| necrotizing fasciitis | A rare soft-tissue infection primarily involving the superficial fascia and resulting in extensive undermining of surrounding tissues; progress is often fulminant and may involve all soft-tissue components, including the skin; usually occurs postoperatively, after minor trauma, or after inadequate care of abscesses or cutaneous ulcers. See: group A streptococcal necrotizing fasciitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| necrotizing papillitis | <nephrology> Necrosis of renal papillae, occurring in acute pyelonephritis, especially in diabetics, or in analgesic nephropathy; renal failure may result. Synonym: necrotizing papillitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| necrotizing scleritis | Fibrinoid degeneration and necrosis of the sclera. (05 Mar 2000) |
| subacute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy | A rare fatal disorder, primarily of children, being both acute and chronic in onset, manifested primarily as brainstem dysfunction, with ataxia, cranial nerve palsies, pseudobulbar palsy, hemi-or quadriplegia, mental deterioration, and involuntary movements; deficiencies of pyruvate dehydrogenase or cytochrome C oxydase have been found in some patients; pathologically, there is widespread symmetric necrosis involving much of the brainstem; these changes are similar to those seen with Wernicke encephalopathy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| subacute necrotizing myelitis | A disorder of the lower spinal cord in adult males resulting in progressive paraplegia. Synonym: angiodysgenetic myelomalacia, Foix-Alajouanine myelitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| disseminated necrotizing leukoencephalopathy | <radiology> DNL: demyelination due to radiation and chemotherapy, decreased density in deep white matter, with or without peripheral, patchy enhancement, calcification: basal ganglia, grey/white junction (12 Dec 1998) |
| fasciitis, necrotizing | A fulminating group a streptococcal infection beginning with severe or extensive cellulitis that spreads to involve the superficial and deep fascia, producing thrombosis of the subcutaneous vessels and gangrene of the underlying tissues. A cutaneous lesion usually serves as a portal of entry for the infection, but sometimes no such lesion is found. (12 Dec 1998) |
| abdomen, acute | Clinical syndrome characterised by abdominal pain of great severity associated with other symptoms and signs, usually those of acute peritonitis, which might well be the result of a ruptured abdominal viscus or a similar abdominal catastrophe requiring urgent surgical operation. (12 Dec 1998) |
| acute | 1. Sharp, poignant. 2. Having a short and relatively severe course. Origin: L. Acutus = sharp (18 Nov 1997) |
| acute abdomen | Any serious acute intra-abdominal condition (such as appendicitis) attended by pain, tenderness, and muscular rigidity, and for which emergency surgery must be considered. Synonym: surgical abdomen. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute abscess | A recently formed abscess with little or no fibrosis in the wall of the cavity. Synonym: hot abscess. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute adrenal crisis | <endocrinology> An abrupt life-threatening state which is caused by insufficient production of cortisol by the adrenal gland. A typical finding in Addison's disease. Individuals who have been taking corticosteroids (glucocorticoids) for a prolonged period of time (weeks to months) are at risk for acute adrenal crisis if the medication is stopped abruptly. For this reason, corticosteroid medication are withdrawn slowly on a diminishing dosing schedule. Symptoms include low blood pressure (shock), weakness, headache, vomiting, fever chills, tachycardia and sweating. Treatment includes blood pressure support and intravenous hydrocortisone. (27 Sep 1997) |
| acute adrenocortical insufficiency | Severe adrenocortical insufficiency when an intercurrent illness or trauma causes an increased demand for adrenocortical hormones in a patient with adrenal insufficiency due to disease or use of relatively large amounts of similar hormones as therapy; characterised by nausea, vomiting, hypotension, and frequently hyperthemia, hyponatraemia, hyperkalaemia, and hypoglycaemia; can be fatal if untreated. Synonym: addisonian crisis, adrenal crisis, Bernard-Sergent syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute African sleeping sickness | A disease of humans caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense in eastern Africa from Ethiopia and Uganda south to Zimbabwe; it is clinically similar to Gambian trypanosomiasis but of shorter duration and more acute in form; patients suffer repeated episodes of pyrexia, become anaemic, and die commonly from cardiac failure. Synonym: acute African sleeping sickness, acute trypanosomiasis, East African sleeping sickness, East African trypanosomiasis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute alcoholism | A temporary deterioration in mental function, accompanied by muscular incoordination and paresis, induced by the rapid ingestion of alcoholic beverages. Synonym: intoxication. (05 Mar 2000) |