tubercle
[too´ber-k'l] 1. a nodule or small eminence, especially one on a bone, for attachment of a tendon; see also
tuber and
tuberosity. Called also
tuberculum. adj.,
adj tuber´cular, tuber´culate.
2. a small, rounded nodule produced by the bacillus of tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). It is made up of small spherical cells that contain giant cells and are surrounded by spindle-shaped epithelioid cells.
fibrous tubercle a tubercle of bacillary origin that contains connective tissue elements.
mental tubercle a prominence on the inner border of either side of the mental protuberance of the mandible.
miliary tubercle one of the many minute tubercles formed in many organs in acute miliary tuberculosis.
pubic tubercle a prominent tubercle at the lateral end of the pubic crest.
supraglenoid tubercle one on the scapula for attachment of the long head of the biceps muscle.
Miller-Keane Encyclopedia and Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health, Seventh Edition. © 2003 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.