Sarcoidosis Glossary of Terms

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Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

Acne: Localized skin inflammation as a result of overactivity of the oil glands at the ba...

Alveolitis: Inflammation of the alveoli, the air sacs in the lungs.

Angiotensin: A family of peptides that constrict blood vessels. Narrowing the diameter of ...

Angiotensin converting enzyme: Usually abbreviated ACE.

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

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

Berylliosis: Beryllium poisoning. See: Beryllium.

Beryllium: A toxic metal found in ores containing other elements that is used in making me...

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

Blood sugar: Blood glucose. See also: High blood sugar; Low blood sugar.

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

Bronchoscope: A thin, flexible instrument with a lighted viewing tube that is used to visu...

Bumps: The raised area of a bump or bruise results from blood leaking from these injured b...

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is ...

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

Carbon dioxide: A gas which is the byproduct of cellular metabolism and which collects in ...

Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.

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

Chest X-ray: A type of X-ray commonly used to detect abnormalities in the lungs. A chest X...

Clinical trials: Trials to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of medications or medical...

Corticosteroid: Any of the steroid hormones made by the outer portion (cortex) of the adre...

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

Cure: 1. To heal, to make well, to restore to good health. 2. A time withou...

Cutaneous: Related to the skin.

Dermatitis: Inflammation of the skin, either due to direct contact with an irritating sub...

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

Dysfunction: Difficult function or abnormal function.

Dyspnea: Difficult or labored breathing; shortness of breath. Dyspnea is a sign of serious...

Enzyme: A protein (or protein-based molecule) that speeds up a chemical reaction in a livi...

Erythema: Redness of the skin that results from capillary congestion. Erythema can occur w...

Erythema nodosum: An inflammatory reaction that occurs deep in the skin and is characteriz...

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

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

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

Gallium: A rare metal with the atomic weight 69. There are several isotopic forms of galli...

Granuloma: A granuloma is one of a number of forms of localized nodular inflammation fou...

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

Hepatic: Having to do with the liver.

High blood sugar: An elevated level of the sugar glucose in the blood. Also called hypergl...

Hypercalcemia: A higher-than-normal level of calcium in the blood. Hypercalcemia can be a ...

Hyperglycemia: A high blood sugar. An elevated level specifically of the sugar glucose in...

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: a type of inflammation of the lung that develops from breath...

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

Immune response: Any reaction by the immune system. For example, poison ivy can cause an i...

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

Indication: 1. In medicine, a condition which makes a particular treatment or proce...

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

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

Lavage: Washing out. Gastric lavage, for example, is the washing out of the stomach to rem...

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

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

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

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

Lymphoma: A tumor of the lymphoid tissue. The major types of lymphoma are Hodgkin's diseas...

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

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

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

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

Night sweats: Severe hot flashes that occur at night and result in a drenching sweat. Nigh...

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

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

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

PFT: Pulmonary function test.

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

Proteins: Large molecules composed of one or more chains of amino acids in a specific orde...

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Radioactive: Emitting energy waves due to decaying atomic nuclei. Radioactive substances a...

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

Refractory: Not yielding, or not yielding readily, to treatment.

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

Renal: Having to do with the kidney. For example, renal cancer is cancer of the kidneys.

Rheumatic fever: An illness that occurs following a streptococcus infection (such as a "st...

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

Sarcoidosis: A disease of unknown origin that causes small lumps (granulomas) due to chron...

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

Serum: The clear liquid that can be separated from clotted blood. Serum differs from plas...

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

Spleen: An organ that is located in the upper-left part of the abdomen, not far from the s...

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

Subcutaneous: Under the skin. For example, a subcutaneous injection is an injection in whi...

Substance: 1. Material with particular features.
2. The material that...

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

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

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

Tumor: An abnormal mass of tissue. Tumors are a classic sign of inflammation, and can be ...

Tumor necrosis factor: One of multiple proteins capable of inducing necrosis (death) of tu...

Ulcer: A lesion that is eroding away the skin or mucous membrane. Ulcers can have various ...

Vein: A blood vessel that carries blood that is low in oxygen content from the body back t...

Virus: A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium that cannot grow or reproduce apar...

Vitamin D: A steroid vitamin which promotes the intestinal absorption and metabolism of ca...

Weight loss: Weight loss is a decrease in body weight resulting from either voluntary (die...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...