BODY SYSTEMS AFFECTED

What Is Early Menopause? Early menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation in females before the age of 40 years characterized by vasomotor instability (hot flashes/cold episodes), psychologic and emotional symptoms and profound changes in the lower genital tract. The ...

What Is Late Menarche? Late menarche is a menstrual disorder in girls characterized by abnormal delay of menstruation, with or without breast development. The menarche is the first menstrual period or the start of menstruation. It should start within 3 ...

What Are Kidney Stones? Kidney stones, also called renal calculi, are abnormal hard formations in the kidneys that are composed mainly of calcium oxalate, also uric acid, and cystine. Q: How big are kidney stones? A: Stones can vary in ...

What Is IgA Nephropathy? IgA nephropathy, also called Berger’s disease, is a primary renal disease that results when immunoglobulin A (IgA) forms deposits in the glomeruli, where it creates inflammation. IgA nephropathy is characterized by recurrent hematuria (blood in urine), mild proteinuria ...

What Is Hypocalciuria? Hypocalciuria is the term for an abnormally low level of calcium in the urine. This laboratory finding indicates low urinary excretion of calcium by the kidneys, which is an early renal compensatory mechanism or attempt to conserve ...

What Is Psoriatic Arthritis? Psoriatic arthritis is a joint manifestation of psoriasis, a systemic autoimmune disease, characterized by asymmetric involvement in one or more joints, especially affecting the distal phalangeal joints of fingers and toes (joints nearest nails). In some ...

What Is Osteonecrosis? Osteonecrosis is a bone disorder resulting from insufficient blood flow to a part of the skeleton and is characterized by resulting death of bone cells (necrosis). After a while the bone can collapse. If this condition is ...

What Is Osteomalacia? Osteomalacia is a metabolic bone disorder that causes abnormal skeletal changes characterized by generalized reduction in bone density (bone softening) in adults and pseudofractures (apparant on x-ray) with muscular weakness and bone tenderness. Bones have the normal amount of ...

What Is Osteitis Fibrosa Cystica? Osteitis fibrosa cystica is a metabolic bone disease characterized by decalcification and softening of bones with bone cyst formation and bone tumors developing from effects of chronic vitamin D deficiency causing hyperparathyroidism and parathyroid adenoma ...

What Is Bone Pain? Bone pain is pain or tenderness in bone tissue. Bone pain intensity and location depend on the causative disorder. Q: What are causative disorders of bone pain? A: Bone pain is a feature of various disorders ...

What Is Dysgeusia? Dysgeusia is impaired or altered sense of taste characterized by the inability to distinguish the flavor of a substance. Q: What causes loss of the ability to taste? A: Some causes of impaired taste include these health conditions: malnutrition, hypothyroidism, ...

What Is Ocular Myopathy? Ocular myopathy is an impairment of musculature of the eyeball that is characterized by abnormalities of eye movement that make initiating and maintaining eye movement and eye contact difficult. What Is Ocular Myopathy In Celiac Disease ...

What Is Night Blindness? Night blindness is a visual defect caused by lack of rhodopsin in the rods of the retina located in the back of the eyeball due to inadequate vitamin A. Q: How does inadequate vitamin A cause ...

What Is Keratomalacia? Keratomalacia is a severe non-inflammatory eye condition characterized by a hazy, dry cornea that becomes softened and denuded (loss of protective layer), which when liquified is then irreversibly destroying the eyeball and causing blindness. The conjunctiva and ...

What Is Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca? Keratoconjunctivitis sicca is a distressing autoimmune form of dry eye that causes chronic bilateral dessication (dryness of both eyes) with inflammation of the conjunctiva and cornea due to tear abnormality. Little sores develop that cause the symptoms and ...