What Is Hypotonia? Hypotonia is impairment  of muscle contraction that is characterized by abnormally low muscle tension or flaccid muscles.  Normally, even when relaxed, muscles have a very small amount of contraction or tone that gives them a springy feel and provides ...

What Is Glycogenic Acanthosis? Glycogenic acanthosis is a benign thickening of the esophageal squamous epithelium (surface cell lining)  characterized by the presence of numerous, uniformly grey-white plaques made up of large squamous cells filled with glycogen. The wax-like plaques in ...

What Is Osteopenia In Childhood? Osteopenia is a metabolic bone disorder characterized by diminished bone mass with the retention of normal cell appearance and high bone turnover. That is, bone production does not keep up with bone loss. Bones looks ...

What Is Refractory Iron Deficiency Anemia In Childhood? Refractory iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a microcytic (small cell) type anemia. It is characterized by formation of abnormally small, pale red blood cells and iron depletion, or inadequate iron content in ...

What Is Failure To Thrive And Growth Retardation? Failure to thrive (FTT) and growth retardation are conditions affecting children characterized by weight consistently below the 3rd percentile for age or a decrease in the expected rate of growth based on ...

What Is Spina Bifida? Spina bifida is a congenital defect of neural tube closure and among the commonest and most severe disorders of the fetus and newborn.1 Spina bifida is a defect in the walls of the spinal canal in ...

What Is Cystic Fibrosis? Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease of the exocrine glands which causes the body to produce abnormally thick and sticky mucus and results in progressive damage to the respiratory system and digestive problems. Severity of disease depends ...

What Are Congenital Anomalies? Congenital anomalies are malformations present in the infant at birth. Q: What anomalies are present at birth? A: Some anomalies are inherited while others are caused by a harmful environmental factor during pregnancy such as diet, ...

What Is Down Syndrome? Down Syndrome is a congenital disorder (present at birth) characterized by consequence of having an extra chromosome 21 or 22.  Down syndrome is typically caused by what is called nondisjunction. Q: What is nondisjunction? A: Nondisjunction ...

What Is The Puerperium Complicated by Celiac Disease? Celiac disease complicating puerperium is an adult manifestation of celiac disease that appears during the 6 weeks after delivery of a baby(ies). It is characterized by severe diarrhea in the newly delivered ...

What Is Severe Iron Deficiency Anemia In Pregnancy? Severe iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy is characterized by abnormal formation of small, pale red blood cells that impair the ability of the fetus to obtain adequate oxygen for proper growth and ...

What Is Infertility in Males? Infertility in males is characterized by inability to either produce sperm or to produce viable sperm or mobile sperm resulting in prohibiting fertilization of the female ovum (egg). To the left is a false-colour scanning ...

What Is Impotence? Impotence is an erectile dysfunction disorder in males characterized by the distressing inability to achieve or maintain an erection satisfactory for coitus. What Is Impotence In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

What Is Unexplained Adult Male Hypogonadism? Hypogonadism in males is a distressing reproductive disorder characterized by inadequate production of male andogen hormones and/or spermatozoa by the testes. Q: How do andogens affect reproductive health? A: Male androgen hormones control the ...

What Is Inflammatory Vaginitis? Inflammatory vaginitis, also called desquamative inflammatory vaginitis, is a female genital disorder characterized by non-infectious tissue inflammation of the vagina (birth canal). Inflammatory vaginitis presents in females of any age including girls with a history of discomfort, ...