Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

bronchospasm, exercise-induced
See 
asthma,
exercise-induced.
bronchus
A large air tube that begins at the end
of the trachea and branches into the lungs. The sup-
porting walls of the bronchus are made up in part of
cartilage.
Brown’s syndrome
An eye abnormality that can
present at birth characterized by an inability to ele-
vate the eyeball when trying to move the eyeball to
the outside. Brown’s syndrome can also be caused
by other conditions that affect the normal function
of the eye muscles, such as nodules from rheuma-
toid arthritis or rare tumors in the eye muscle.
Brucellosis
An infectious disease characterized
by rising and lowering (undulant) fever, sweating,
muscle and joint pains, and weakness. Brucellosis
is caused by the bacterium Brucella, which can be
transmitted in unpasteurized milk from cattle,
sheep, and goats; cheese made from this unpasteur-
ized milk; and contact with diseased animals.
Antibiotics are used to treat Brucellosis. Also known
as undulant fever.
bruise
Injury of the soft tissues that results in
breakage of the local capillaries and leakage of red
blood cells. In the skin it can be seen as a reddish-
purple discoloration that does not blanch when
pressed. When a bruise fades, it becomes green and
brown, as the body metabolizes the blood cells in
the skin. It is best treated with local application of a
cold pack immediately after injury. Also known as
contusion.
bruit
A sound heard over an artery or vascular
channel, reflecting turbulence of flow. Most com-
monly, a bruit is caused by abnormal narrowing of
an artery. Listening for a bruit in the neck with a
stethoscope is a simple way to screen for narrowing
(stenosis) of the carotid artery, which can be a
result of cholesterol plaque accumulation.
Brushfield spot
A little white spot on the surface
of the iris. Brushfield spots are arranged in a ring,
concentric with the pupil. These spots occur in nor-
mal children but are far more frequent in those with
Down syndrome. Also called speckled iris.
bruxism
Grinding and gnashing of the teeth.
Bruxism is due to clenching of the teeth other than
in chewing and is associated with forceful lateral or
protrusive jaw movements. This results in the grind-
ing or rubbing together of the teeth. Bruxism can
injure teeth and cause local pain in the mouth or
jaw and may contribute to temporomandibular joint
(TMJ) syndrome.