Diseases & Diagnosis

Details Descriptions About :: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome  Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection may cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Although characterized by gradual destruction of cell-mediated (T cell) immunity, AIDS also affects humoral immunity and even autoimmunity through the central role of the CD4+ (helper) T lymphocyte in all immune reactions. The resulting...

Details Descriptions About :: Hypothyroidism  Hypothyroidism results from hypothalamic, pituitary, or thyroid insufficiency or resistance to thyroid hormone. The disorder can progress to life-threatening myxedema coma. Hypothyroidism is more prevalent in women than men; in the United States, the incidence is increasing significantly in people ages 40 to 50. Age Alert Hypothyroidism...

Details Descriptions About :: Multiple Myeloma  Multiple myeloma, also known as malignant plasmacytoma or plasma cell myeloma, is a disseminated malignant neoplasia of marrow plasma cells that infiltrates bone to produce osteolytic lesions throughout the skeleton (flat bones, vertebrae, skull, pelvis, and ribs). It’s a rare disease with only three new cases...

Details Descriptions About :: Thalassemia  Thalassemia, a group of hereditary hemolytic anemias, is characterized by defective synthesis in the polypeptide chains of the protein component of hemoglobin (Hb). Red blood cell (RBC) synthesis is also impaired. Thalassemias are most common in people of Mediterranean ancestry (especially Italian and Greek, who develop the...

Details Descriptions About :: Renal Cancer  Renal cancer (nephrocarcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, hypernephroma, or Grawitz’s tumor) usually occurs in older adults. Although the incidence of this malignancy is rising, it accounts for only about 2% of all adult cancers. Most renal tumors are metastases from primary cancer sites. Renal pelvic tumors and...

Details Descriptions About :: Myocarditis  Myocarditis is focal or diffuse inflammation of the cardiac muscle (myocardium). It may be acute or chronic and can occur at any age. In many cases, myocarditis causes neither specific cardiovascular symptoms nor electrocardiogram abnormalities, and recovery is usually spontaneous without residual defects. Occasionally, myocarditis is complicated...

Details Descriptions About :: Macular Degeneration  Macular degeneration—atrophy or degeneration of the macular disk—is the most common cause of legal blindness in adults. Commonly affecting both eyes, it accounts for about 12% of blindness in the United States and for about 17% of new blindness. It’s one cause of severe, irreversible, and...

Details Descriptions About :: Hodgkin S Disease  Hodgkin’s disease is a neoplastic disease characterized by painless, progressive enlargement of lymph nodes, spleen, and other lymphoid tissue resulting from proliferation of lymphocytes, histiocytes, eosinophils, and Reed-Sternberg giant cells. Untreated, Hodgkin’s disease follows a variable but relentlessly progressive and, ultimately, fatal course. With appropriate...

Details Descriptions About :: Pelvic Inflammatory Disease  Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes, or ovaries. About 1 million women are treated for PID each year in the United States and about 1 in 7 women are treated for the disease at some point in their lives. Early...

Details Descriptions About :: Meningitis  In meningitis, the brain and the spinal cord meninges become inflamed, usually because of bacterial infection. Such inflammation may involve all three meningeal membranes—the dura mater, arachnoid, and pia mater. Causes for Meningitis Causes Meningitis is usually a complication of bacteremia, especially due to: pneumonia empyema osteomyelitis...