Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

postop
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lack of the region from the father. When the same
region of the maternally contributed chromosome is
missing, the result is a different disease, called
Angelman syndrome. There is currently no specific
treatment or cure for PWS.
Prayer of Maimonides
See 
Daily Prayer of a
Physician.
pre
- Prefix meaning before.
preauricular tag
See 
ear tag.
preauricular pit
See 
ear pit.
precancerous
Pertaining to something that is not
yet cancerous but has the potential to develop into a
cancer. See also 
premalignant.
preclinical study
A study to test a drug, a proce-
dure, or another medical treatment in animals. The
aim of a preclinical study is to collect data in sup-
port of the safety of the new treatment. Preclinical
studies are required before clinical trials in humans
can be started.
precocious
Unusually early development of intel-
lectual powers, speech, physical traits, and so on.
precocious puberty
The onset of secondary
sexual characteristics, such as breast buds in girls,
growth of the penis and thinning of the scrotum in
boys, and the appearance of pubic hair in both
sexes, before the normal age of puberty.
preconceptual
Referring to before conception.
For example, preconceptual counseling is the inter-
change of information prior to pregnancy.
preconceptual counseling
The interchange of
information prior to pregnancy. Preconceptual
counseling usually occurs for pregnancy planning
and care, but sometimes it takes the form of genetic
counseling. See also 
genetic counseling.
prediabetes
A state in which blood glucose lev-
els are higher than normal but not elevated enough
to warrant a diagnosis of diabetes. Many people
have prediabetes before they develop type 2 dia-
betes. People with prediabetes can prevent the
development of diabetes in many cases by losing
weight, following good nutritional practices, and
getting regular exercise.
preeclampsia
A condition that is characterized
by a sharp rise in blood pressure during the third
trimester of pregnancy. Hypertension may be
accompanied by swollen ankles, irritability, and kid-
ney problems, as evidenced by protein in the urine.
Although preeclampsia is relatively common, occur-
ring in about 5 percent of all pregnancies and more
frequently in first pregnancies than in others, it can
be a sign of serious problems. It may indicate that
the placenta is detaching from the uterus, for exam-
ple. In some cases, untreated preeclampsia can
progress to eclampsia, a life-threatening situation
for both the mother and the fetus. Treatment
involves bed rest and sometimes medication. If
treatment is ineffective, induced birth or a C-section
may have to be considered. See also 
eclampsia;
HELLP syndrome.