Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

BPH
Benign prostatic hyperplasia, benign prosta-
tic hypertrophy.
brace, foot drop
See 
ankle-foot orthosis.
braces, dental
Devices used by orthodontists to
move the position teeth or adjust underlying bone.
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems can also
sometimes be corrected with dental braces. Teeth
can be moved by removable appliances or by fixed
braces. If there is crowding of teeth, some teeth may
need to be extracted before braces are applied.
Retainers may be necessary long after dental braces
are placed, especially in orthodontic treatment of
adults.
brachial artery
The artery that runs from the
shoulder down to the elbow. See also 
brachial vein.
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brachial artery
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brachial plexus
A bundle of nerves that begins
in the back of the base of the neck and extends
through the armpit. It is formed by the union of por-
tions of the fifth through eighth cervical spinal
nerves and the first thoracic spinal nerve. Damage
to the brachial plexus can affect nerves responsible
for muscle function and sensation of the arm and
chest.
brachial vein
A vein that accompanies the
brachial artery between the shoulder and the elbow.
The route of the brachial vein is from the elbow up
to the shoulder. See also 
brachial artery.
brachy-
Prefix indicating short, as in brachy-
cephaly (short head) and brachydactyly (short fin-
gers and toes).
brachycephaly
A condition in which the head is
unusually short in diameter from front to back.
Brachycephaly is frequently a feature in congenital
malformation syndromes, including Down syn-
drome (trisomy 21).
brachydactyly
A condition in which the fingers
and toes are short and stubby. Brachydactyly is a
common finding in malformation sydromes, such as
Down syndrome (trisomy 21).
brachytherapy
Radiation treatment given by
placing radioactive material directly in or near the
target, which is often a tumor. Brachytherapy for
prostate cancer, for example, is also called intersti-
tial radiation therapy or seed implantation. In
brachytherapy for prostate cancer, radioactive seeds
are implanted in the prostate. The seeds might be
titanium-encased pellets that contain the radioiso-
tope iodine-125.
brady-
Prefix indicating slow, as in bradycardia
(slow heart rate), bradykinesia (slow movement),
and bradyphrenia (slow thought processes).