Try looking in the monthly archives. May 2009

Leishmaniasis

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by protozoan parasites belonging to the genus Leishmania and is transmitted by the bite of a species of sand fly. Two species of sand fly transmit Leishmania to humans: Lutzomyia in the New World and Phlebotomus in the Old World. Most forms of the disease are transmissible only from […]

Read More

Maternal Mirror Syndrome (Ballantyne Syndrome)

  • Comments Off on Maternal Mirror Syndrome (Ballantyne Syndrome)
  • May, 31, 2009
  • Uncategorized

Maternal mirror syndrome occurs when a pregnant woman has excessive accumulation of fluid in two or more fetal compartments. The mother suffers the same symptoms as the sick fetus. She will become ill and have signs of preeclampsia: water retention, high blood pressure and protein in the urine. It is caused by problems related to […]

Read More

Naphthalene Poisoning

  • Comments Off on Naphthalene Poisoning
  • May, 30, 2009
  • Uncategorized

Exposure to large amounts of naphthalene may damage or destroy red blood cells. Humans, particularly children, have developed hemolytic anemia after ingesting mothballs or deodorant blocks containing naphthalene. Those with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency are especially susceptible. Trace amounts of naphthalene are produced by magnolias and specific types of deer, as well as the Formosan […]

Read More

Cortico-basal Degeneration (CBD)

  • Comments Off on Cortico-basal Degeneration (CBD)
  • May, 30, 2009
  • Uncategorized

This is a degenerative disorder of the brain. The cause of CBD is said to be unknown. There is currently no strong evidence to suggest CBD is an inherited disease, and no other risk factors, such as toxins or infections, have been identified. However, this is probably because heavy metals are not properly evaluated in […]

Read More

Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD)

  • Comments Off on Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD)
  • May, 15, 2009
  • Uncategorized

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a diverse group of hereditary diseases in which certain cells of the immune system have difficulty forming the reactive oxygen compounds (most importantly, the superoxide radical) used to kill certain ingested pathogens. This leads to the formation of granulomata in many organs. CGD affects about 1 in 200,000 people in […]

Read More

MERRF syndrome (Myoclonic Epilepsy with Ragged Red Fibers)

  • Comments Off on MERRF syndrome (Myoclonic Epilepsy with Ragged Red Fibers)
  • May, 15, 2009
  • Uncategorized

MERRF syndrome (or Myoclonic Epilepsy with Ragged Red Fibers) is a mitochondrial disease. It involves progressive myoclonic epilepsy, clumps of diseased mitochondria accumulated in the subsarcolemmal region of the muscle fiber which appear as “ragged-red fibers” when muscle is stained with modified Gomori trichrome stain, and short stature. MERRF syndrome is caused by a maternally-inherited […]

Read More

Akinotopsia

Akinetopsia is caused by a lesion in area V5 of the extrastriate cortex. It can also be caused as a side effect of certain antidepressant drugs, or due to damage by a stroke or certain brain surgeries. Akinetopsia is a rare neuropsychological disorder, a disorder between the nervous system and mental functions, in this case […]

Read More

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD) (Alpha-1) (Inherited Emphysema)

  • Comments Off on Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD) (Alpha-1) (Inherited Emphysema)
  • May, 11, 2009
  • Uncategorized

Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is an inherited disorder that can cause lung disease in adults and liver disease in adults and children. Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) is a protein that protects the lungs. The liver makes the protein, and releases it into the bloodstream. Because of a genentic abnormality, some people have little or none of it. […]

Read More

Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis (CIPA)

  • Comments Off on Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis (CIPA)
  • May, 10, 2009
  • Uncategorized

This is an extremely rare inherited disorder of the nervous system which prevents the sensation of pain, heat, and cold. A person with CIPA cannot feel pain or differentiate even extreme temperatures. “Anhidrosis” means the body does not sweat. This conditionis present from birth. Patients with CIPA are very likely to injure themselves in ways […]

Read More

Fat Embolism

Emboli are objects in the circulatory system which migrate downstream to the flow of blood capable of blocking blood flow. Fat emboli can occur when there is a chance for fat to enter the circulatory system, for example during surgery or trauma. A common scenario is fatty bone marrow entering the circulation after a fracture […]

Read More