Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

code pink
A hospital or institution alert to secu-
rity that a baby is missing from the hospital nursery.
codon
A set of any three adjacent bases in DNA or
RNA. There are 64 different codons, of which 61
specify the incorporation of an amino acid into a
polypeptide chain; the remaining 3 are stop codons,
which signal the ends of polypeptides.
coenzyme
A substance that enhances the action
of an enzyme to mediate and speed a chemical reac-
tion. A number of the water-soluble vitamins, such
as vitamins B1, B2, and B6, serve as coenzymes. See
also 
enzyme.
Cogan corneal dystrophy
A disorder in which
the cornea shows grayish fingerprint lines, geo-
graphic map-like lines, and dots (or microcysts).
These lines and dots can be seen on examination
with a slit-lamp, which focuses a high-intensity light
beam through a slit while the examiner uses a mag-
nifying scope to look at the front of the eye where
the epithelial basement membrane is seen as abnor-
mal. The disorder is usually without symptoms.
However, about 1 patient in 10 has recurrent ero-
sion of the cornea that generally begins after age 30.
Also known as epithelial basement corneal dystro-
phy and map-dot-fingerprint type corneal dystrophy
and microcystic corneal dystrophy.
Cogan syndrome
A rare form of artery inflam-
mation (arteritis) of unknown cause that affects the
ear. Cogan syndrome causes problems of hearing
and balance and also inflammation of the cornea
and often fever, fatigue, and weight loss. Joint and
muscle pains can also be present. Less frequently,
the arteritis can involve blood vessels elsewhere in
the body, as in the skin, kidneys, nerves, and other
tissues and organs. Cogan syndrome can lead to
deafness or blindness. Treatment is directed toward
stopping the inflammation of the blood vessels.
Cortisone-related medications, such as prednisone,
are often used. Severe disease can require immuno-
suppression medications, such as cyclophos-
phamide.