Cytapheresis is a medical procedure that involves the collection of blood cells from a patient's circulation using a special machine. The word is spelled as: /saɪ'tæfəri:sɪs/, with the first syllable being pronounced as "sigh," the second syllable as "taf," the third syllable as "uh," and the fourth syllable as "ree-sis." The word originates from the Greek words "cyto" meaning "cell" and "apheresis" meaning "removal." Proper spelling of medical terms, such as cytapheresis, is essential to prevent confusion and ensure accurate communication between healthcare professionals.
Cytapheresis is a medical procedure that involves the separation and collection of specific components of blood, primarily white blood cells or platelets, for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes. It is a type of apheresis, a technique that separates various blood components and removes certain elements while returning the remaining components back to the patient's circulation.
During cytapheresis, blood is drawn from the patient through a catheter or needle. The blood then passes through a machine known as an apheresis machine, which employs centrifugation or filtration to separate the desired blood component from the rest of the blood. The targeted component, such as white blood cells or platelets, is isolated and collected, while the remaining blood components are returned to the patient's body.
Cytapheresis is commonly used in different medical applications, such as the treatment of certain blood disorders. For instance, it can be employed to reduce the number of abnormal white blood cells in patients with conditions like leukemia or lymphoma. It can also be utilized to collect a high number of platelets in patients with low platelet counts or for harvesting stem cells for bone marrow transplantation.
Overall, cytapheresis is an important medical procedure that enables the selective collection or removal of specific blood components, aiding in the treatment and management of various blood disorders.
The word "Cytapheresis" is derived from two components: "cyto-" and "-pheresis".
1. "Cyto-" is a prefix derived from the Greek word "kytos", meaning "hollow vessel" or "cell". It is commonly used in medical terminology to denote aspects related to cells or cell components.
2. "-Pheresis" is a suffix derived from the Greek word "pheresis", meaning "removal" or "separation". It is used to describe a process of removing or separating specific substances from a larger mixture.
Therefore, "Cytapheresis" combines the two components to describe a procedure that involves the separation or removal of specific cells or cell components from the bloodstream. The term is commonly used in the medical field to refer to a therapeutic process of selectively collecting or isolating certain blood cells, such as white blood cells or platelets, for various medical purposes.