In medicine, the term syndrome is the association of several clinically recognizable features, signs, symptoms, phenomena or characteristics which often occur together, so that the presence of one feature alerts the physician to the presence of the others. In recent decades the term has been used outside of medicine to refer to a combination of phenomena seen in association.
The term syndrome derives from the Greek and means literally "run together," as the features do. The term syndrome is most often used when the reason that the features occur together (pathophysiology) has not yet been discovered. A familiar syndrome name often continues to be used even after an underlying cause has been found. Many syndromes are named after the physicians credited with first reporting the association; these are "eponymous" syndromes. Otherwise, disease features or presumed causes, as well as references to geography, history or poetry, can lend their names to syndromes.
AIDS, a case study
A recent
case study is
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), so named as most syndromal immune deficiencies are either inborn or secondary to
hematological disease. AIDS was originally termed "Gay Related Immune Disease" (or GRID), a name which was revised as the disease turned out to also affect heterosexuals. Several years passed after the recognition of AIDS before
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) was first described, finally explaining the hitherto mysterious "syndrome".
More on
[ Syndrome ]
National Institutes of Health (NIH) News ReleasesSchizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Share Genetic Roots Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:45:00 -0400
A trio of genome-wide studies -- collectively the largest to date -- have pinpointed a vast array of genetic variation that cumulatively may account for at least one third of the genetic risk for schizophrenia. One of the studies traced schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, in part, to the same chromosomal neighborhoods.
Imaging Technique Allows Researchers to Monitor Protein Changes in Mouse Tumors Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:05:00 -0400
A new imaging technique can monitor, in living mice, the HER2 protein found in above-normal amounts in many cases of breast cancer as well as some ovarian, prostate and lung cancers. This new approach, once validated in mice and pending further experiments, could provide a real-time noninvasive method for identifying tumors in humans who express HER2 and who would be candidates for targeted therapy directed against this protein. It may also provide real-time information that will help clinicians optimize treatment for individual patients. The study, published in the July 2009 issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, was conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, both parts of the National Institutes of Health.
Dynasty: Influenza Virus in 1918 and Today Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:10:00 -0400
The influenza virus that wreaked worldwide havoc in 1918-1919 founded a viral dynasty that persists to this day, according to scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. In an article published online on June 29 by the New England Journal of Medicine, authors Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Jeffery K. Taubenberger, M.D., Ph.D., and David M. Morens, M.D., argue that we have lived in an influenza pandemic era since 1918, and they describe how the novel 2009 H1N1 virus now circling the globe is yet another manifestation of this enduring viral family.
CNN.com - HealthPolice: Hospital worker swiped shots, spread hep C Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:18:42 -0400
A former hospital employee may have exposed hundreds or thousands of surgical patients to hepatitis C when she replaced clean needles filled with the powerful painkiller fentanyl with her own dirty needles filled with saline solution.
Health.com picks top beach, lake getaways Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:47:40 -0400
We know your summer vacation time is precious: You want to land where you can truly relax, breathe fresh air, get in some exercise and eat well -- without breaking the bank. That's why we teamed up with a panel of travel and health experts to help us find the healthiest of the nation's most popular beach and lake towns.
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About com Guide Laura L. Jelliffe, Ph.D. - Symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of Soto's syndrome. Information on research, community outreach and support.
Meta Description: [ THE starting place for exploring Biology. ]
MCW Healthlink - An article about soto's syndrome with an explanation of what it is, the features, symptoms and the prognosis.
Meta Description: [ Soto's syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by excessive physical growth during the first 2 to 3 years of life. ]
Soto's Syndrome - Also known as cerebral gigantism, an information sheet compiled by NINDS.
Meta Description: [ Sotos Syndrome (Cerebral Gigantism) information sheet compiled by NINDS. ]
Sotos Syndrome Support Association - Online community for education of professionals and families and to exchange ideas, gather research, and help one another cope. Quarterly newsletters, reference library, annual meetings, and conferences are available to members and professionals.
Sotos Syndrome Support Association of Canada - Provides educational and emotional support, and current information. English and French.
Meta Description: [ The Sotos Syndrome Support Association of Canada / Association Canadienne d'Entraide du SyndrĂ´me de Sotos was formed to provide educational and emotional support, and current information. ]