| acute chemical pneumonitis | <chest medicine> Inflammation of the lungs which occurs secondary to exposure to a chemical, organic dust, fungus or mould. Chronic exposure can lead to chronic lung changes evident on chest X-ray. Symptoms include cough, fever, shortness of breath and wheezing. See: bird-handler's disease. (27 Sep 1997) |
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| acute cholecystitis | <radiology> 80-95% secondary to cystic duct obstruction by gallstone, 5-6th decade; 75% female ultrasound (sensitivity 85-95%; specificity 64-100%): gall bladder wall thickening (greater than3mm), halo sign = gall bladder wall lucency (in 70%), gall bladder hydrops = AP diameter more than 5cm, sonographic Murphy sign (85%), pericholecystic fluid, hepatobiliary scan (95% accuracy): nonvisualization of gallbladder complications: gangrene, irregular wall (ulcers, intraluminal hemmorhage, necrosis), hyperechoic foci within gall bladder wall (microabscesses in Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses), perforation (5-10%): most commonly in fundus, empyema: gravity dependent debris (12 Dec 1998) |
| acute chorea | A postinfectious chorea appearing several months after a streptococcal infection with subsequent rheumatic fever. The chorea typically involves the distal limbs and is associated with hypotonia and emotional lability. Improvement occurs over weeks or months and exacerbations occur without associated infection recurrence. Synonym: acute chorea, chorea minor, chorea, juvenile chorea, rheumatic chorea, Sydenham's disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute compression triad | The rising venous pressure, falling arterial pressure, and decreased heart sounds of pericardial tamponade. Synonym: Beck's triad. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute confusional state | <psychiatry> A condition of severe confusion or rapid change in brain function. This often occurs as the result of a mental illness or physical illness. Symptoms include lethargy, agitation, confusion, disorientation and delirium. (27 Sep 1997) |
| acute contagious conjunctivitis | An obsolete term for an acute conjunctivitis marked by intense hyperaemia and profuse mucopurulent discharge. Synonym: acute epidemic conjunctivitis, pinkeye. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute crescentic glomerulonephritis | <nephrology> A relatively uncommon (affecting 1 out of 10,000 people) form of acute glomerulonephritis that results in damage within the glomerulus of the kidney. There is rapid loss of kidney function with the formation of crescents on microscopic analysis (kidney biopsy). This disorder may result in acute glomerulonephritis or nephrotic syndrome, but ultimately results in renal failure and end-stage renal disease. Symptoms include smoky coloured urine (pyuria), decreased urine output, swelling and hypertension. Any conditions which can cause a vasculitis increase the risk of this disorder. Some examples include lupus, Goodpasture's syndrome, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, IgA nephropathy, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody disease, history for malignant tumours and exposure to hydrocarbon solvents. (27 Sep 1997) |
| acute cutaneous leishmaniasis | A form of cutaneous leishmaniasis characterised by rural distribution of human cases near infected rodents, particularly communal ground squirrels; characterised by acute rapidly developing dermal lesions that become severely inflamed, with moist necrotizing sores or ulcers that heal in two to eight months after a two to four month incubation period; among nonimmune immigrants, multiple lesions may develop, which heal more slowly and leave disabling or disfiguring scars. A strong delayed hypersensitivity and involvement of immune complexes play a role in necrosis, which is part of the healing process and of the strong specific immunity that follows. Synonym: acute cutaneous leishmaniasis, rural cutaneous leishmaniasis, wet cutaneous leishmaniasis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute decubitus ulcer | A severe form of bedsore, of neutrophic origin, occurring in hemiplegia or paraplegia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute delirium | Delirium of recent, rapid onset. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute demyelinating polyneuropathy | <neurology> A neurologic condition. Synonym: Guillain-Barre syndrome. Origin: Gr. Pathos = disease (27 Sep 1997) |
| acute disease | Disease having a short and relatively severe course. (12 Dec 1998) |
| acute disseminated encephalomyelitis | <radiology> Immune-mediated encephalitis (IME), ADE, allergic treatmentn to prior infection, begins 1-2 weeks after event, occus after viral infection or vaccination, affects corpus callosum and white matter (above and below tent), self-limited; steroids may help See also: white-matter disease, demyelinating disease (12 Dec 1998) |
| acute disseminated myositis | The occurrence of multiple foci of acute inflammation in the muscular tissue and overlying skin in various parts of the body, accompanied by fever and other signs of systemic infection. See: dermatomyositis. Synonym: acute disseminated myositis, pseudotrichinosis, pseudotrichiniasis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute epidemic conjunctivitis | An obsolete term for an acute conjunctivitis marked by intense hyperaemia and profuse mucopurulent discharge. Synonym: acute epidemic conjunctivitis, pinkeye. (05 Mar 2000) |