| primary erythroblastic anaemia | The dire disease also known as beta thalassaemia. The clinical picture of this form of anaemia was first described in 1925 by the paediatrician thomas benton cooley. Other names for the disease are cooley's anaemia and mediterranean anaemia. The term thalassaemia was coined by the nobel prise winning pathologist george whipple and the professor of paediatrics william bradford at u. Of rochester because thalassa in greek means the sea (like the mediterrranean sea) + -aemia means in the blood so thalassaemia means sea in the blood. Thalassaemia is not just one disease. It is a complex contingent of genetic (inherited) disorders all of which involve underproduction of haemoglobin, the indispensable molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen. The globin part of normal adult haemoglobin is made up of 2 alpha and 2 beta polypeptide chains. In beta thalassaemia, there is a mutation (change) in both beta globin chains leading to underproduction (or absence) of beta chains, underproduction of haemoglobin, and profound anaemia. The gene for beta thalassaemia is relatively frequent in people of mediterranean origin (for example, from italy and greece). Children with this disease inherit one gene for it from each parent (and so are said to be homozygous for beta thalassaemia). The parents are carriers (heterozygotes) with just one thalassaemia gene, are said to have thalassaemia minor, and are essentially normal. Their children affected with beta thalassaemia seem entirely normal at birth (because at birth we still have predominantly foetal haemoglobin which does not contain beta chains) but the anaemia emerges in the first few months of life and becomes progressively more severe leading to pallor and easy fatiguability, failure to thrive (grow), bouts of fever (due to infections) and diarrhoea. Treatment based on blood transfusions is helpful but not curative. Gene therapy will, it is hoped, be applicable to this disease. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| primary extrapulmonary coccidioidomycosis | A rare form of coccidioidomycosis presenting near the site of local trauma with painless firm nodules occurring at one to two weeks, accompanied by regional adenopathy, with spontaneous healing in a few weeks. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary fissure of cerebellum | The deepest fissure of the cerebellum; demarcates the division of anterior and posterior lobes of the cerebellum; second to appear embryologically. Synonym: fissura prima cerebelli. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary gain | Interpersonal, social, or financial advantages from the conversion of emotional stress directly into demonstrably organic illnesses (e.g., hysterical blindness or paralysis). Compare: secondary gain. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary generalised epilepsy | Epilepsy without evidence of focal or multifocal central nervous system disease. Seizures are generalised from onset, both by EEG and clinical criteria. Often a pure genetic form of epilepsy. See: generalised tonic-clonic seizure. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary gout | Acute episodes of crystal-induced synovitis due to abnormality of purine metabolism; lower than normal urinary excretion of urate leading to hyperuricaemia and acute episodes of joint inflammation. Synonym: primary gout. Interval gout, an asymptomatic phase between acute attacks of gout. Latent gout, hyperuricaemia without symptoms of gout. Often used synonymously with interval gout. Synonym: masked gout. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary haemorrhage | Haemorrhage immediately after an injury or operation, as distinguished from intermediate or secondary haemorrhage. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary health care | Care which provides integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community. (jama 1995;273(3):192) (12 Dec 1998) |
| primary herpetic stomatitis | First infection of oral tissues with herpes simplex virus; characterised by gingival inflammation, vesicles, and ulcers. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary HIV infection | <infectious disease> The flu-like syndrome that oc immediately after a person contracts HIV. This mini infection precedes seroconversion and is characterised fever, sore throat, headache, skin rash and swollen glands. (06 Mar 1998) |
| primary homonym | <zoology> Each of two or more identical species names, which, at the time of original publication, were proposed in combination with the same generic name i.e. The species were named for different, though homonymous genera. See: Homonym. (09 Jan 1998) |
| primary hydrocephalus | Hydrocephalus due to a developmental defect of the brain. Synonym: primary hydrocephalus. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary hyperoxaluria and oxalosis | A metabolic disorder characterised by calcium oxalate nephrocalcinosis and nephrolithiasis, extrarenal oxalosis, and increased urinary output of oxalic and glycolic acids; usually evident clinically in the first decade of life, with progressive renal failure and uraemia; autosomal recessive inheritance. Type I is due to an alteration in alanine:glyoxylate aminotransferase; type II is due to an alteration in d-glycerate dehydrogenase. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary hyperparathyroidism | Hyperparathyroidism due to neoplasms or idiopathic hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands. (05 Mar 2000) |
| primary hypertension | Hypertension without known cause. Synonym: idiopathic hypertension, primary hypertension. (05 Mar 2000) |