| multiple sclerosis | <neurology> Neurodegenerative disease characterised by the gradual accumulation of focal plaques of demyelination particularly in the periventricular areas of the brain. Peripheral nerves are not affected. Onset usually in 3rd or 4th decade with intermittent progression over an extended period. Cause still uncertain. (18 Nov 1997) |
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| sclerosis, multiple | The National Multiple Sclerosis Society says of ms that it is a disease that randomly attacks your central nervous system, wearing away the control you have over your body. Symptoms may range from numbness to paralysis and blindness. The progress, severity and specific symptoms cannot be foreseen. You never know when attacks will occur, how long they will last, or how severe they will be. most people are diagnosed with ms between the ages of 20 and 40. In medical terms, ms involves demyelinization of the white matter sometimes extending into the gray matter. Demyelinization is loss of myelin, the coating of nerve fibres composed of lipids (fats) and protein that serves as insulation and permits efficient nerve fibre conduction. The white matter is the part of the brain which contains myelinated nerve fibres and appears white, whereas the gray matter is the cortex of the brain which contains nerve cell bodies and appears gray. When myelin is damaged in ms, nerve fibre conduction is faulty or absent. Impaired bodily functions or altered sensations associated with those demyelinated nerve fibres give rise to the symptoms of ms. Recent research (1998) has also identified nerve cell death as part of the nervous system injury in ms. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Alzheimer's sclerosis | Hyaline degeneration of the medium and smaller blood vessels of the brain. (05 Mar 2000) |
| amyotrophic lateral sclerosis | A serious neurologic disease that results from the progressive degeneration of the motor neurons. (27 Sep 1997) |
| amyotropic lateral sclerosis | A chronic progressive disease of motor neurons (the nerves that come from the spinal cord to supply electrical energy to the muscles). (12 Dec 1998) |
| arterial sclerosis | <cardiology, disease> Imprecise term for various disorders of arteries, particularly hardening due to fibrosis or calcium deposition, often used as a synonym for atherosclerosis. (17 Oct 1997) |
| arteriocapillary sclerosis | Arteriosclerosis, especially of the finer vessels. (05 Mar 2000) |
| arteriolar sclerosis | <cardiology, disease> Sclerosis and thickening of the walls of the smaller arteries (arterioles). Hyaline arteriolosclerosis, in which there is homogeneous pink hyaline thickening of the arteriolar walls, is associated with benign nephrosclerosis. Hyperplastic arteriolosclerosis, in which there is a concentric thickening with progressive narrowing of the lumina may be associated with malignant hypertension, nephrosclerosis and scleroderma. (17 Oct 1997) |
| bone sclerosis | <medicine> A condition of bone cartilage occurring in certain diseases of these tissues, in which they acquire an unnatural density, and come to resemble ivory. Origin: L. Eburnus of ivory, fr. Ebur ivory: cf. F. Eburnation. See Ivory. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| Canavan's sclerosis | Autosomal recessive degenerative disease of infancy; mostly in Jewish infants; onset typically within first 3-4 months of birth, consisting of blindness, psychomotor regression, enlarged head, optic atrophy, hypotonia, spasticity, increased N-acetylaspartic acid urinary excretion. MRI shows enlarged brain, decreased attenuation of cerebral and cerebellar white matter, and normal ventricles. Pathologically, there is increased brain volume and weight, and spongy degeneration in the subcortical white matter. See: leukodystrophy. Synonym: Canavan's sclerosis, Canavan-van Bogaert-Bertrand disease, spongy degeneration of infancy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| valvular sclerosis | Fibrosis, often with calcification of valves, considered to be an aging change and not due to primary valvular disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| vascular sclerosis | <cardiology, disease> Imprecise term for various disorders of arteries, particularly hardening due to fibrosis or calcium deposition, often used as a synonym for atherosclerosis. (17 Oct 1997) |
| mantle sclerosis | A common cerebral lesion in the palsied states of early life characterised by nodular cortical atrophy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| glomerular sclerosis | Hyaline deposits or scarring within the renal glomeruli, a degenerative process occurring in association with renal arteriosclerosis or diabetes. Synonym: glomerular sclerosis. Origin: Glomerulus + G. Sklerosis, hardness (05 Mar 2000) |
| central areolar choroidal sclerosis | A slowly progressive pigmentary degeneration in young persons; characterised by black foci closely set together and coalescent at the posterior pole and macular region. Synonym: central areolar choroidal atrophy, central areolar choroidal sclerosis. (05 Mar 2000) |