Vasculitis Glossary of Terms

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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 ...

Amphetamine: A drug that has a stimulant effect on the central nervous system that can be ...

Aorta: The largest artery in the body, the aorta arises from the left ventricle of the he...

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

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

Asthma: A common lung disorder in which inflammation causes the bronchi to swell and narro...

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

Behcet's disease: See: Behcet's syndrome.

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

Blood count: The calculated number of white or red blood cells (WBCs or RBCs) in a cubic m...

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

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

Brain biopsy: Biopsy of the brain. Removal of a small piece of tissue from the brain for d...

Capillaries: Capillaries are the smallest of blood vessels. They serve to distribute oxyge...

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.

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...

Complete blood count: A set values of the cellular (formed elements) of blood. These meas...

Connective tissue: A material made up of fibers forming a framework and support structure...

Coronary arteries: The vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood rich in oxygen. The...

Cryoglobulinemia: The presence in blood of abnormal proteins called cryoglobulins that hav...

Cutaneous: Related to the skin.

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

Epstein-Barr virus: A virus in the herpes family that is best known as the cause of infect...

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

Febrile: Feverish.

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

Giant cell arteritis: A serious disease characterized by inflammation of the walls of the ...

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. ...

Hematuria: Blood in the urine. Hematuria may or may not be accompanied by pain, but it is...

Hemorrhage: Bleeding or the abnormal flow of blood.

Henoch-Schonlein purpura: See: Schonlein-Henoch purpura.

Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, irrespective of the cause. Hepatitis is caused by a ...

Hepatitis B: Inflammation of the liver due to the hepatitis B virus (HBV), once thought t...

Hepatitis C: Inflammation of the liver due to the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which is usuall...

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

Hives: A raised, itchy area of skin that may be a sign of an allergic reaction. It can be ...

Human immunodeficiency virus: HIV, the cause of AIDS. HIV has also been called the human...

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

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

Immunodeficiency: The inability to form a normal immune response. Immunodeficiency can be ...

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 ...

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...

Kawasaki disease: A syndrome that mainly affects young children, causing fever; reddening ...

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...

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...

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

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...

MPH: Master of public health, a degree designating successful training in analyzing past, ...

Nasal: Having to do with the nose.

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

Ophthalmologist: A physician who practices ophthalmology.

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...

Parvovirus B19: See: Fifth disease

Polyarteritis nodosa: An autoimmune disease that is characterized by spontaneous inflammat...

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...

Pulmonary: Having to do with the lungs.

Purpura: Hemorrhage (bleeding) into the surface of the skin. The area of skin with purpura...

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

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

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

Retinal: Pertaining to the retina, the extraordinary layer of neurons (nerve cells) that ...

Retinal vasculitis: Inflammation of the tiny blood vessels of the retina. Retinal vasculit...

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

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

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...

Takayasu arteritis: Inflammation of aorta and its branches. See: Takayasu disease.

Temporal: 1. Pertaining to time, limited in time, temporary, or transient.
...

Temporal arteritis: Also called giant cell arteritis or cranial arteritis, this is a serio...

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...

Urticaria: Another name for the hives. Raised, itchy areas of skin that are usually a sign...

Vascular: Relating to blood vessels. For example, the vascular system in the body includes...

Vasculitis: A general term for a group of uncommon diseases that feature inflammation of t...

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

Vena cava: The superior vena cava is the large vein which returns blood to the heart from ...

Vessel: A tube in the body that carries fluids. Examples of vessels are blood vessels and ...

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

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

Viruses: Small living particles that can infect cells and change how the cells function. I...

Wegener's granulomatosis: An uncommon type of inflammation of small arteries and veins (va...

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