Medical Terminology Simplified

444 CHAPTER 9• Endocrine and Nervous Systems

Term Definition

pruritus

proo-RĪ-tŭs

stroke

STRŌK

vertigo

VĔR-tĭ-gō

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Stroke

The patient is a moderately obese white woman who was admitted to Riverside Hospital because of a sudden episode
of stroke. She recalls an episode of vertigo 3 days ago. The patient is being nursed at home by her daughter because of
terminal adenocarcinoma of the head of the pancreas with metastasis to the liver, which was diagnosed in December.
The patient fell to the floor with paralysis of the right arm and right leg and aphasia. She has not noticed any difficulty
with deglutition. Apparently with the onset of the stroke, she also experienced diplopia. She denies any difficulty with
her cardiovascular system in the past. The patient was in the hospital 5 years ago because of generalized biliary-type
disease with jaundice, pruritus, weight loss, and anorexia. Subsequently, she was seen in consultation, and cholecysto-
jejunostomy and jejunojejunostomy were performed.

Diagnosis: 1. Stroke, probably secondary to metastatic lesion of the brain or cerebrovascular disease.

2. Evidence of the previously described deterioration secondary to carcinoma of the pancreas with metastases
   to the liver.