Malabsorption Disorders

What Is Short Stature? Short stature means the individual has not reached a normal height as a result of failure to thrive and severe growth delay in children.1 What Is Short Stature In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity? Catassi C, ...

What Is Rickets? Rickets is a disorder of cartilage cell growth and enlargement of epiphyseal growth plates in young children that is characterized by inadequate mineralization of developing cartilage and newly formed bone. The epiphyseal growth plate is located at the ends ...

What Is Arachidonic Acid? Arachidonic acid is a major essential (must have/can’t make) omega-6 fatty acid. Structurally, arachidonic acid is a key component of nerve membranes, together with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a major opposing omega-3 fatty acid, making up 15-20% ...

What Is Seborrhea Dermatitis? Seborrhea dermatitis is a recurring inflammatory disorder of sebaceous glands characterized by scaly patches of skin, often with bumps. Seborrhea dermatitis results from the body’s inflammatory reaction to invasion by pityrosporum yeast that naturally inhabits the ...

What Is Riboflavin? Riboflavin, also called vitamin B2, is fundamentally required for the breakdown of carbohydrates, amino acids, and fats in metabolism, enables oxygen to be used by cells, and acts as a component of more than a dozen enzymes involved ...

What Is Prurigo Nodularis (Hyde’s Prurigo)? Prurigo nodularis is a chronic dermatitis characterized by hard, dry, deep seated, intensely itchy papules (small bumps like pimples) and/or nodules (large bumps) that erupt most commonly on the arms, legs, and back. Papules ...

What Is Prolonged Prothrombin Time? Prolonged prothrombin time (PT) is a laboratory blood test result showing that blood clots too slowly which makes the patient subject to abnormal bleeding. Q: What does the prothrombin time (PT) test measure? A: The ...

What Is Elevated Bone Alkaline Phosphatase? Elevated bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP) is a laboratory result that indicates an abnormal blood level of this bone enzyme. A bone alkaline phosphatase blood level is one of the most frequently used biochemical markers of ...

What Is Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anemia? Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is a megaloblastic anemia that is characterized by defective DNA synthesis of red blood cells due to a lack of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is essential for normal blood cell formation. ...

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. ...

What Is Hypokalemia? Hypokalemia means the level of potassium in the bloodstream is too low to meet metabolic needs of the body for this mineral and is characterized by metabolic acidosis, altered nerve conduction and muscle contraction. Rapid potassium loss can ...

What Is Delayed Puberty in Boys? Delayed puberty in boys is characterized by lack of growth and functional activity of the male gonads, called testes or testicals, to produce testosterone by age 14 and failure to grow pubic hair by age 15. ...

What Is Plummer-Vinson Syndrome Affecting the Esophagus? Plummer-Vinson syndrome is a manifestation of severe, long-term, iron deficiency anemia that is characterized by post-cricoid esophageal webs and dysphagia. Q: What are esophageal webs? A: Esophageal webs are one or more thin ...

What Is Selenium? Selenium is a mineral that is required by the body  in trace amounts for a healthy immune system, normal thyroid function, and antioxidant protection. Selenium is absolutely required in the production of at least 30 selenoproteins in the ...

What Is Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)? Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called ischemic heart disease, is a gradual narrowing of medium and large arteries of the heart by fatty buildups, called atherosclerotic plaques. It is characterized by slowly developing interference with blood flow to heart ...