Ductus
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  Ductus



Ductus

   A duct or walled passageway suitable for the conveyance of air or, more often in the body, liquids.

RELATED TERMS
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Duct
A channel or passage through which fluids move.



SIMILAR TERMS
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Duct
A channel or passage through which fluids move.

Duct of Bellini
A continuation of the collecting tubules in the kidney.

Ductal carcinoma of the breast, infiltrating
Infiltrating ductal carcinoma is one of several recognized specific patterns of cancer of the breast. It is so named because it begins in the cells forming the ducts of the breast. It is the most common form of breast cancer, comprising 65-85% of all cases.

Ductular hypoplasia, syndromatic hepatic
Also called Alagille syndrome or arteriohepatic dysplasia, this is a genetic disorder characterized by jaundice in the newborn period, liver disease with cholestasis, peripheral pulmonic stenosis and unusual face. Children with Alagille syndrome usually present with jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes) in the newborn period. Cholestasis (stagnant flow of bile from the liver) then develops with puritis (itching), stools without the usual yellowing brown color, and enlargement of the liver and spleen. Peripheral pulmonic stenosis is a form of congenital heart disease (CHD). Other types of CHD also occur. The face has deep-set eyes, broad forehead, long nose with flat tip, prominence of the chin, and low-set or malformed ears. The outlook depends upon the degree of severity of the CHD and the liver disease (it can cause liver failure). The condition is an autosomal dominant trait meaning that the gene for it is on a non-sex chromosome (an autosome) and a single edition of the Alagille gene is sufficient to produce the disease. The gene has been discovered on chromosome 20 in band 20p12.

Ductus arteriosus
A key arterial shunt (ductus) in fetal life. Before birth, blood pumped from the heart through the pulmonary artery toward the lungs is shunted into the aorta. This arterial shunt is a short vessel called the ductus arteriosus. When the shunt is open, it is said to be patent.

Ductus, patent
Failure for the ductus arteriosus, an arterial shunt in fetal life, to close on schedule. Before birth, blood pumped from the heart through the pulmonary artery toward the lungs is shunted into the aorta. This arterial shunt is a short vessel called the ductus arteriosus. When the shunt is open, it is said to be patent.



PREVIOUS AND NEXT TERMS
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Duane syndrome
A congenital eye movement disorder in which there is miswiring of the eye muscles, causing some eye muscles to contract when they should not and other eye muscles not to contract when they should. People with the syndrome have a limited (and sometimes no) ability to move the eye outward toward the ear (to abduct the eye) and, in most cases, a limited ability to move the eye inward toward the nose (to adduct the eye). Often, when the eye moves toward the nose, the eyeball also pulls into the socket (retracts), the eye opening narrows and, in some cases, the eye moves upward or downward. Many patients with Duane syndrome turn their face to maintain binocular vision and compensate for improper turning of the eyes.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy
The best-known form of muscular dystrophy, due to mutation in a gene on the X chromosome that prevents the production of dystrophin, a normal protein in muscle. DMD affects boys and, very rarely, girls. DMD typically appears between the ages of two with weakness in the pelvis and upper limbs, resulting in clumsiness, frequent falling, an unusual gait and general weakness. Some patients also have mild mental retardation. As DMD progresses, a wheelchair may be needed. Most patients with Duchenne MD die in their early twenties because of muscle-based breathing and heart problems. There is no cure for DMD. Current treatment is directed toward symptoms, such as assisting with mobility, preventing scoliosis, and providing pulmonary therapy (respiratory toilet). Gene replacement with dystrophin minigenes is being investigated but no cure appears around the corner.

Duct of Bellini
A continuation of the collecting tubules in the kidney.

Ductal carcinoma of the breast, infiltrating
Infiltrating ductal carcinoma is one of several recognized specific patterns of cancer of the breast. It is so named because it begins in the cells forming the ducts of the breast. It is the most common form of breast cancer, comprising 65-85% of all cases.

Ductular hypoplasia, syndromatic hepatic
Also called Alagille syndrome or arteriohepatic dysplasia, this is a genetic disorder characterized by jaundice in the newborn period, liver disease with cholestasis, peripheral pulmonic stenosis and unusual face. Children with Alagille syndrome usually present with jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes) in the newborn period. Cholestasis (stagnant flow of bile from the liver) then develops with puritis (itching), stools without the usual yellowing brown color, and enlargement of the liver and spleen. Peripheral pulmonic stenosis is a form of congenital heart disease (CHD). Other types of CHD also occur. The face has deep-set eyes, broad forehead, long nose with flat tip, prominence of the chin, and low-set or malformed ears. The outlook depends upon the degree of severity of the CHD and the liver disease (it can cause liver failure). The condition is an autosomal dominant trait meaning that the gene for it is on a non-sex chromosome (an autosome) and a single edition of the Alagille gene is sufficient to produce the disease. The gene has been discovered on chromosome 20 in band 20p12.

Ductus

Ductus arteriosus
A key arterial shunt (ductus) in fetal life. Before birth, blood pumped from the heart through the pulmonary artery toward the lungs is shunted into the aorta. This arterial shunt is a short vessel called the ductus arteriosus. When the shunt is open, it is said to be patent.

Ductus, patent
Failure for the ductus arteriosus, an arterial shunt in fetal life, to close on schedule. Before birth, blood pumped from the heart through the pulmonary artery toward the lungs is shunted into the aorta. This arterial shunt is a short vessel called the ductus arteriosus. When the shunt is open, it is said to be patent.

Dumdum fever
Also called kala-azar, a chronic, potentially fatal parasitic disease of the viscera (the internal organs) due to infection by an agent called Leishmania donovani.

Dummy
In science experiments, a substance without any active ingredient, a placebo.

Duodenal biliary drainage
A procedure used to diagnose gallstones when suspicion is high but other tests are negative. A thin tube is passed through a nostril down the throat, through the esophagus and stomach, into the duodenum. Once the tube is in place, a synthetic hormone related to cholecystokinin is injected IV. It causes the gallbladder to contract and squeeze out bile into the duodenum. The bile then is sucked up through the tube and examined for the presence of cholesterol and pigment particles under a microscope. A modification of duodenal biliary drainage involves collection of bile through an endoscope at the time of EGD (esophagogastroduodenoscopy) or ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography).

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