Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

-ectomy
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esterase inhibitor are detected in the blood.
Treatment options include antihistamines and male
steroids (androgens). Also known as hereditary
angioedema.
edema, periorbital
Swelling around the eyes
due to excess water accumulation.
edentulous
Being without teeth. Complete loss of
all natural teeth can substantially reduce quality of
life, self-image, and daily functioning.
Edwards syndrome
See 
trisomy 18 syndrome.
EEG
Electroencephalogram.
EFA
Essential fatty acid.
effacement
Thinning of the cervix, which occurs
before and while the cervix dilates.
effect, founder
See 
founder effect.
efferent
Carrying away. For example, an artery is
an efferent vessel that carries blood away from the
heart, and an efferent nerve carries impulses away
from the central nervous system. The opposite of
efferent is afferent.
efferent nerve
A nerve that carries impulses
away from the central nervous system.
efferent vessel
A vessel that carries blood away
from the heart. Hence, an efferent vessel is an artery
or an arteriole (a little artery).
effusion
Too much fluid, an outpouring of fluid.
For example, a pleural effusion is an abnormal
accumulation of fluid in the pleural space between
the lungs and the chest wall, while a knee effusion is
an abnormal amount of fluid in the knee joint. A
hemorrhagic effusion contains blood in the fluid.
effusion, pericardial
Too much fluid within the
fibrous sac (pericardium) that surrounds the heart.
The inner surface of the pericardium is lined by a
layer of flat cells (mesothelial cells) that normally
secrete a small amount of fluid, which acts as a lubri-
cant to allow normal heart movement within the
chest. A pericardial effusion involves the presence of
an excessive amount of pericardial fluid, a pale yel-
low serous fluid, within the pericardium.