Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

LUQ
Left upper quadrant (quarter). For example,
the LUQ of the abdomen contains the spleen.
Luschka, foramina of
See 
foramina of
Luschka.
luteinizing hormone
A gonadotropin (a hor-
mone that affects the function of the sex organs) that
is released by the pituitary gland in response to
luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone. Abbrevi-
ated LH. In females, LH controls the length and
sequence of the female menstrual cycle, including
ovulation, preparation of the uterus for implantation
of a fertilized egg, and ovarian production of both
estrogen and progesterone. In males, LH stimulates
the testes to produce androgen. Also known as inter-
stitial-cell-stimulating hormone (ICSH). See also
gonadotropin.
luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone
A
hormone that controls the production of luteinizing
hormone in men and women. Abbreviated LHRH.
See also 
luteinizing hormone.
luxation
Complete dislocation of a joint. A partial
dislocation is a subluxation.
Lyme disease
An inflammatory disease that is
caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi,
which is transmitted to humans by the deer tick. The
first sign of Lyme disease is a red, circular, expand-
ing rash, usually radiating from the tick bite, fol-
lowed by flu-like symptoms and joint pains. After the
B. burgdorferi has entered the bloodstream, it can
infect and inflame many different types of tissues,
eventually causing many diverse symptoms. Lyme
disease is medically divided into three phases: early
localized disease with skin inflammation; early dis-
seminated disease with heart and nervous system
involvement, including palsies and meningitis; and
late disease, featuring motor and sensory nerve
damage and brain inflammation and arthritis.
Within hours to weeks of the tick bite, an expanding
ring of unraised redness develops, with an outer
ring of brighter redness and a central area of clear-
ing, giving it the appearance of a bull’s-eye. The red-
ness of the skin is often accompanied by generalized
fatigue, muscle and joint stiffness, swollen glands,
and headache. Early treatment with antibiotics is the
best strategy for preventing major problems due to
Lyme disease. Further prevention of Lyme disease
involves avoiding areas where ticks are common,
wearing protective clothing and lotion, and immedi-
ately removing any ticks from the body. Interestingly,
Lyme disease only became apparent in 1975, when
mothers of a group of children who lived near each
other in Lyme, Connecticut, made researchers
aware that their children were all diagnosed with
rheumatoid arthritis. This unusual grouping of ill-
ness that appeared to be rheumatoid eventually led
researchers to the identification of the bacterial
cause of Lyme disease in 1982.