Fossae - Fracture

fossae

(fos′ē″, fos′ī″) [L.] Pl. of fossa.

fossette

(fo-set′) [Fr. fossette, a dimple] 1. A small depression or fossa. 2. A small, deep corneal ulcer.

fossula

(fos′yŭ-lă, fos′yŭ-lē″, fos′yŭ-lī″) pl. fossulae A small furrow, depression, or fossa.

Fothergill disease

(foth′ĕr-gil) [John Fothergill, Brit. physician, 1712–1780] 1. Scarlatina anginosa, an ulcerative sore throat present in severe scarlet fever. 2. Trigeminal neuralgia.

found down

A colloquial term for found unconscious or unresponsive.

Fountain syndrome

A rare autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by mental retardation, short and stubby fingers and toes, a swollen appearance of the cheeks and lips, and, frequently, seizures, short stature, and a large cranial circumference.

four-chamber view

An echocardiographic view that transects the heart approximately parallel with the anterior and posterior surfaces of the body, thus providing an image of all four chambers of the heart.

fourchette, fourchet

(foor-shĕt′) [Fr. fourchette, a fork] A tense band or transverse fold of mucous membrane at the posterior commissure of the vagina, connecting the posterior ends of the labia minora. The fossa navicularis, a cul-de-sac anterior to the fourchette, separates it from the hymen. It disappears after defloration or parturition, leaving a more open vulva below and behind.

four-dimensional, 4D

(for″dĭ-men″shŏn-ăl) Of or pert. to four dimensions. A technique that measures three spatial dimensions plus time is four-dimensional.

Fournier gangrene, Fournier disease

(for-nē′ă) [Jean Alfred Fournier, Fr. dermatologist, 1832–1915] Infectious, necrotizing fasciitis of the genitals. It may spread to the thighs or abdomen.

This aggressive and life-threatening form of cellulitis typically occurs in patients who have had local trauma to the perineum and in patients with diabetes mellitus.

ETIOLOGY: Fournier gangrene is a polymicrobial cellulitis typically occurring in patients who have had local trauma to the perineum, in patients who have diabetes mellitus, in alcoholics, or in patients who have cancer or are immunosuppressed. Infectious organisms identified by culture typically include both anaerobes and Enterobacteriaceae.

SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS: After surgery or minor trauma to the inguinal region, or after a breach between the GI tract and the perineum, patients develop intense pain, swelling, and redness of the surrounding skin and fascia (underlying soft tissues), often with a putrid odor. The skin and soft tissues may change color (becoming purple, splotchy or blue-black). As infection spreads along fascial planes, patients may become systemically ill, with fevers, sweats, prostration, malaise, muscle pain, or altered mental status.

DIAGNOSIS: The appearance of the rash is suggestive of the disease. ...