The American Heritage Medical Dictionary is a highly respected source of state-of-the-art information for students and consumers without specialized medical knowledge, as well as for health-care professionals. This unparalleled resource is for anyone who desires the authoritativeness, comprehensiveness, and accuracy of the hardcover dictionary in an especially user-friendly, portable, and compact format. The clear, concise definitions are up-to-date and highly readable. Many new words have been added, encompassing diagnoses and treatments (microcalcification, bisphosphonate), health-care delivery (concierge medicine), and the generic and brand names of new drugs. Thousands of definitions have been revised to reflect current medical research, practice, and technology. Twelve pages of clearly labeled anatomic illustrations enhance the text. Every clinical specialty is covered, including dentistry, genetics, and veterinary medicine, along with related subjects such as alternative medicine. This book is indispensable for demystifying the complex vocabulary of modern health care.