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Ileus
(IH-lee-us)
Severe constipation.
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Iliac crest
The top edge of your hip bone from which marrow is usually taken for diagnosis of blood cell diseases.
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Imaging test
(IH-muh-jing ...)
A type of test that makes detailed pictures of areas inside the body. Imaging tests use different forms of energy, such as x-rays (high-energy radiation), ultrasound (high-energy sound waves), radio waves, and radioactive substances. They may be used to help diagnose disease, plan treatment, or find out how well treatment is working. Examples of imaging tests are computed tomography (CT), ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and nuclear medicine tests. Also called imaging procedure.
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Immune checkpoint inhibitors
(ih-MYOON CHEK-poynt in-HIH-bih-ters)
A type of drug that blocks proteins called checkpoints that are made by some types of immune system cells, such as T cells, and some cancer cells. These checkpoints help keep immune responses from being too strong and sometimes can keep T cells from killing cancer cells.
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Immune reaction
A reaction of normal tissues to substances recognized as ""foreign"" i.e. Not self.
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Immune system
ih-MYOON SIS-tem
A complex network of cells, tissues, organs, and the substances they make that helps the body fight infections and other diseases. The immune system includes white blood cells and organs and tissues of the lymph system, such as the thymus, spleen, tonsils, lymph nodes, lymph vessels, and bone marrow.
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Immunity
(ih-MYOO-nih-tee)
In medicine, the immune system’s way of protecting the body against an infectious disease.
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Immunizations
(IH-myoo-nih-ZAY-shun)
A technique used to cause an immune response that results in resistance to a specific disease, especially an infectious disease.
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Immunocompromised
(IH-myoo-noh-KOM-proh-mized)
Having a weakened immune system. Patients who are immunocompromised have a reduced ability to fight infections and other diseases. This may be caused by certain diseases or conditions, such as AIDS, cancer, diabetes, malnutrition, and certain genetic disorders. It may also be caused by certain medicines or treatments, such as anticancer drugs, radiation therapy, and stem cell or organ transplant. Also called immunosuppressed.
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Immunoglobulin
(IH-myoo-noh-GLAH-byoo-lin)
A protein that is made by B cells and plasma cells (types of white blood cells) and helps the body fight infection. Some immunoglobulins may be found in higher than normal amounts in patients with certain conditions or certain types of cancer, including multiple myeloma and Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia. Measuring the amount of specific immunoglobulins in the blood and urine may help diagnose cancer or find out how well treatment is working or if cancer has come back. Some immunoglobulins may be used as tumor markers. Also called Ig.
