Cryptococcosis Glossary of Terms

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Acquired: Not inherited, or present at birth (congenital), but developing after birth. For...

Antifungal: A medication that limits or prevents the growth of yeasts and other fungal org...

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

Biopsy: The removal of a sample of tissue for examination under a microscope to check for ...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Brain lesions: an anatomical abnormality of any part of the brain. A brain lesion may be d...

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Capsule: Capsule has many meanings in medicine including the following:

1. In medici...

Carbohydrate: One of the three nutrient compounds, along with fat and protein, used as ene...

CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US agency charged with tracking a...

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The US agency charged with tracking and invest...

Chemotherapy: 1. In the original sense, a chemical that binds to and specifically k...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Chest pain: Pain in the chest that can be a result of many things, including angina, heart...

Coma: A state of deep, unarousable unconsciousness. A coma may occur as a result of head t...

Compress: Cloth or another material applied under pressure to an area of the skin and held...

Cough: A rapid expulsion of air from the lungs, typically in order to clear the lung airwa...

Cryptococcosis: Infection with fungus (usually in a yeast form) from the genus Crypto...

CT scan: Computerized tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Emerging infectious disease: An infectious disease that has newly appeared in a population...

Endemic: Present in a community at all times but in relatively low frequency. Something t...

Feces: The excrement discharged from the 'intestines.

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Focal: Pertaining to a focus which in medicine may refer to:
1. The point at ...

Fungal: Pertaining to a fungus. For example, a fungal skin infection.

Fungi: Plural of fungus.

Fungus: A single-celled or multicellular organism. Fungi can be true pathogens (such as hi...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

Hemoptysis: Spitting up blood or blood-tinged sputum from the respiratory tract. Hemoptysi...

Histoplasmosis: A disease caused by the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum. Most people with hi...

HIV: Acronym for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodefi...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immunity: The condition of being immune. Immunity can be innate'for example, humans are in...

Immunocompetent: Able to develop an immune response. An immunocompetent body is able to
...

Immunocompromised: Having an immune system that has been impaired by disease or medical tr...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Lethargy: Abnormal drowsiness, stupor.

Lungs: The lungs are a pair of breathing organs located with the chest which remove carbon...

Malaise: A vague feeling of discomfort, one that cannot be pinned down but is often sensed...

Medical history: 1. In clinical medicine, the patient's past and present which may ...

Meningitis: Inflammation of the meninges, the three membranes that envelop the brain and t...

Meningoencephalitis: Meningitis + encephalitis, inflammation of the meninges and brain. Ca...

Mortality: A fatal outcome or, in one word, death. The word "mortality" is derived from "m...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Nodule: A small collection of tissue that is palpable (can be felt) at any level of the sk...

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Photophobia: Painful oversensitivity to light. For example, photophobia is often seen in m...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Relapse: The return of signs and symptoms of a disease after a remission.

Risk factor: Something that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. For exam...

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Sputum: Mucous material from the lungs that is produced (brought up) by coughing.

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Tuberculosis: A highly contagious infection caused by the bacterium called Mycobacterium ...

Viral: Of or pertaining to a virus. For example, if a person has a viral rash, the rash wa...

Virulence: The ability of an agent of infection to produce disease. The virulence of a mic...

Virulent: Extremely noxious, damaging, deleterious, and disease causing (pathogenic); mark...