Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Postherpetic encephalitis
Postherpetic encephalitis, or herpes simplex encephalitis (HSVE), is caused by the herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) and is characterized by inflammation of the parenchyma and the surrounding meninges. The herpes simplex virus has a predilection for certain areas of the brain, specifically, the frontotemporal region. HSVE accounts for 10% of all cases of encephalitis and is…
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Mycoplasma pneumoniae encephalitis
Mycoplasma pneumoniae encephalitis is a bacterial infection that mimics a virus; that is, the bacterias lack a cell wall and receptor sites for common antibiotics. Mycoplasmas are transmitted via the respiratory route and are the smallest free-living parasites known to exist. This type of pneumonia occurs more often in the winter months and is often…
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Congenital lobar emphysema
Congenital lobar emphysema is a chronic disease involving progressive hyperinflation of one or more pulmonary lobes, resulting in the trapping of air in the affected lobes. There are two distinct types of congenital lobar emphysema: (a) an overexpansion of the normal lung lobe and (b) a polyalveolar lobe, in which there are an increased number…
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Ehlers-danlos syndrome
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is not a single, homogeneous disorder, but a group of nine different types of genetically inherited disorders characterized by hyperelastic skin that is fragile and bruises easily, excessive laxity (looseness) of the joints, easily damaged blood vessels, and excessive bleeding. The syndrome is caused by abnormal formation of connective tissue due to…
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Ectrodactaly ectodermal dysplasia
Ectrodactyly ectodermal dysplasia is a rare form of ectodermal dysplasia involving missing or webbed fingers and/or toes, cleft lip and/or palate, and abnormalities of the eyes and urinary tract in addition to the aberrations normally present with ectodermal dysplasia, such as usually dry hair, light colored and sparse eyebrows, dry skin, and missing teeth or…
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Ecstasy abuse
Ecstasy (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, or MDMA) is a popular party drug that has a chemical structure similar to amphetamine and mescaline, a hallucinogen. Ecstasy belongs to a group of drugs known collectively as “club drugs” because they are frequently used at dance clubs and all-night dance parties called raves. Ecstasy is typically sold on the street in…
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Dystonia musculorum deformans
Dystonia musculorum deformans is a disease of muscle torsion and posturing that affects children between the ages of 5 and 15. The disease first affects the feet and legs. In adolescents the symptoms tend to start in the hands and arms, sometimes resembling writer’s cramp. At early onset children may gaitor prance. This is a…
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Dysthymia
Dysthymia is one of the predominant types of depressive disorders in children and adolescents. It is an affective disorder characterized by chronically depressed mood (or irritable mood) that occurs most of the time for at least one year (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1994). In differentiating dysthymia from major depressive disorder, the mood disturbance in dysthymia…
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Dysplastic nevus syndrome
Dysplastic nevus syndrome is also known as B-K mole syndrome, atypical mole syndrome, or familial atypical mole- melanoma syndrome. The U.S. National Institutes of Health prefers the latter term and defines the condition in its 1992 “Melanoma: Consensus Statement” as the “(1) occurrence of melanoma in one or more first or second degree relatives, (2)…
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Fibrous dysplasia disease
Fibrous dysplasia is a skeletal disorder that affects bone growth and development within the first two decades of life; it destroys and replaces normal bone and is not usually fatal. Although classified as a benign process, local expansion can cause significant functional and aesthetic deformities. The cause of this disease is currently unknown, although protein…
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