| AHC | academic health care; academic health center; acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis; acute hemorrhagic cy... |
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| AHE | acute hazardous events [database]; acute hemorrhagic encephalomyelitis |
| AID | acquired immunodeficiency disease; acute infectious disease; acute ionization detector; Agency for I... |
| ALL | acute lymphoblastic leukemia; acute lymphocytic leukemia |
| ALP | acute leukemia protocol; acute lupus pericarditis; alkaline phosphatase; alveolar proteinosis; anter... |
| infantile progressive spinal muscular atrophy | Transmitted as autosomal recessive on chromosome 5q. Progressive dysfunction of the anterior horn cells in the spinal cord and brainstem cranial nerves with profound weakness and bulbar dysfunction occurring in the first two years of life. Three groups, based on age of clinical onset, are recognised. Synonym: familial spinal muscular atrophy, Hoffmann's muscular atrophy, infantile muscular atrophy, infantile progressive spinal muscular atrophy, progressive infantile spinal muscular atrophy, Werdnig-Hoffmann disease, Werdnig-Hoffmann muscular atrophy. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| ophthalmoplegia, chronic progressive external | One of the mitochondrial encephalomyopathies characterised by slowly progressive paralysis of the extraocular muscles. Muscle biopsies disclose the characteristic ragged red fibres and large numbers of mitochondria with deleted DNA. (12 Dec 1998) |
| ovine progressive pneumonia | A chronic, progressive, contagious interstitial pneumonitis of sheep in Europe and the U.S. Caused by a "slow virus" (family Lentiviridae); it is now believed that maedi and visna are two histopathological and clinical manifestations of the same viral infection. Synonym: ovine progressive pneumonia. Origin: Icelandic, dyspnea (05 Mar 2000) |
| traumatic progressive encephalopathy | A chronic progressive brain damage resulting from multiple brain injuries, e.g., dementia pugilistica. (05 Mar 2000) |
| essential progressive atrophy of iris | Progressive atrophy of the iris without inflammatory signs, characterised by patchy loss of all layers of the iris with hole formation, migration of the pupil, degeneration of the corneal endothelium, peripheral anterior synechiae, and secondary glaucoma; usually unilateral, predominantly affecting women in their middle years. (05 Mar 2000) |
| lenticular progressive degeneration | <gastroenterology, neurology> An inherited (autosomal recessive) disorder where there is excessive quantities of copper in the tissues, particularly the liver and central nervous system. Wilson's disease causes the body to absorb and retain copper. The copper deposits in the liver, brain, kidneys and eyes. Complications include dementia and liver failure. Symptoms include jaundice, vomiting, tremors, weakness and slow stiff movements. Blood tests show serum ceruloplasmin is low. Medications are given to remove the excess copper from the body. Even with life-long treatment, disabling (and life-threatening) side effects are common. Inheritance: autosomal recessive. (27 Sep 1997) |
| leukoencephalopathy, progressive multifocal | Rare demyelinating disease of the central nervous system which develops in immunocompromised patients secondary to lymphoproliferative disease, immunosuppressive therapy, autoimmune disorders, or aids. It is caused by the jc virus, a polyomavirus. (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) |