Conditions & Diseases, MON-PAN

Whether we like it or not, living things are susceptible to any number of illnesses and conditions that can threaten or harm the health of those afflicted. Bacteria, viruses, and other microbiological agents are obvious challenges to health. Human disease may be acute, chronic, malignant, or benign, and it is usually indicated by signs and symptoms such as fever or vomiting. Additionally, diseases may be communicable (contagious) or noncommunicable; of the latter, the four major types identified by the World Health Organization are cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes mellitus.
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Conditions & Diseases Encyclopedia Articles By Title

mononucleosis
mononucleosis, infection in humans, caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), whose most common symptoms are fever,......
monster
monster, in biology, an embryo, a newborn animal, or young plant that is grossly deformed. The defects may be genetic......
moral panic
moral panic, phrase used in sociology to describe an artificially created panic or scare. Researchers, often influenced......
Morel, Benedict Augustin
Benedict Augustin Morel was an Austrian-born French psychologist who introduced the term dementia praecox to refer......
Morquio syndrome
Morquio syndrome, rare hereditary disorder of intracartilaginous bone development that results in severe malformation......
motion sickness
motion sickness, sickness induced by motion and characterized by nausea. The term motion sickness was proposed......
mpox
mpox, viral disease of animals, particularly certain rodents and primates, including monkeys and humans, that causes......
MRSA
MRSA, bacterium in the genus Staphylococcus that is characterized by its resistance to the antibiotic methicillin......
multiple endocrine neoplasia
multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN), any of a group of rare hereditary disorders in which tumours occur in multiple......
multiple myeloma
multiple myeloma, malignant proliferation of cells within the bone marrow that usually occurs during middle age......
multiple sclerosis
multiple sclerosis (MS), progressive autoimmune disease of the central nervous system characterized by destruction......
mumps
mumps , acute contagious disease caused by a virus and characterized by inflammatory swelling of the salivary glands.......
muscle disease
muscle disease, any of the diseases and disorders that affect the human muscle system. Diseases and disorders that......
muscle tumour
muscle tumour, abnormal tissue growth located in or originating from muscle tissue. Tumours may either arise in......
muscular dystrophy
muscular dystrophy, any of a group of hereditary conditions that are characterized by progressive weakness and......
mushroom poisoning
mushroom poisoning, toxic, sometimes fatal, effect of eating poisonous mushrooms (toadstools). There are some 70......
myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome
myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), condition characterized by persistent debilitating......
myasthenia gravis
myasthenia gravis, chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by muscle weakness and chronic fatigue that is caused......
mycetoma
mycetoma, fungal infection, usually localized in the foot but occurring occasionally elsewhere on the body, apparently......
mycosis
mycosis, in humans and other animals, an infection caused by any fungus that invades the tissues, causing superficial,......
mycotoxin
mycotoxin, naturally occurring metabolite produced by certain microfungi (i.e., molds) that is toxic to humans......
myiasis
myiasis, infestation of the body of humans and other animals with the larvae (maggots) of certain species of flies.......
myocardial infarction
myocardial infarction, death of a section of the heart muscle, caused by an interruption of blood flow to the area.......
myocarditis
myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle, or myocardium. Myocarditis is caused by a variety of infectious......
myopathy
myopathy, any skeletal muscle disorder that directly affects the muscle fibres and does not arise secondarily from......
myopia
myopia, visual abnormality in which the resting eye focuses the image of a distant object at a point in front of......
myositis
myositis, inflammation, and frequently infection, of muscle tissue; it may be caused by any of a number of bacteria,......
myositis ossificans
myositis ossificans, disorder of unknown cause in which connective tissue and muscle are replaced by bone. In the......
myotonia
myotonia, any of several muscular disorders characterized by difficulty in relaxing voluntary muscles after contraction.......
myxedema
myxedema, physiological reaction to lack of sufficient thyroid hormone (hypothyroidism) in the adult. It can be......
myxomatosis
myxomatosis, a highly fatal infectious viral disease of rabbits. It is characterized by fever, swelling of the......
Ménière disease
Ménière disease, recurrent and generally progressive group of symptoms that include loss of hearing, ringing in......
nagana
nagana, a form of the disease trypanosomiasis (q.v.), occurring chiefly in cattle and horses and caused by several......
nail-patella syndrome
nail-patella syndrome, rare hereditary (autosomal dominant) disorder characterized by small fingernails and toenails......
narcissism
narcissism, pathological self-absorption, first identified as a mental disorder by the British essayist and physician......
narcolepsy
narcolepsy, a sleep disturbance that is characterized by sudden, uncontrollable spells of sleep during the day,......
nasal polyp
nasal polyp, lump of tissue that protrudes into the nasal cavity and sometimes obstructs it. Polyps can form as......
nasal tumour
nasal tumour, abnormal growth in the nose. Tumours may be malignant or may remain localized and nonrecurrent. The......
nausea
nausea, (from Greek nausia, “seasickness”), feeling of discomfort in the pit of the stomach that is associated......
necrosis
necrosis, death of a circumscribed area of plant or animal tissue as a result of disease or injury. Necrosis is......
necrotizing fasciitis
necrotizing fasciitis, rapidly spreading infection of the underlying skin and adipose (fat) layers caused by a......
neonatal hypothyroidism
neonatal hypothyroidism, condition characterized by the absence, lack, or dysfunction of thyroid hormone production......
nephroblastoma
nephroblastoma, malignant renal (kidney) tumour of early childhood. In 75 percent of the cases, the tumour grows......
nephrosclerosis
nephrosclerosis, hardening of the walls of the small arteries and arterioles (small arteries that convey blood......
nephrotic syndrome
nephrotic syndrome, group of signs of kidney malfunction, including a low level of albumin (a protein) and a high......
neural tube defect
neural tube defect, any congenital defect of the brain and spinal cord as a result of abnormal development of the......
neurasthenia
neurasthenia, a syndrome marked by physical and mental fatigue accompanied by withdrawal and...
neuroblastoma
neuroblastoma, a tumour of the sympathetic nervous system (the branch of the autonomic nervous system that is best......
neurofibromatosis
neurofibromatosis, either of two hereditary disorders characterized by distinctive skin lesions and by benign,......
neurogenic arthropathy
neurogenic arthropathy, condition characterized by the destruction of a stress-bearing joint, with development......
neuropathy
neuropathy, disorder of the peripheral nervous system. It may be genetic or acquired, progress quickly or slowly,......
neurosis
neurosis, generally outmoded term used to refer to mental disorders characterized by anxiety, depression, or other......
neurotoxin
neurotoxin, substance that alters the structure or function of the nervous system. More than 1,000 chemicals are......
nevus
nevus, congenital skin lesion, or birthmark, caused by abnormal pigmentation or by proliferation of blood vessels......
Newcastle disease
Newcastle disease, a serious viral disease of birds caused by a paramyxovirus and marked by respiratory and nervous......
Niemann-Pick disease
Niemann-Pick disease, inherited metabolic disorder in which a deficiency of the enzyme sphingomyelinase impairs......
night blindness
night blindness, failure of the eye to adapt promptly from light to darkness that is characterized by a reduced......
nitrogen narcosis
nitrogen narcosis, reversible change in consciousness produced by nitrogen gas when it is breathed under increased......
nocardiosis
nocardiosis, chronic systemic bacterial disease of humans and many other animals originating in the respiratory......
nosebleed
nosebleed, an attack of bleeding from the nose. It is a common and usually unimportant disorder but may also result......
notifiable disease
notifiable disease, any of various health conditions that, upon detection, are required to be reported to public......
nystagmus
nystagmus, involuntary back and forth, up and down, or circular movements of the eyes that are often described......
obesity
obesity, excessive accumulation of body fat, usually caused by the consumption of more calories than the body can......
obsessive-compulsive disorder
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), type of mental disorder in which an individual experiences obsessions or compulsions......
obstetric fistula
obstetric fistula, abnormal duct or passageway that forms between the vagina and a nearby organ. This type of fistula......
occupational disease
occupational disease, any illness associated with a particular occupation or industry. Such diseases result from......
occupational injury
occupational injury, any health problem or bodily damage resulting directly from activities undertaken at the workplace.......
Oedipus complex
Oedipus complex, in psychoanalytic theory, a desire for sexual involvement with the parent of the opposite sex......
oligomenorrhea
oligomenorrhea, prolonged intervals between menstrual cycles. Menstruation is the normal cyclic bleeding from the......
onchocerciasis
onchocerciasis, filarial disease caused by the helminth Onchocerca volvulus, which is transmitted to humans by......
ophthalmoplegia
ophthalmoplegia, paralysis of the extraocular muscles that control the movements of the eye. Ophthalmoplegia usually......
oral cancer
oral cancer, disease characterized by the growth of cancerous cells in the mouth, including the lips. Oral cancer......
orchitis
orchitis, inflammation and swelling of the testes as a result of infection or physical injury. The testes are a......
orotic aciduria
orotic aciduria, hereditary metabolic disorder characterized by an anemia with many large immature red blood cells,......
Osler-Rendu-Weber disease
Osler-Rendu-Weber disease, hereditary disorder characterized by bleeding from local capillary malformations. In......
osteoarthritis
osteoarthritis, disorder of the joints characterized by progressive deterioration of the articular cartilage or......
osteochondroma
osteochondroma, solitary benign tumour that consists partly of cartilage and partly of bone. Osteochondromas are......
osteochondrosis
osteochondrosis, relatively common temporary orthopedic disorder of children in which the epiphysis (growing end)......
osteoclastoma
osteoclastoma, bone tumour found predominantly at the end of long bones in the knee region, but also occurring......
osteogenesis imperfecta
osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), rare hereditary disease of connective tissue characterized by brittle bones that......
osteoma
osteoma, small, often solitary bone tumour found mainly on bones of the skull. Osteomas usually appear in late......
osteomalacia
osteomalacia, condition in which the bones of an adult progressively soften because of inadequate mineralization......
osteomyelitis
osteomyelitis, infection of bone tissue. The condition is most commonly caused by the infectious organism Staphylococcus......
osteonecrosis
osteonecrosis, death of bone tissue that may result from infection, as in osteomyelitis, or deprivation of blood......
osteoporosis
osteoporosis, disease characterized by the thinning of bones, with a consequent tendency to sustain fractures from......
osteosarcoma
osteosarcoma, most common bone cancer, primarily affecting the long bones, particularly those in the knee, hip,......
otitis
otitis, Inflammation of the ear. Otitis externa is dermatitis, usually bacterial, of the auditory canal and sometimes......
otitis externa
otitis externa, dermatitis of the external auditory canal and sometimes also of the exposed ear. The skin on these......
otitis media
otitis media, inflammation of the lining of the middle ear. Otitis media is one of the most common infections in......
otosclerosis
otosclerosis, ear disorder characterized by abnormal bone growth in the middle ear, typically affecting the stapes......
ovarian cancer
ovarian cancer, a disease characterized by the abnormal growth of cells in the ovaries, the internal reproductive......
overhydration
overhydration, condition characterized by an excessive volume of water in the body. Overhydration occurs when the......
overweight
overweight, Body weight greater than the optimum. If moderate, it is not necessarily obesity, particularly in muscular......
Paget disease of bone
Paget disease of bone, chronic disease of middle age, characterized by excessive breakdown and formation of bone......
pancreatic cancer
pancreatic cancer, a disease characterized by abnormal growth of cells in the pancreas, a 15-cm- (6-inch-) long......
pancreatitis
pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, either acute or chronic. The disorder is most commonly caused by excessive......
pandemic
pandemic, outbreak of infectious disease that occurs over a wide geographical area and that is of high prevalence,......
panic attack
panic attack, sudden onset of intense apprehension, fear, or terror that occurs without apparent cause. A panic......

Conditions & Diseases Encyclopedia Articles By Title