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System – Glandular

This category comprises disorders of the glandular system that cause damage to tissues and/or dysfunction of its glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream: adrenal, ovary, pancreas, parathyroid, pineal, pituitary, testicle, thymus, and thyroid.

Addison’s Disease (Primary)

What Is Primary Addison’s Disease? Addison’s disease is an autoimmune destruction of the adrenal glands by autoantibodies that target the adrenal cortex, or outer part of these glands, and is characterized by a slow progressive failure of the adrenal glands ...

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Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

What Is Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease? Non-alcoholic fatty liver is a non-inflammatory liver disorder characterized by degenerative changes in the liver caused by excessive accumulation of lipid (fat) in hepatocytes (liver cells) that is called free fatty acid-generated lipotoxicity. Non-alcoholic ...

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Exocrine Glands: definition

Glands of the skin or mucous membranes that secrete the substances they produce into ducts leading to a target body surface and ultimately to the outside of the body. Examples are sweat glands in the skin, lacrimal glands in eyelids, ...

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Hashimoto’s Disease (Autoimmune Thyroiditis Causing Hypothyroidism)

What Is Autoimmune Thyroiditis (Hypothyroidism)? Autoimmune thyroiditis, also called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis or Hashimoto’s Disease, is an autoimmune destruction of thyroid tissue characterized by insufficient thyroid hormone circulating in the body that causes formation of a goiter (enlarged thyroid gland) and ...

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Endocrine Glands: definition

Glands which empty their hormone substances into the bloodsteam and from there to a targeted part of the body such as insulin produced by the pancreas and thyroxine produced by the thyroid gland. They are opposite exocrine glands of the ...

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Secondary Hyperparathyroidism

What Is Secondary Hyperparathyroidism? Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a parathyroid disorder resulting from hypocalcemia (low blood calcium level) that is characterized by excessive production of parathyroid hormone in the attempt to normalize the low blood calcium by releasing calcium from bone. ...

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Juvenile Autoimmune Thyroid Disease

What Is Juvenile Autoimmune Thyroid Disease? Juvenile autoimmune thyroid disease is an autoimmune disorder occurring in childhood that targets and damages the thyroid gland, often causing goiter. It is characterized by abnormal circulating thyroid hormone levels in the bloodstream. Recent evidence ...

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Juvenile Diabetes (Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus)

What Is Juvenile Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus? Juvenile diabetes is type I diabetes mellitus that begins in childhood or before the age of 25 years. It is an inherited inflammatory autoimmune disease of the pancreas in which anti-islet autoantibodies destroy the ...

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Cystic Fibrosis 

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 ...

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Impotence

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?

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Cancer, Parathyroid

What Is Parathyroid Carcinoma? Parathyroid carcinoma is a slow growing rare malignancy involving overactive parathyroid glands and is characterized by profound hypercalcemia (elevated blood calcium level), parathyroid hormone levels of more than 3 times upper normal limits, and palpable neck mass.1 ...

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Hypoparathyroidism, Idiopathic

What Is Idiopathic Hypoparathyroidism? Idiopathic hypoparathyroidism is a metabolic condition that results from reduced secretion or impaired action of parathyroid hormone (PTH) which results in a combination of low calcium and elevated phosphorus levels in the body. Calcium and phosphorus are ...

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Primary Hyperparathyroidism

What Is Primary Hyperparathyroidism? Primary hyperparathyroidism is a parathyroid disorder characterized by excessive secretion of parathyroid hormone by one or more parathyroid glands for more than 6 months. In primary hyperparathyroidism, blood calcium levels are high while phosphorus levels are ...

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Steatorrhea

What Is Steatorrhea? Steatorrhea is a condition of abnormal stool composition and consistency that is due to high fat content because fat from food is not  digested and absorbed into the body but rather passes out with stool.1 Q: How ...

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Pancreatic Insufficiency

What Is Pancreatic Insufficiency? Pancreatic insufficiency is a disorder characterized by insufficient exocrine production of pancreatic enzymes for normal digestion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates that results in maldigestion of these foodstuffs. Pancreatic insufficiency also causes malabsorption of the fat-soluble ...

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