| adult-onset diabetes | <disease> An often mild form of diabetes mellitus of gradual onset, usually in obese individuals over age 35; absolute plasma insulin levels are normal to high, but relatively low in relation to plasma glucose levels; ketoacidosis is rare, but hyperosmolar coma can occur; responds well to dietary regulation and/or oral hypoglycaemic agents, but diabetic complications and degenerative changes can develop. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| adult-onset still's disease | Although Still's disease was first described in children, it is known to begin in adults. See: Still's disease. (12 Dec 1998) |
| adult pseudohypertrophic muscular dystrophy | Muscular dystrophy of late onset, often in the second or third decade, with relatively mild course; X-linked recessive inheritance; perhaps allelic with Duchenne's dystrophy, but milder and not a genetic lethal. Compare: Duchenne dystrophy. Synonym: Becker type tardive muscular dystrophy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adult respiratory distress syndrome | <chest medicine, syndrome> A clinical syndrome that includes pulmonary insufficiency. It is a descriptive term that is applied to a variety of diffuse infiltrative processes in the lung. Manifestations include severe shortness of breath, rapid breathing and arterial hypoxaemia (low oxygen). Chest X-ray shows bilateral diffuse infiltrates. Treatment most often includes mechanical respiratory support. Causes include toxic gas (chlorine, NO2, smoke) exposure, severe metabolic derangement, gastric acid aspiration, pancreatitis, sepsis and trauma. Acronym: ARDS (12 Jul 2000) |
| adult rickets | <pathology> A condition marked by softening of the bones (due to impaired mineralisation, with excess accumulation of osteoid), with pain, tenderness, muscular weakness, anorexia and loss of weight, resulting from deficiency of vitamin D and calcium. Origin: Gr. Malakia = softness (18 Nov 1997) |
| adult T-cell leukaemia | Lymph nodes show a mixture of small and large atypical cells which are polymorphic and express nuclear pleiomorphism. Adult T-cell leukaemia is caused by HTLV-1 and is rare in the US and Europe but common in Japan. Tumour cells express CD2, CD3, CD5 and lack CD7. The most common chromosome change reported in adult T-cell leukaemia is presence of the 14q + marker (05 Mar 2000) |
| adult T-cell lymphoma | <tumour> An acute or subacute disease associated with a human T-cell virus, with lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, skin lesions, peripheral blood involvement, and hypercalcaemia. Synonym: adult T-cell leukaemia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| adult tuberculosis | Tuberculosis found in adults and characterised by lesions near the apex of an upper lobe, which may cavitate or heal with scarring without spreading to lymph nodes; theoretically, secondary tuberculosis may be due to exogenous reinfection or to reactivation of a dormant endogenous infection. Synonym: adult tuberculosis, postprimary tuberculosis, reinfection tuberculosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| respiratory distress syndrome, adult | A syndrome of life-threatening progressive pulmonary insufficiency in the absence of known pulmonary disease, usually following a systemic insult such as surgery or major trauma. (12 Dec 1998) |
| coeliac disease, adult | See Coeliac sprue. (12 Dec 1998) |
| still's disease, adult-onset | Systemic-onset rheumatoid arthritis in adults. It differs from classical rheumatoid arthritis in that it is more often marked by acute febrile onset, and generalised lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly are more prominent. (12 Dec 1998) |
| disease, adult coeliac | This condition results from an immune (allergic) reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat and related grains and present in many foods that we eat. Sprue causes impaired absorption and digestion of nutrients through the small intestine. Symptoms include requent diarrhoea and weight loss. A skin condition called dermatitis herpetiformis can be associated with coeliac sprue. The most accurate diagnostic test for sprue is a biopsy of the involved small bowel. Treatment is to avoid gluten in the diet. Medications are used for refractory (stubborn) sprue. Known under a number of other names, including coeliac sprue. (12 Dec 1998) |