| acute spinal cord compression | <radiology> Signs and symptoms of cord compression show progression within 24 hours or less: pain, weakness, autonomic dysfunction, sensory loss, ataxia Diagnostic considerations: Primary or secondary malignancy of epidural space or vertebrae, Trauma, Inflammatory process, Osteoarthritis REF: MacNeil BJ, Abrams HL. Brigham and Women's Hospital Handbook of Diagnostic Imaging. Chapter 35. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| acute splenic tumour | Acute splenitis, enlargement, and softening of the spleen, usually due to bacteraemia or severe bacterial toxaemia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute stress reaction | A sudden bout of anxiety that is often accompanied by the features of hyperventilation (tingling around mouth and in fingertips, rapid breathing, faintness or fainting). (27 Sep 1997) |
| acute testicular pain | <radiology> Diagnostic considerations: Testicular torsion, Torsion of testicular appendix, Epididymo-orchitis, Scrotal abscess (12 Dec 1998) |
| acute transverse myelitis | Acute inflammation and softening of the spinal cord; involves the entire thickness of the spinal cord but of limited longitudinal extent; multiple aetiologies. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute trypanosomiasis | 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 tuberculosis | A rapidly fatal disease due to the general dissemination of tubercle bacilli in the blood, resulting in the formation of miliary tubercles in various organs and tissues, and producing symptoms of profound toxaemia. Synonym: acute miliary tuberculosis, disseminated tuberculosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute tubular necrosis | <nephrology> A kidney disorder that results in damage to the renal tubule cells leading to acute renal failure. Acute tubular necrosis can result from any condition which deprives the kidney of oxygen (ischaemia). Acute tubular necrosis may occur as a complication of shock, trauma or sepsis. Conditions such as diabetes or liver disease can predispose people to the development of acute tubular necrosis. Certain medications (for example aminoglycosides, amphotericin B, cyclosporine) are known to cause acute tubular necrosis as a toxic side effect. Radiopaque contrast dyes, used in some radiologic procedures, may also result in acute tubular necrosis as a rare complication from contrast dye use. Acronym: ATN (13 Nov 1997) |
| acute urethral syndrome | <syndrome> This describes a clinical syndrome of dysuria (pain on urination) with sterile or low bacterial colony count culture results. Many of these patients have early or low-grade E. Coli, Staphylococcal saprophyticus or Chlamydia trachomatis infections. All are treated with antibiotics. (27 Sep 1997) |
| acute urticaria | Urticaria accompanied by slight constitutional symptoms. Synonym: acute urticaria, urticaria acuta, urticaria febrilis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute vascular occlusion | <cardiology, surgery> A serious condition that results from the sudden blockage of an artery, usually with a blood clot. (27 Sep 1997) |
| acute vascular purpura | <dermatology> This relatively rare disorder is characterised by skin purpura, joint pains, abdominal pain and renal disease (glomerulonephritis). Although Henoch-Schonlein purpura or anaphylactoid purpura, is thought to be a immune complex mediated disease, its exact cause is unknown. Its typical benign coarse can, however, include renal failure. (27 Sep 1997) |
| acute viral conjunctivitis | An epidemic inflammation of the conjunctiva marked by follicles, especially in the lower fornix; may be caused by adenoviruses, herpesvirus, and Newcastle disease virus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute yellow atrophy of the liver | A lesion in which there is extensive and rapid death of parenchymal cells of the liver, sometimes with fatty degeneration of the size of the organ; the necrosis may result from fulminant viral infection or chemical poisoning; associated with jaundice. Synonym: acute parenchymatous hepatitis, Rokitansky's disease. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bisectrix, acute | <microscopy> In biaxial crystals, that principal axis of the ellipsoid of indexes which bisects the smaller angle between the optic axes. (05 Aug 1998) |