The autism spectrum, also called autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or autism spectrum conditions (ASC), with the word autistic sometimes replacing autism, is a spectrum of psychological conditions characterized by widespread abnormalities of social interactions and communication, as well as severely…
Sepsis is a serious medical condition characterized by a whole-body inflammatory state (called a systemic inflammatory response syndrome or SIRS) caused by infection.[1][2] The body may develop this inflammatory response to microbes in the blood. The related layman’s term is…
Arteritis (not to be confused with arthritis) is inflammation of the walls of arteries,[1] usually as a result of infection or auto-immune response. Types of Arteritis Temporal arteritis, also called giant cell arteritis, is specifically arteritis of the vessels supplying…
Anemia (AmE) or anæmia/anaemia (BrE) (from the Ancient Greek anaîmia, meaning “without blood”) is defined as a qualitative or quantitative deficiency of hemoglobin, a molecule found inside red blood cells (RBCs). Since hemoglobin normally carries oxygen from the lungs to the…
Adenoids (or pharyngeal tonsils, or nasopharyngeal tonsils) are a mass of lymphoid tissue situated at the very back of the nose, in the roof of the nasopharynx, where the nose blends into the mouth. Normally, in children, they make a…
A chronic systemic disease characterised by inflammatory changes in joints & related structures that results in crippling deformities. Diseases primarily affecting the synovium & adjacent tissues. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic systemic inflammatory disorder that may affect many tissues and…
Arteriosclerosis refers to a hardening of medium and large arteries. The most common form of arteriosclerosis is atherosclerosis. Etymology The following terms are similar, yet distinct, in both spelling and meaning, and can be easily confused: arteriosclerosis, arteriolosclerosis, and atherosclerosis.…
Agranulocytosis is an acute condition involving a severe and dangerous leukopenia particularly of neutrophils causing a neutropenia in the circulating blood.[1][2] The meaning of the term can be worked out from the etymology with the prefix ‘a’ denoting a reduction…
Still’s Disease Chronic, inflammatory, systemic disease which may cause joint or connective tissue damage & visceral lesions throughout the body characterised by fever, rash, hepato-spleenomegaly & arthritis in children. It is a persistent inflammatory arthritis (> 6 weeks) that begins…
Autoimmune diseases arise from an overactive immune response of the body against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In other words, the body attacks its own cells. Autoimmune diseases are a major cause of immune-mediated diseases, and are…