Head and Neck Lab Vocabulary

Question 1

Alopecia

Answer 1

Hair loss

Question 2

Angular cheilosis

Answer 2

Reddish inflammation of the lip or lips ad production of fissures that radiate from the angles of the mouth

Question 3

Anosmia

Answer 3

Absence of the sense of smell

May be due to lesion of the olfactory nerve, obstruction of the nasal fossae, or functional without any apparent causative lesion

Question 4

Branchial cleft cyst

Answer 4

A congenital lesion due to the incomplete involution of The branchial cleft which is usually located in the lateral neck

Question 5

Bulging fontanelle

Answer 5

A condition of the fontanel that may indicate increased intracranial pressure

Question 6

Caries

Answer 6

Microbial destruction or necrosis of teeth

Question 7

Cerumen

Answer 7

The soft, brownish yellow, waxy secretion (a modified sebum) of the ceruminous glands of the external auditory meatus

Question 8

Cheilitis

Answer 8

Inflammation and cracking of the lips

Question 9

Cholesteatoma

Answer 9

A mass of keratinizing squamous epithelium and cholesterol in the middle ear, usually caused by chronic otitis media, with squamous metaplasia or extension of squamous epithelium inward to line an expanding cystic cavity that may involve the mastoid and erode surrounding bone

Question 10

Craniosynostosis

Answer 10

Premature closure of sutures of the skull in an infant

Question 11

Chloasma (mask of pregnancy)

Answer 11

A common facial discoloration in pregnancy

Question 12

Encephalocele

Answer 12

A neural tube defect with protrusions of brain and membranes that cover the openings in the skull

Question 13

Epistaxis

Answer 13

Bleeding from the nose

Question 14

Epstein pearls

Answer 14

Multiple small, white, epithelial inclusion cysts found in the midline of the palate in newborn infants

Question 15

Fordyce spots

Answer 15

Ectopic sebaceous glands of the buccal mucosa appearing as small yellow-white raised lesions found on the inner surface and vermilion border of the lips

Question 16

Frenulum

Answer 16

Small fold of tissue that attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth

Question 17

Gingivitis

Answer 17

Inflammation of the gingiva (gums)

Question 18

Hyperthyroidism

Answer 18

Overactivity of the thyroid gland

Question 19

Hypothyroidism

Answer 19

Underactivity of the thyroid gland

Question 20

Koplik’s spots

Answer 20

Small red spots with bluish-white centers on the buccal mucosa opposite the molar teeth, appearing in the prodromal stage of measles

Question 21

Leukoplakia

Answer 21

Circumscribed, firmly attached, thick white patches on the tongue and other mucous membranes, often occurring as a precancerous growth

Often this is associated with pipe smoking and snuff

Question 22

Microencephaly

Answer 22

Abnormal smallness of the head

Question 23

Molding

Answer 23

The size and shaping of the head of a newborn in accommodation to the birth canal

Question 24

Oropharynx

Answer 24

Area of the throat that is located between the mouth and nasopharynx

Question 25

Ossification

Answer 25

Formation of bone tissue

Question 26

Otitis externa

Answer 26

Inflammation of the auditory canal, usually due to bacterial or fungal infection

Swimming, cerumen accumulation, foreign body, and trauma may all be predisposing factors

Question 27

Otitis media

Answer 27

Inflammation/infection of the middle ear or tympanum

Question 28

Otosclerosis

Answer 28

Deposits of bone resulting in the immobilization of the stapes

Question 29

Peritonsillar abscess

Answer 29

Deep infection in the space between the soft palate and tonsil

Question 30

Pharyngitis

Answer 30

Inflammation/infection of the mucous membrane and underlying parts of the pharynax

Question 31

Pinna

Answer 31

Projecting shell-like structure on the side of the head

a.k.a. Auricle

Question 32

Presbycusis

Answer 32

The impairment of hearing due to aging

Question 33

Rhinitis

Answer 33

Inflammation of the nasal mucosa

Question 34

Rhinorrhea

Answer 34

A thin watery discharge from the nose

Question 35

Thyroglossal duct cyst

Answer 35

A palpable cystic mass in the neck due to incomplete closure of the thyroglossal duct

Question 36

Tinnitus

Answer 36

An auditory sensation in the absence of sound heard in one or both ears, such as a ringing, buzzing, hissing or clicking

Question 37

Tophi

Answer 37

Small, whitish uric acid crystals along the peripheral margins of the auricles in persons who may have gout

Question 38

Torticollis (“wry neck”)

Answer 38

Abnormal contraction of the neck muscles resulting in an unnatural positioning of the head

Question 39

Torus mandibularis

Answer 39

A bony protuberance on the lingual aspect of the lower jaw in the canine-premolar region

Question 40

Torus palatinus

Answer 40

A bony protuberance in the midline of the hard palate

Question 41

Tympanosclerosis

Answer 41

The formation of dense connective tissue in the middle ear, often resulting in hearing loss when the ossicles are involved

Question 42

Uvula

Answer 42

Conical projection of the posterior margin of the soft palate

Question 43

Vertigo

Answer 43

Illusion of rotational movement in a patient that is often associated with an inner ear disorder

Question 44

Webbing

Answer 44

Excessive posterior cervical skin that is associated with chromosomal anomalies

Question 45

Xerostomia

Answer 45

Dry mouth