by 
suppressing production of some clotting factors.
Warfarin can have potentially dangerous interactions
with many other drugs, including some vitamins.
Warfarin taken by a woman during pregnancy can
disturb the development of an embryo and a 
fetus and lead to birth defects. See also 
deep vein
thrombosis.
wart
A local growth on the outer layer of the skin
that is caused by a papillomavirus. Papillomavirus is
transmitted by contact, either with a wart on some-
one else or a wart on oneself (autoinnoculation).
Warts that occur on the hands or feet are called
common warts. A wart on the sole of the foot is a
plantar wart. Genital (venereal) warts are located
on the genitals and are transmitted by sexual con-
tact. Also known as verruca and verruga. See also
genital warts; human papillomavirus.