Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

bladder inflammation
Inflammation of the uri-
nary bladder. Also called cystitis. Can be due to
infection from bacteria that ascend the urethra to
the bladder or for unknown reasons, such as with
interstitial cystitis. Symptoms include a frequent
need to urinate, often accompanied by a burning
sensation. As bladder inflammation progresses,
blood may be observed in the urine and the patient
may suffer cramps after urination. In young chil-
dren, attempts to avoid the pain of cystitis can be a
cause for daytime wetting (enuresis). Treatment
includes avoiding irritants, such as perfumed soaps,
near the urethral opening; increased fluid intake;
and, for infectious cystitis, antibiotics. Untreated
bladder inflammation can lead to scarring and the
formation of stones when urine is retained for long
periods of time to avoid painful urination.
bladder pain
Pain from the urinary bladder.
Among the symptoms of bladder infection are feel-
ings of pain, pressure, and tenderness around the
bladder, pelvis, and perineum (the area between the
anus and vagina or anus and scrotum), which may
increase as the bladder fills and decrease as it emp-
ties; decreased bladder capacity; an urgent need to
urinate; painful sexual intercourse; and, in men,
discomfort or pain in the penis and scrotum.
Blalock-Taussig operation
A pioneering oper-
ation to treat children born with the heart malfor-
mation tetralogy of Fallot named for the US surgeon
Alfred Blalock and the US pediatric cardiologist
Helen B. Taussig.
blast
An immature blood cell.
blast crisis
A phase of advanced leukemia, usu-
ally chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), in
which the number of immature, abnormal white
blood cells (blasts) in the bone marrow and blood
is extremely high. Also known as the blast phase.
See also 
leukemia.
blastoma
A tumor thought to arise in embryonic
tissue. This term is commonly used as part of the
name for a tumor, as in glioblastoma and medul-
loblastoma (types of brain tumors), hepatoblas-
toma (a liver tumor), nephroblastoma (a Wilms
tumor of the kidney), neuroblastoma (a childhood
tumor of neural origin), osteoblastoma (a bone
tumor), and retinoblastoma (a tumor of the retina
in the eye).