Pathology - Descriptive Terminology

Allergies

having a hypersensitivity to a substance that does not normally cause a reaction.

Functional

A condition or disease in which there are changes in physiological activities, but no recognizable change in anatomy.

Organic

A condition or disease in which there is a change in anatomy.

Acquired

A condition that presents itself after birth.

Pandemic

A disease affecting the majority of a population of a large region, or one that is epidemic at the same time in many different parts of the world.

Illness

A disease or period of sickness affecting the body or mind.

Endemic

A disease that is continuously present in a community.

Communicable

A disease that may be transmitted directly or indirectly from one individual to another.

Acute

A disease with a more or less rapid onset and short duration.

Chronic

A disease with a more or less slow onset and long duration.

Deficiency

A lack of dietary or metabolic substance that can lead to disease.

Disorder

A measure of specific changes associated with a certain condition.

Disease

A particular abnormal pathological condition taht affects part or all of an organism.

Syndrome

A set of signs and symptoms associated with a particular disease.

Infection

A state or condition in which the body, or part of it, is invaded by a pathogenic agent that, under favorable conditions, multiplies and produces injurious effects.

Symptoms

A subjective disturbance caused by diseases that are felt or experienced by the patient but are not directly measurable.

Occupational

Abnormally high rate of occurrence in members of a particular workforce.

Hereditary

Being genetically transmitted from parent to offspring.

Complications

Causes of difficulty, problem, or change.

Fulminating

Having rapid and severe onset, usually fatal; a special type of acute disease.

Epidemic

Higher than normal appearance of an infectious disease or condition within a given population.

Idiopathic

Illnesses for which the causes are unknown.

Nosocomial

Infection acquired in a hospital or other healthcare setting.

Mortality Rate

Number of deaths in a given time or place or proportion of death to a population.

Prognosis

Prediction of the outcome of disease.

Recurrence

Reappearance of symptoms after a period of remission.

Morbidity Rate

Relative incidence of a disease in the population or number of cases in a given time and a given population

Iatrogenic

Resulting from the adverse activity of medical treatment.

Intoxication

State of being intoxicated, especially of being poisoned by a drug or toxic substance.

Infestation

The harboring of animal parasites, especially on macroscopic farms, such as ticks or mosquitoes.

Prevalence

The number of cases of disease present in a specified population at a given time.

Sporadic

Disease that occurs occasionally in a random or isolated manner.

3 Interchangeable terms

Disease, Disorder, and Illness

Congenital

Diseases that are present at birth.

Exacerbate

Increased severity of a disease.

Signs

Objective disturbances produced by a disease that can be observed by doctors or physicians.

Remission

Temporary cessation of symptoms of a disease.

Febrile

Term associated with fever.

Diagnosis

Term denoting the naming of the disease or syndrome; the recognition of the nature of a disease.