Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

bicornuate
Having two horns or horn-shaped
branches. The uterus is normally unicornuate, but it
can sometimes be bicornuate.
bicuspid
Having two flaps or cusps.
bicuspid aortic valve
An aortic valve in the
heart that has two flaps (cusps) that open and close.
A normal aortic valve in the heart has three flaps.
There may be no symptoms of bicuspid aortic valve
in childhood, but in time the valve may become nar-
rowed, making it harder for blood to pass through
it, or blood may start to leak backward through the
Bernstein test
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valve (regurgitate). Treatment depends on how the
valve is working. For a severely deteriorated valve,
replacement surgery may be necessary.
bicuspid valve
See 
mitral valve.
b.i.d.
An abbreviation commonly used on pre-
scriptions that means twice a day. See also Appendix
A, “Prescription Abbreviations.”
bifid
Split in two.
bifid uvula
See 
uvula.
big toe sign
See 
Babinski reflex.
bilateral
Affecting both sides. For example, bilat-
eral arthritis affects joints on both the left and right
sides of the body.
bile
A yellow-green fluid that is made by the liver
and stored in the gallbladder. Bile passes through
the common bile duct into the duodenum, where it
helps digest fat. The principal components of bile
are cholesterol, bile salts, and the pigment biliru-
bin. Cholesterol is normally kept in liquid form by
the dissolving action of the bile salts. An increased
amount of cholesterol in the bile overwhelms the
dissolving capacity of the bile salts and leads to the
formation of cholesterol gallstones. Similarly, a defi-
ciency of bile salts promotes cholesterol gallstone
formation. See also 
gallstone.
bile acid resin
A substance that binds in the
intestine with bile acids that contain cholesterol and
is then eliminated in the stool. The major effect of
bile acid resin is to lower LDL-cholesterol. Bile acid
resin may be prescribed, together with a statin med-
ication, for patients with heart disease, to reduce
cholesterol. Cholestyramine (brand name:
Questran) and colestipol (Colestid) are examples of
bile acid resins. Side effects may include constipa-
tion, bloating, nausea, and gas. Although bile acid
resin is not absorbed, it may interfere with the
absorption of other medicines if taken at the same
time as the other medicines. See also 
statin.