Specialists in the Medical & Psychological Aspects of Transgender Health Care 

	T

tachycardia

A rapid heart rate (over 100 beats per minute).

tapeworm

A parasitic worm that lives in the intestines; causes diarrhea and abdominal discomfort.

tar

The sticky, brown substance in cigarettes that coats the lungs; causes lung and other cancers.

tarsorrhaphy

A procedure in which the eyelids are sewn shut; performed to protect the corneas.

tartar

The hard deposit formed on teeth when mineral salts in saliva combine with plaque; can cause dental problems such as gum disease if not controlled.

tay-Sachs disease

A severe genetic disorder that causes nervous system disturbances and death, usually before the age of 3.

TB

See tuberculosis.

T cell

See T-lymphocyte.

T-cell leukemia

A type of leukemia caused by a virus in which T-lymphocytes divide uncontrollably.

tear duct

A tiny passageway that drains lubricating tears from the surface of the eye to the back of the nose.

telangiectasia

Redness of an area of skin, caused by enlargement and proliferation of the underlying small blood vessels.

temperature method

A natural method of family planning in which a woman determines her time of ovulation by changes in her daily temperature.

temporal arteritis

Inflammation and narrowing of arteries in the head and neck, including those in the scalp near the temple, which can cause blindness if untreated.

temporomandibular joint syndrome

Headache, facial pain, and jaw tenderness caused by irregularities in the way the joints, muscles, and ligaments in the jaw work together.

tendinitis

Inflammation of a tendon, usually caused by injury, characterized by pain, tenderness, and sometimes limited movement in the attached muscle.

tendon

Strong connective tissue cords that attach muscle to bone or muscle to muscle.

tendon transfer

Surgical cutting and repositioning of a tendon so that the muscle attached to it has a new function.

tennis elbow

A form of tendinitis that causes pain and tenderness in the elbow and forearm.

tenosynovitis

Inflammation of the inner lining of the sheath that covers a tendon.

tenovaginitis

Inflammation of the fibrous wall of the sheath that covers a tendon.

TENS

See transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.

tension headache

A headache caused by emotional strain or tension in the muscles of the head and neck.

teratogen

Anything that causes abnormalities in a developing embryo or fetus, such as a drug or virus.

teratoma

A tumor composed of cells not normally found in the part of the body when the tumor occurred.

termination of pregnancy

See abortion.

testicles

testicular feminization factor

A genetic disorder in which an individual who is genetically male has the external appearance of a female because the body is unresponsive to testosterone.

testicular torsion

Severe pain and swelling of a testicle, due to twisting of the spermatic cord.

testosterone

The sex hormone that stimulates development of male sex characteristics and bone and muscle growth; produced by the testicles and in small amounts by the ovaries.

tetanus

A sometimes fatal disease affecting the brain and spinal cord; caused by infection with bacterium present in soil and manure.

tetracyclines

A group of antibiotic drugs used to treat a wide variety of infections, including bronchitis and some types of pneumonia.

tetralogy of Fallot

A genetic heart disease involving four structural defects in the heart, which result in insufficient levels of oxygen in the blood.

thalamus

A structure in the brain that relays and processes incoming sensory information from the eyes and ears and from pressure and pain receptors.

thalassemia

A group of genetic blood disorders characterized by a defect in the ability to produce hemoglobin, leading to the rupturing of red blood cells (called hemolytic anemia).

thallium scanning

A type of radionuclide scanning used to assess the heart.

therapeutic range

The range of doses of a drug that will produce beneficial results without side effects.

thoracoscopy

Examination of the membranes covering the lungs using an endoscope.

thoracotomy

A procedure in which the chest is surgically opened to operate on an organ in the chest cavity.

thorax

The chest.

thrill

A vibration felt when the hand is placed flat on the chest; caused by abnormal blood flow through the heart as a result of disease.

thrombectomy

Removal of a blood clot.

thrombocytopenic purpura

A decrease in the number of platelets in the blood, causing abnormal bleeding of blood vessels into the skin.

thromboembolism

Blockage of a blood vessel by a blood clot fragment that has broken off and traveled from another area of the body.

thrombophlebitis

Inflammation of a vein, along with clot formation in the affected area.

thrombosis

A condition in which a blood clot (thrombus) has formed inside a blood vessel.

thrombus

A blood clot in a blood vessel.

thrush

A candidiasis infection.

thymoma

A tumor of the thymus gland.

thymus gland

An immune system gland located in the upper part of the chest that plays an important role in the production of T-lymphocytes.

thyroglossal cyst

A swelling at the front of the neck; forms from a duct that fails to disappear during embryonic development.

thyroid gland

A gland located in the front of the neck below the voice box that plays an important role in metabolism (the chemical processes in the body) and growth; the gland produces thyroid hormone.

thyroiditis

Inflammation of the thyroid gland.

thyrotoxicosis

A toxic condition resulting from overactivity of the thyroid gland.

thyroxin

A hormone produced by the thyroid gland that helps regulate energy production in the body.

TIA

See transient ischemic attack.

tibia

The thicker of the two long bones in the lower leg; commonly called the shin.

tic

tic douloureux

See trigeminal neuralgia.

ticks

Small, eight-legged animals that can attach to humans and animals and feed on blood; sometimes spread infectious organisms via their bites.

Tietze's syndrome

Inflammation of the cartilage that joins ribs to the breastbone, causing chest pain.

tinea

A group of common infections occurring on the skin, hair, and nails that are caused by a fungus; commonly referred to as ringworm.

tinnitus

A persistent ringing or buzzing sound in the ear.

tipped uterus

An abnormal condition in which the uterus is tilted backward instead of slightly forward.

tissue plasminogen activator

tissue typing

Tests used to determine the compatibility of tissues used in grafts and transplants.

t-lymphocyte

A type of white blood cell that fights infections and destroys abnormal cells directly; as compared with releasing antibodies to fight infection.

t-lymphocyte killer cell

A type of T-lymphocyte white blood cell that attaches to abnormal cells and releases chemicals that destroy them.

TMJ syndrome

See temporomandibular joint syndrome.

tolerance

Decreased sensitivity of the body to a certain drug, usually either because the liver becomes more efficient at breaking down the drug or the body's tissues become less sensitive to it; increased tolerance creates a need for a higher dose of the drug in order to have the same effects.

tonometry

The procedure used to measure the pressure within the eye; is useful in detecting glaucoma.

tonsillectomy

Surgical removal of the tonsils, usually to treat tonsillitis.

tonsillitis

Infection and inflammation of the tonsils.

tonsils

Masses of lymphoid tissue located at either side of the back of the throat.

Tourette's syndrome

A movement disorder characterized by involuntary tics and noises, and in some cases uncontrollable shouting of obscenities.

tourniquet

A device placed tightly around an arm or leg in order to stop blood flow; can be used to locate veins in order to take a blood sample or to control blood flow during some operations.

toxemia

The presence of bacterial toxins in the blood.

toxic epidermal necrolysis

A severe rash in which the outer layers of skin blister and peel off.

toxicity

The extent to which a substance is poisonous.

toxic shock syndrome

toxin

toxocariasis

Human infestation with the larvae of a worm found in the intestines of dogs.

toxoplasmosis

A common protozoan infection that is usually only dangerous to a fetus in early pregnancy or a person who is immunocompromised.

TPA

See tissue plasminogen activator.

trachea

tracheitis

Inflammation of the trachea.

tracheotomy

Insertion of a tube through a surgical opening in the trachea to maintain an open airway.

trachoma

A persistent, contagious form of conjunctivitis that can lead to complications such as blindness if untreated.

traction

The use of tension to hold a body part in place or to correct or prevent an alignment problem.

transcutaneous

Through the skin.

transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation

A method of relieving pain by applying tiny electrical impulses to nerve endings beneath the skin.

transferrin

A substance in the blood that transports iron throughout the body.

transient ischemic attack

A temporary block in the supply of blood to the brain, resulting in temporary loss of sensation, movement, vision, or speech; often called mini-strokes and can be precursors to a real stroke.

transmissible

Able to be passed from one organism to another.

transplant

Transferring a healthy tissue or organ to replace a damaged tissue or organ; also refers to the tissue or organ transplanted.

transurethral prostatectomy

Removal of cancerous tissue from the prostate gland using a resectoscope (a long, narrow instrument passed up the urethra), which allows the surgeon to simultaneously view the prostate and cut away the cancerous tissue.

trauma

Physical injury or emotional shock.

travelers' diarrhea

Diarrhea when traveling in a foreign country, caused by contaminated food or water.

tremor

An involuntary, rhythmic, shaking movement caused by alternating contraction and relaxation of muscles; can be the normal result of age or the abnormal effect of a disorder.

triage

A system used to classify sick or injured people according to the severity of their conditions.

trichiasis

Growth of the eyelashes inward toward the cornea, causing persistent irritation of the eyeball.

trichinosis

Infestation by the larvae of the parasitic worm Trichinella spiralis, usually acquired by eating undercooked pork.

trichomoniasis

Infection of the vagina by the single-celled parasite Trichomonas vaginilis, which may cause inflammation, itchiness, and discharge from the vagina.

tricuspid valve

The valve located between the two left chambers of the heart (the left atrium and the left ventricle).

tricyclic antidepressants

Drugs used in the treatment of clinical depression.

trigeminal neuralgia

A disorder of the trigeminal nerve (a cranial nerve) that causes brief attacks of severe pain in the lips, cheeks, gums, or chin on one side of the face.

triglyceride

The main form of fat in the blood; determining levels of triglyceride is useful in diagnosing and treating diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

trimester

One of three periods lasting about 3 months each; the stages into which pregnancy is divided.

triple X syndrome

The presence of an extra X chromosome in a woman, which may cause some degree of mental retardation.

trismus

The medical term for lockjaw.

trisomy

The presence in the cells of three copies of a certain chromosome instead of the normal two copies.

trisomy 21

See Down syndrome.

tubal ligation

A procedure in which the fallopian tubes are cut and tied off; usually a permanent form of sterilization.

tubal pregnancy

A pregnancy that occurs in the fallopian tubes, with a fertilized egg implanting in the tube instead of the uterus; severely painful and can be fatal if not detected and treated.

tuberculin test

Skin tests performed to determine previous infection with tuberculosis; can help rule out the possibility of being currently infected with tuberculosis.

tuberculosis

tuberous sclerosis

A genetic disorder of the skin and nervous system characterized by epilepsy, mental retardation, and a skin condition resembling acne.

tuboplasty

Surgical repair of a damaged fallopian tube to treat infertility.

tumor

An abnormal mass that occurs when cells in a certain area reproduce unchecked; can be cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign).

tunnel vision

Loss of peripheral vision so that only objects directly ahead can be seen; most commonly due to damage caused by increased pressure within the eye (glaucoma).

turner's syndrome

A genetic disorder in women in which only one X chromosome is present, or both chromosomes are present but one is defective.

tympanic membrane

The medical term for the eardrum.

tympanoplasty

A surgical procedure used to treat hearing loss in which the eardrum or structures in the middle ear are repaired.

typhoid fever

An acute bacterial infection causing fever, headache, abdominal discomfort, and enlargement of the liver and spleen.

typhus

A group of diseases caused by the microorganism rickettsia, spread by the bites of fleas, mites, or ticks; symptoms include headache, fever, rash, and a series of complications if untreated.