Contralateral

Contralateral refers to the anatomical term denoting the position in relation to a reference point. If something is contralateral, it is located on the opposite side of a specific reference point. The term is often used in the medical field to describe the location of injuries or the side of the body where symptoms are manifesting.

Definition[edit | edit source]

Contralateral is derived from the Latin words contra meaning against and latus meaning side. In medical terminology, contralateral is used to describe something that is on the opposite side of the body from another structure. For example, if a patient has a stroke that affects the left side of the brain, the symptoms will often be contralateral, or on the right side of the body.

Usage in Medicine[edit | edit source]

In medicine, the term contralateral is often used to describe the relationship between two parts of the body. For example, in a mastectomy, the contralateral breast is the one that is not being operated on. Similarly, in neurology, if a lesion occurs in the right hemisphere of the brain, it will affect the contralateral side of the body, or the left side.

Contralateral vs Ipsilateral[edit | edit source]

Contralateral is the opposite of ipsilateral, which refers to the same side of the body. For example, if a patient has a stroke that affects the left side of the brain, the symptoms will be ipsilateral, or on the same side of the body, if the stroke affects the right side of the brain.

References[edit | edit source]

Contralateral Resources
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