dilatated

Dilatated is an adjective meaning widened, enlarged, or stretched beyond normal size. It is used in anatomical and medical contexts to describe a lumen, vessel, organ, or opening that has become dilated. The word derives from the Latin dilatatus, the past participle of dilatare, meaning to widen.

In medical language, the process is called dilatation or dilation, and the result is a structure that has expanded. Dilatated is typically used to describe a structure that has undergone dilation; however, dilated is the more common spelling in contemporary English. The terms dilation, dilatation, and dilation are often used interchangeably in clinical reporting, with regional conventions influencing preference.

Examples of usage include a pupil that is dilatated (more commonly described today as dilated) by mydriatic drugs, dilatation of the heart chambers in dilated cardiomyopathy, and dilatation of the cervix during labor. Dilatation can also occur in ducts or vessels, such as dilatation of the bile ducts or venous dilation due to increased pressure. Medical procedures may involve intentional dilatation of an opening, such as cervical dilatation in obstetrics or the procedure of dilatation and curettage.

In non-medical contexts, dilatation describes the general act or result of widening. The modern, widely used forms are dilated and dilation, while dilatated remains encountered mainly in older texts or regional spellings.