Bromoderma

Bromoderma: A skin eruption brought on by chronic exposure to bromine. Essentially an allergic reaction to bromine. There are diverse sources of bromine exposure including brominated vegetable oil, a commonly used emulsifier and flavor carrier in food products. Bromoderma is a form of bromism

Focal gigantism

Focal gigantism: 1. The excessive growth of a specific body part such as a hand or foot, as with increased blood supply to that part. 2. The excessive growth of a combination of particular body parts, as is characteristic of a congenital malformation syndrome called the Wiedemann-Beckwith syndrome.

Focal gigantism may occur before or after the bones fuse. If it occurs afterwards, it causes disfigurement, as in acromegaly. Surgery for mass reduction may sometimes improve function.

Dengue shock syndrome

Dengue shock syndrome: A syndrome due to the dengue virus that tends to affect children under 10, causing abdominal pain, hemorrhage (bleeding) and circulatory collapse (shock). Known also as dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF), it starts abruptly with high continuous fever and headache plus respiratory and intestinal symptoms with sore throat, cough, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Shock occurs after 2 to 6 days with sudden collapse, cool clammy extremities, weak thready pulse, and blueness around the mouth (circumoral cyanosis). There is bleeding with easy bruising, blood spots in the skin (petechiae), spitting up blood (hematemesis), blood in the stool (melena), bleeding gums and nosebleeds (epistaxis). Pneumonia and heart inflammation (myocarditis) may be present. The mortality is appreciable ranging from 6 to 30%. Most deaths occur in children. Infants under a year of age are especially at risk of death. It is also called Philippine or Southeast Asian hemorrhagic fever.

Cervical dysplasia

Cervical dysplasia: Changes from normal in the cells lining the cervix of the uterus. Cervical dysplasia involves a sequence of cellular changes from mild to severe that are not yet cancerous but constitute the prelude to cervical cancer.

The diagnosis of cervical dysplasia is made from the PAP smear. As a rule, cervical dysplasia is found in no more than 5% of PAP smears. The incidence peaks in women 25 to 35 years of age. Risk factors include multiple sexual partners, the early onset of sexual activity (before age 18), early childbearing (before age 16) and a history of an STD (a sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia, genital warts gonorrhea, genital herpes, and HIV). In a woman with HIV, the speed of changes in cervical dysplasia is accelerated.

The treatment depends on the degree of dysplasia. It may include cryotherapy (freezing the area) and conization (removal of a cone of tissue from the cervix). The aim is to prevent full-fledged cervical cancer.