Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

385
serous membrane
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lubricating fluid that reduces friction forces between
internal organs. Also known as serosa.
serum 1
The clear liquid that can be separated
from clotted blood. Serum differs from plasma, the
liquid portion of normal unclotted blood, which
contains the red cells, white cells, and platelets. The
clot makes the difference between serum and
plasma.
2
Any normal or pathological fluid that
resembles serum, as, for example, the fluid in a
blister.
serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase
See 
aspartate aminotransferase.
serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase
See
alanine aminotransferase.
serum hepatitis
See 
hepatitis B.
sesamoid bone
A little bone that is embedded in
a joint capsule or tendon. For example, the kneecap
(patella) is a sesamoid bone.
seven-day measles
See 
measles.
seventh cranial nerve
See 
facial nerve.
seventh cranial nerve paralysis
See 
Bell’s
palsy.
Sever condition
See 
apophysitis calcaneus.
severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
A serious, sometimes fatal, form of pneumonia due
to a novel coronavirus. SARS first appeared in an
outbreak late in 2002.
severe congenital neutropenia
One of several
genetic disorders of the bone marrow that is evident
at birth and characterized by a lack of neutrophils (a
type of white blood cells that are important in fight-
ing infection). Children with severe congenital neu-
tropenia suffer from frequent bacterial (but not viral
or fungal) infections. They are also at increased risk
for acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) and
myelodysplasia. Autosomal dominant and sporadic
forms of severe congenital neutropenia are most fre-
quently caused by mutation in the neutrophil elas-
tase gene (ELA2) on chromosome 19. There is an
X-linked recessive form of severe congenital neu-
tropenia in males that is caused by mutation in the
WAS gene (which is also mutated in Wiskott-Aldrich
syndrome). Kostmann disease is a form of severe
congenital neutropenia that is inherited in an auto-
somal recessive manner. Treatment of severe con-
genital neutropenia involves use of recombinant
human granulocyte colony–stimulating factor
(GCSF). GCSF elevates the neutrophil count, helps
resolve preexisting infections, diminishes the num-
ber of new infections, and results in significant
improvements in survival and quality of life. Patients
treated with GCSF may nonetheless develop leukemia
or myelodysplastic syndrome. Also known as infan-
tile genetic agranulocytosis.