| neoplasms, unknown primary | Metastases in which the tissue of origin is unknown. (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| fever of unknown origin | Fever in which the aetiology cannot be ascertained. (12 Dec 1998) |
| cause | That which produces an effect or condition; that by which a morbid change or disease is brought about. Origin: L. Causa (05 Mar 2000) |
| cause of death | Factors which produce cessation of all vital bodily functions. They can be analyzed from an epidemiologic viewpoint. (12 Dec 1998) |
| plaque and tartar cause | (12 Dec 1998) |
| constitutional cause | A cause acting from within or through some systemic process or inborn error. (05 Mar 2000) |
| precipitating cause | A factor that brings on the onset of manifestations of a disease process. (05 Mar 2000) |
| predisposing cause | Anything that produces a susceptibility or disposition to a condition without actually causing it. (05 Mar 2000) |
| proximate cause | The immediate cause that precipitates a condition. (05 Mar 2000) |
| specific cause | A cause the action of which definitely produces the condition in question. (05 Mar 2000) |
| necessary cause | An aetiological factor without which a result in question will not occur; the occurrence of the result is proof that the factor is operating. (05 Mar 2000) |
| sufficient cause | An aetiological factor that guarantees that a result in question will occur; non-occurrence of the result is proof that the factor is not operating. (05 Mar 2000) |
| exciting cause | The direct provoking cause of a condition. Synonym: procatarxis. (05 Mar 2000) |