Lupus (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) Glossary of Terms

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Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

Abdominal: Relating to the abdomen, the belly, that part of the body that contains all of ...

Abdominal pain: Pain in the belly. Abdominal pain can be acute or chronic. It may reflect ...

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Acute kidney failure: See: Acute renal failure.

Alopecia: Baldness. There are many types of alopecia, each with a different cause. Alopec...

Analysis: In psychology, a term for conversation-based therapeutic processes used to gain ...

Anemia: The condition of having a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells or quantity ...

Angina: Chest pain due to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart muscle. The pain is ...

Antibody: An immunoglobulin, a specialized immune protein, produced because of the introdu...

Anticoagulant: An agent that is used to prevent the formation of blood clots. Anticoagulan...

Antidepressants: Anything, and especially a drug, used to prevent or treat depression.

Antimalarial: A drug directed against malaria. The original antimalarial agent was quinin...

Antinuclear antibody: An unusual antibody that is directed against structures within the n...

Arms: An appendage in anatomy and in clinical trials. See: Arm.

Artery: A vessel that carries blood high in oxygen content away from the heart to the far...

Arthralgia: Pain in a joint.

Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, w...

Ascites: An abnormal accumulation of fluid within the abdomen. There are many causes of as...

Aspiration: Removal of a sample of fluid and cells through a needle. Aspiration also re...

Aspirin: Once the Bayer trademark for acetylsalicylic acid, now the common name for this a...

Atherosclerosis: A process of progressive thickening and hardening of the walls of medium-...

Autoimmune: Pertaining to autoimmunity, a misdirected immune response that occurs when the...

Autoimmune disease: An illness that occurs when the body tissues are attacked by its own i...

Avascular necrosis: A condition in which poor blood supply to an area of bone leads to bon...

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

Blood clot: A mass of coagulated blood. A blood clot can block a major blood vessel, causi...

Blood clots: Blood that has been converted from a liquid to a solid state. Also called a t...

Blood in the urine: Blood that appears in the urine. Also known as hematuria. Gross hematu...

Blood pressure: The blood pressure is the pressure of the blood within the arteries. It is...

Blush: Redness of the skin as a result of dilated capillaries, typically over the cheeks o...

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

Cataract: A clouding or loss of transparency of the lens in the eye as a result of tissu...

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Cerebral: Of or pertaining to the cerebrum or the brain.

Cerebritis: Inflammation of the brain. Cerebritis can be caused by infection or inflammati...

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...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Chronic illness: An illness that lasts 3 months or more.

Complication: In medicine, an unanticipated problem that arises following, and is a result...

Contrast: Short for "contrast media." Contrast media are X-ray dyes used to provide contra...

Cutaneous: Related to the skin.

Dehydroepiandrosterone: Also DHEA; a steroid hormone made by the adrenal glands, that acts...

Depression: An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and that affects the way...

DHEA: Dehydroepiandrosterone.

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

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

Discoid lupus: A chronic inflammatory condition that is limited to the skin and is caused ...

DNA: Deoxyribonucleic acid. One of two types of molecules that encode genetic information...

Dysfunction: Difficult function or abnormal function.

Echinacea: An herb that has been claimed to boost the body's immune system and help fight ...

Estrogen: A female steroid hormone that is produced by the ovaries and, in lesser amounts,...

Estrogens: Female hormones produced by the ovaries. Estrogen deficiency can lead to osteop...

Father: (1) The male parent. (2) One who originates. For example, "Wilhelm Roentgen is con...

Fatigue: A condition characterized by a lessened capacity for work and reduced efficiency ...

Fertility: The ability to conceive and bear children, the ability to become pregnant throu...

Fetus: An unborn offspring, from the embryo stage (the end of the eighth week after concep...

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

Flare: 1. an exacerbation of a chronic disease. Sometimes referred to as a flare-up, a fla...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Hair loss: Hair loss is the thinning of hair on the scalp. The medical term for hair loss ...

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

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Heart attack: The death of heart muscle due to the loss of blood supply. The loss of bloo...

Heart block: A blockage in the conduction of the normal electrical impulses in the heart. ...

Heart rate: The number of heartbeats per unit of time, usually per minute. The heart rate ...

Heart valves: There are four heart valves. All are one-way valves. Blood entering the ...

Heparin: An anticoagulant (anti-clotting) medication. Heparin is useful in preventing thro...

High blood pressure: A repeatedly elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg. Chro...

Ibuprofen: A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that is commonly used to treat pa...

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

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Immunosuppressive: 1. Pertaining to immunosuppression, the suppression of the immun...

Incidence: The frequency with which something, such as a disease or trait, appears in a pa...

Infant: A young baby, from birth to 12 months of age.

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 ...

Injury: Harm or hurt. To harm, hurt, or wound. The word injure may be in physical or emot...

Insomnia: The perception or complaint of inadequate or poor-quality sleep due to a number ...

Internal bleeding: Bleeding inside the body that is not seen from the outside. Internal bl...

Internal medicine: The medical specialty dedicated to the diagnosis and medical treatment ...

Joint: The area where two bones are attached for the purpose of permitting body parts to m...

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

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

Leg: In popular usage, the part of the body from the top of the thigh down to the foot, an...

Leukopenia: A shortage of white blood cells.

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

Lupus: A chronic inflammatory disease that is caused by autoimmunity. Patients with lupus ...

Lupus in pregnancy: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) during pregnancy, a high-risk situa...

Lymph: The almost colorless fluid that travels through the lymphatic system, carrying cell...

Malar: Referring to the cheek. For example, a malar rash is a rash that appears over the c...

Marker: A piece of DNA that lies on a chromosome so close to a gene that the marker and t...

Menstrual: Pertaining to menstruation (the menses), as in last menstrual period, menstrua...

Menstruation: The periodic blood that flows as a discharge from the uterus. Also called me...

Microscopic: So small it cannot be seen without the aid of microscope. As opposed to macro...

Miscarriage: Inadvertent loss of a pregnancy before the fetus is viable. A considerable pr...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Myalgia: Pain in the muscles or within muscle 'tissue.

Necrosis: The death of living cells or tissues. Necrosis can be due, for example, to ische...

Neonatal: Pertaining to the newborn period, specifically the first 4 weeks after birth.

Neonatal lupus: A lupus-like disease in a baby. This is due to the transfer through the pl...

Nephritis: Inflammation of the kidney, which causes impaired kidney function. Nephritis ca...

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory an...

Neurological: Having to do with the nerves or the nervous system as, for example, a neurol...

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

Operation: In medicine, a surgical procedure. Many operations are named after persons. The...

Ophthalmologist: A physician who practices ophthalmology.

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

Ovulation: The release of the ripe egg (ovum) from the ovary. The egg is released when the...

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

Paralysis: Loss of voluntary movement (motor function). Paralysis that affects only one mu...

Pericarditis: Inflammation of the lining around the heart (the pericardium) that causes ch...

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Phlebitis: Inflammation of a vein. With phlebitis, there is infiltration of the walls of t...

Phosphate: A form of phosphoric acid. Calcium phosphate makes bones and teeth hard.

Photosensitivity: Oversensitivity of skin to light. Photosensitivity can be a side effect ...

Platelet: An irregular, disc-shaped element in the blood that assists in blood clotting....

Pleural: Pertaining to the pleura, the thin covering that protects the lungs. The term "pl...

Pleurisy: Inflammation of the pleurae, the membranes surrounding the lungs. Symptoms inclu...

Pneumonia: Inflammation of one or both lungs, with dense areas of lung inflammation. Pneum...

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

Premature birth: A birth that takes place before 37 weeks of gestation have passed. Histor...

Probability: The likelihood that something will happen. For example, a probability of less...

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

Protein: One of the three nutrients used as energy sources (calories) by the body. Protein...

Psychiatric: Pertaining to or within the purview of psychiatry, the medical specialty conc...

Psychosis: In the general sense, a mental illness that markedly interferes with a person'...

Puberty: Adolescence, the period in which the human body first becomes capable of reproduc...

Radiology: The medical specialty concerned with radiation for the diagnosis and treatment ...

Random: Determined solely by chance.

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

Recurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha...

Red blood cell: The blood cell that carries oxygen. Red cells contain hemoglobin and it is...

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

Remission: Disappearance of the signs and symptoms of cancer or other disease. A remission...

Retina: The retina is the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye, senses light, and c...

Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation of joint...

Rheumatologist: A specialist in the non-surgical treatment of rheumatic illnesses, espec...

Rheumatology: A subspecialty of internal medicine that involves the nonsurgical evaluation...

Scaling: Abnormal shedding or accumulation of an upper layer of skin (the stratum corneum)...

Sensitivity: 1. In psychology, the quality of being sensitive. As, for example, sen...

Serositis: Inflammation of the serous tissues of the body (the tissues that line the lungs...

Shortness of breath: Difficulty in breathing. Medically referred to as dyspnea. Shortness ...

Sibling: A brother or sister.

Spasm: A brief, automatic jerking movement. A muscle spasm can be quite painful, with the ...

SPF (sun protection factor): A number on a scale for rating the degree of protection prov...

Spinal cord: The major column of nerve tissue that is connected to the brain and lies with...

Stage: As regards cancer, the extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spre...

Steroid: One of a large group of chemical substances classified by a specific carbon struc...

Stomach: The digestive organ that is located in the upper abdomen, under the ribs. The upp...

Sunscreen: A substance that blocks the effect of the sun's harmful rays. Using lotions tha...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

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

Syphilis: A sexually transmitted disease caused by Treponema pallidum, a microscopic orga...

Systemic: Affecting the entire body. A systemic disease such as diabetes can affect the wh...

Systemic lupus erythematosus: A chronic inflammatory condition caused by an autoimmune di...

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

Thrombocytopenia: : A low platelet count. Platelets are irregular, disc-shaped element in ...

Thrombosis: The formation or presence of a blood clot in a blood vessel. The vessel may be...

Topical: Pertaining to a particular surface area. For example, a topical agent is applied ...

Trigger: Something that either sets off a disease in people who are genetically predispose...

Urinalysis: A test that is done in order to analyze urine. Because toxins and excess fluid...

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

Warfarin: An anticoagulant drug (brand names: Coumarin, Panwarfin, Sofarin) taken to prev...