I realize I have written about the same subject the last two times, and the title of this post is similar to recent blogs. However, at the risk of being boring and repetitious, I’m going to enter this subject area again because I find it interesting. Medical scientists try their hardest to choose names for diagnoses that bear no obvious similarity to the actual problem. As I said before, why would one name the eating of non-food items “PICA?” Unless you knew that “pica” is the Latin word that refers to the “Eurasian magpie,” a bird known to eat stones and other non-food items, you would have no clue. Well, many of these ten (10) names bear a similar cryptic origin. Some do have Greek or Latin origin, while many others are obscure at best. Here they are.
PARONYCHIA: A common infection, usually bacterial or fungal, involving the skin around the fingernails or toenails. It causes redness, swelling, pain, and a blister of pus under the skin surface. Paronychia is an infection/inflammation, but it omits the suffix “itis.” Chances are good you may have had this.
HYDATIDIFORM MOLE: Also called a “molar pregnancy,” a fertilized egg develops abnormally into a mass of cystic, grape-like structures that fill the uterus and enlarge, mimicking pregnancy. Diagnosed by ultrasound and very high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) after a fetal heartbeat cannot be detected. Surgical removal of the “mole” is required for treatment. During residency, I had a patient with a hydatidiform mole who coincidentally, at a separate time, had a tubal (ectopic) pregnancy. I can’t recall if she had any normal pregnancies, but after the molar pregnancy, she chose to have a hysterectomy.
CARCINOID TUMOR: A slow-growing tumor of neuroendocrine cells (specialized cells that have nerve function and produce hormones) occurring in the digestive tract and the lungs. Can be benign or malignant and produce hormones that are released into the bloodstream. These hormones cause flushing, diarrhea, abdominal pain, wheezing, and rapid heartbeat (Carcinoid Syndrome). Called “carcinoid” because they are cancer-like, but not always. In practice, it seemed like a lot of patients had the symptoms of the syndrome, but I diagnosed a carcinoid tumor only once.
ANGULAR CHEILITIS: An inflammation of the lips involving the corners (angles) of the mouth. Saliva, bacteria, funguses, and contact irritants cause redness, crusting, cracking, swelling, and itching of the skin at the corner. The upper lip overlapping the lower causes the angle to be moist constantly attracting infection. Very common. “Cheilitis” is identifiable if you know the meaning of “cheil.”
CEREBELLAR ATAXIA: The cerebellum is the part of the brain responsible for coordination and balanced movement. Ataxia refers to a staggering, unsteady gait. Damage (stroke, degeneration) to the cerebellum causes staggering gait, poor coordination of the extremities, slurred speech, and abnormal eye movements. This disorder is easily recognized with obvious symptoms that are very impressive.
POLYMYALGIA RHEUMATICA: An autoimmune inflammatory disorder causing pain and stiffness of the neck, shoulders, back, and hips. Joint swelling (hands, wrists) and morning stiffness are common. Diagnosis aided by abnormal inflammatory blood markers. Occurs more in older adults over age 65. Actually fairly common.
CICATRIX: The Latin term for the scar left after a skin wound has healed. Most folks say “scar” and not “cicatrix,” but suit yourself—as long as your conversant knows what cicatrix means. I never heard any doctor use that term; not even the most arrogant of surgeons.
PREECLAMPSIA: A serious complication of the later weeks of pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure, protein in the urine, and ankle edema often requiring hospitalization and early delivery of the infant. The cure is delivery of the baby. Severe cases can lead to eclampsia and harm to the infant. “Pre” obviously means the state of the patient before she becomes eclamptic.
PTOSIS: Drooping of one or both upper eyelids that partially, or completely, obscures the vision in the affected eye. Caused by muscle weakness, nerve damage, or trauma. Common in the elderly. Often is part of a neurologic disorder.
SCROFULA: A disorder rarely seen today, involving infection of the lymph nodes of the neck. In scrofula, these nodes are infected by tuberculosis and become swollen. Today’s cases of TB are largely limited to the lungs. Scrofula is of historic significance only, because cases are rare.
I threw in scrofula because the name fascinates me. It’s an odd word very similar to scruffy or scrufty (not a real word)—scruffy is correct. There are so many terms like cicatrix, pica, or pemphigus, whose names give us no indication what they mean, unless we are a language scholar. There are far more terms formed by combining Greek and/or Latin derivatives that clearly explain the meaning of the disorder. For example, a term like “tenosynovitis” uses three roots to define the condition for which it is named. “Teno” is the root for tendon. “Synov” is the root for synovia and synovial fluid which lubricates tendon sheaths and joints. “Itis” is the root for inflammation. So tenosynovitis is inflammation of a tendon, its sheath, and the fluid around it. This term tells you exactly what you’re dealing with. Pemphigus, pica, and cicatrix are much less obvious.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and found it interesting and informative.
