| peroxisomal disorders | A heterogeneous group of inherited metabolic disorders in which peroxisomes are either defective or totally lacking and/or there is a dysfunction of single or multiple peroxisomal enzymes. Patients show metabolic defects in all the major biosynthetic peroxisomal pathways, especially failure to synthesise ether lipids, or to oxidise long-chain fatty acids, and accumulate bile acid precursors. The disorders include zellweger syndrome, infantile refsum disease, rhizomelic chondrodysplasia (chondrodysplasia punctata, rhizomelic), and hyperpipecolic acidemia. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| personality disorders | A major deviation from normal patterns of behaviour. (12 Dec 1998) |
| growth disorders | Deviations from the average values for a specific age and sex in any or all of the following: height, weight, skeletal proportions, osseous development, or maturation of features. The concept includes both acceleration and retardation of growth. (12 Dec 1998) |
| phagocytic dysfunction disorders immunodeficiency | Suppression in number or function of phagocytic cells such as in chronic granulomatous disease. Synonym: phagocytic dysfunction disorders immunodeficiency. Origin: L. Phagedaena, Gr Phago, To eat. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ciliary motility disorders | Disorders characterised by abnormal ciliary movement in the nose, paranasal sinuses, respiratory tract, and spermatozoa. Electron microscopy of the cilia shows that dynein arms are missing. The disorders manifest as kartagener triad (kartagener's syndrome), chronic respiratory disorders, chronic sinusitis, and/or chronic otitis. (12 Dec 1998) |
| phobic disorders | Anxiety disorders in which the essential feature is persistent and irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation that the individual feels compelled to avoid. The individual recognises the fear as excessive or unreasonable. (12 Dec 1998) |
| civil disorders | Deliberate and planned acts of unlawful behaviour engaged in by aggrieved segments of the population in seeking social change. (12 Dec 1998) |
| phosphorus metabolism disorders | Disorders in the processing of phosphorus in the body: its absorption, transport, storage, and utilization. (12 Dec 1998) |
| photosensitivity disorders | Abnormal responses to sunlight or artificial light due to extreme reactivity of light-absorbing molecules in tissues. It refers almost exclusively to skin photosensitivity, including sunburn, reactions due to repeated prolonged exposure in the absence of photosensitizing factors, and reactions requiring photosensitizing factors such as photosensitizing agents and certain diseases. With restricted reference to skin tissue, it does not include photosensitivity of the eye to light, as in photophobia or photosensitive epilepsy. (12 Dec 1998) |
| mood disorders | Those disorders that have a disturbance in mood as their predominant feature. (12 Dec 1998) |
| combat disorders | Neurotic reactions to unusual, severe, or overwhelming military stress. (12 Dec 1998) |
| communication disorders | Disorders characterised by the individual's inability to comprehend or share ideas or feelings because of impairment of language, speech, or hearing. (12 Dec 1998) |
| motor skills disorders | Marked impairments in the development of motor coordination such that the impairment interferes with activities of daily living. (12 Dec 1998) |
| platelet function disorders | <haematology> Platelet function can be affected by a number of different disease processes including polycythaemia vera, leukaemia, myelofibrosis, renal failure, multiple myeloma and some medications (for example penicillins, salicylates, phenothiazines). Disturbed blood clotting can be manifested by: easy bruising, bleeding gums, nosebleeds, abnormal vaginal bleeding, rectal bleeding, skin rash, vomiting blood, coughing up blood or blood in the urine. A measure of bleeding time and coagulation profile will be part of the evaluation. (31 Dec 1997) |
| multifactorial or multigenic disorders | Genetic disorders resulting from the combined action of alleles of more than one gene (e.g., heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers). Although such disorders are inherited, they depend on the simultaneous presence of several alleles, thus the hereditary patterns are usually more complex than those of single- gene disorders. Compare single-gene disorders. (05 Mar 2000) |