Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

sweating, gustatory
Sweating on the forehead,
face, scalp, and neck that occurs soon after ingest-
ing food. Some gustatory sweating is normal after
eating hot, spicy foods. Otherwise, gustatory sweat-
ing is most commonly a result of damage to a nerve
that goes to the parotid gland, the large salivary
gland in the cheek. In this condition, called Frey
syndrome, the sweating is usually on one side of the
head. Gustatory sweating is also a rare complication
of diabetes mellitus. Treatment may involve topical
or oral medications. See also 
Frey syndrome; dia-
betes mellitus.
sweats, night
See 
night sweats.
swimmer’s ear
See 
ear infection, external.
swimming pool granuloma
See 
granuloma,
fishbowl.
Sydenham’s chorea
A disorder that emerges
after a bout of rheumatic fever and is most fre-
quently seen in children. The choreaform move-
ments associated with the disease are twisting.
Sydenham’s chorea can be treated with medication.
See also 
PANDAS; rheumatic fever.
sylvatic plague
See 
plague, sylvatic.
Sylvius, aqueduct of
See 
aqueduct of Sylvius.
symmetric lipomatosis, multiple
See
cephalothoracic lipodystrophy.
sympathetic nervous system
A part of the nerv-
ous system that serves to accelerate the heart rate,
constrict blood vessels, and raise blood pressure.
The sympathetic nervous system and the parasym-
pathetic nervous system constitute the autonomic
nervous system.
sympathetic ophthalmia
Inflammation of the
uveal tract of the uninjured eye (sympathizing eye)
some weeks after a wound involving the uveal tract
of the other eye (exciting eye). Also known as trans-
ferred ophthalmia.
symphysiotomy
A surgical procedure that has
been used to effect an immediate dramatic increase
in the size of the pelvic outlet to permit delivery of a
baby. The cartilage of the area where the pubic
bones come together (symphysis pubis) is surgi-
cally divided.