Glossary

Ribonucleic acid – is a ubiquitous family of large biological molecules that perform multiple vital roles in the coding, decoding, regulation, and expression of genes.

RNA interference – this is a process where RNA molecules inhibit (interfere) gene expression, usually by destroying the mRNA involved in the expression.

Respiratory syncytial virus – a virus that causes infections in the respiratory tract infections. There is typically an epidemic during the winter months in temperate clinics and during the rang season in tropical climates. By the age of 3 most children will have been infected by this virus.

The two ventral protuberances seen within the Aqueduct of Sylvuis’s adytum or inlet. They are due to the rubral nuclei bulging into the lumen of the aqueduct.

If the sum of the measurements of the amount that the lateral masses of C1 hang over the lateral edge fo the C2 lateral masses by more than 6.9 mm then there is concern for injury to the transverse ligament and either flexion and extension imaging or a MRI scan should be obtained.

Synthesis phase in cell replication cycle – This is the phase in cell replication when DNA synthesis occurs.

Single cysticercal granuloma.

Two-dimensional imaging of emission of radioisotopes after their administration internally into a human.

Spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality – a condition seen in infants and children where a child presents with a history of recent, significant trauma, a major neurological deficit consistent with a spinal cord injury but radiographs fail to demonstrate a spinal abnormality. This condition was defined in the pre-MRI era and most children with this condition will demonstrate a paraspinal soft tissue abnormality on MR scanning that predicts spinal instability. It was coined by Dachling Pang (J Trauma 29(5):654-64, 1989) to describe a patient with signs of a spinal cord injury but normal plain radiographs and tomographic scans of the spine.

Scoliosis – an abnormal lateral curvature to the spine.  In general usage it is commonly used to describe any abnormal curvature of the spine but, strickly speaking, it should only be used in discussing lateral curvature.