Terminology

• Aneurysm 


  balloon-like sac formed when weakening of the arterial wall leads to a localized dilation, introducing a risk of rupture of the wall
• Angina pectoris


  severe chest pain and a feeling of suffocation resulting from inadequate blood flow to the heart muscle
• Angiopasm 


  sudden contraction of the smooth muscle in a blood vessel wall, which can temporarily interrupt blood flow
• Aortostenosis


  narrowing of the aorta, congenitally or as a result of disease; also called aortic stenosis
• Arrhythmia


  any irregularity in the heart beat
• Artheriosclerosis


  diminished elasticity in arterial walls, usually due to normal again processes; also referred to as hardening of the arteries
• Palpitation 


  an unsually rapid or strong heart beat that is perceptible (and often frightening) to the patient
• Rheumatic heart disease 


  heart disease caused by rheumatic fever, in which persistent streptococcal infection causes inflammation and scarring of the valves, impairing their ability to open and close normally
• Thrombosis


  condition in which a stationary blood clot obstructs blood vessel at the site of its formation
• Varicose vein


  a superficial vein that has become enlarged and twisted, usually as a result of damage to a valve and subsequent pooling in the vein
• Cardiac catherization


  procedure in which a small tube is pushed through a blood vessel until it reaches the heart; used to withdraw a sample of blood directly from the heart and to evaluate the coronary arteries
• Echocardiography


  technique in which high-frequency sound waves are used to produce an image of the internal structures of the heart
• Syphygmomanometry


  measurement of blood pressure using a blood pressure cuff (a sphygmomanometer)
• Venography


  technique in which x-rays are used to visualize the veins following injection of a contrast agent
• Balloon angioplasty


  procedure in which a deflated balloon is pushed through a blood vessel to a site of obstruction and is inflated to restore the vessel to its normal size; alternatively, the inflated balloon may be used to pull an embolus through the blood vessel for removal from the body; also called percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, or PTCA
• Phlebotomy


  surgical opening of a vein (e.g., to draw blood or remove a blood clot)
• Venipuncture


  procedure in which a vein (usually in the forearm) is punctured with a needle, usually to withdraw blood for diagnostic purposes