Terminology Flashcards
AETIOLOGY
cause of disease, eg. viaral, bacterial, neoplastic, degenerative
Pathology
the study of diseases
Pathophysiology
the disordered physiological processes associated with diease or injury
i.e. the way the disease impacts on the animals body function
Differential Diagnosis
the distinguishing of a disease or condition from others presenting with similar signs and symptoms.
i.e short list of possible diagnosis made before a definitive diagnosis is reached
Definitive Diagnosis
Final diagnosis that is made after getting the results of tests, such as blood tests and niopsies, that are carried out to find out if a certain disease or condition is present.
Prognosis
The likely outcome of a medical condition
Acute disease
A disease that appears suddenly and lasts for a short amount of time
For example; a fever or acute arthiritis
Chronic diease
A long-term health condition that may not have a treatment and may require ongoing medical attention.
For example; diabetes or cushing’s disease
Acquired diease
A type of diease that develops after birth and contiues throughout the patient’s life, it could also be a congenital.
For example; myocarditis or degenerative valve disease
Inherited disease
A medical condition, where disorders are transmitted from generation to generation.
For example; hip dysplasia, allergies or lymposarcoma
Congenital disease
Conditions that an animal is born with, often called ‘birth defects’.
Some of these conditions are inherited and tend to occur within particular breeds, breeding lines or can be caused by chemicals or injury during pregnancy.
For example; heart murmers, cleft palate, umbilicl hernia
Nutrional/Metabolic disease
A disease or disorder that disrupts normal metabolism, due to insuffient nutrition.
For example; obesity, rickets, diabetes
Infectious diease
Disorders caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites which are transmitted directly or indirectly from one infected patient to another
For example; kennel cough, parvovirus, ringworm
Neoplastic disease
Conditions that cause tumor growth.
A neoplasm is an abnormal growth of cells, known as a tumour. Growth can either be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous)
Degenerative disease
The progrssive loss of function and/or structior of the affected tissues.
For example, degenerative myelopathy, cervical spondylomyelothapy (Wobbler syndrome)
Immune meditated disease
Condition that results from an abnormal immune system response. With these diseases the immune system mistakenly targets the body, whihc creates an inflammatoy response that causes damage.
Examples of diseases include, inflammatory bowel disease, Myasthenia Gravis, Thrombocytopenia
Idiopathic
Disease or condition which has arisen spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause.
For example, idiopathic epilpsy, idiopathic vestibular disease
ELISA antibody test
The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is a technique used to measure infectious agents, antibodies, antigens, proteins and glycoprotiens.
Antibodies are made in response to infection so ELISA antibody testing can indicate whether or not the patient has been in contact with a certain virus.
PCR assay
PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests are a fast, highly accurate way to diagnose certain infectious diseases and genetic changes. They can find evidence of disease in the earliest stages of infection.
The tests work by finding the DNA or rNA of a pathogen (disease-causing organism) or abnormal cells in a sample.
Microscopic Agglutination test
The microscopic agglutination test (MAT) is commonly used for the diagnosis of canine leptospirosis.
Anaemia
A condition in which the number of RBC or the haemoglobin concentration the RBC is lower than normal. Anaemia is not a specific disease but rather the result of some other disease process of condition.
Clinical signs - loss of pink colour of the gums, liethargy, as well as signs of blood loss, labored breathing
Polydipsia
Excessive water consumptionand urine production. Can be an indication of a serious underlying disease sucha as kidney disease, pyometra or diabetes mellitus.
Polyuria
Condition where the body makes more urine than normal, whihc in turn causes polydispia.
Causes of polydispia (PD)/ polyuria (PU) - hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s disease), hyperthyroidism
Petechiation
Petechiae are formed when capillaries haemorrhages, they are small pinpoint- sized red or purple spots found on the dogs skin, prepuce, vulva, mucous membranes.
Causes of petechiae - trauma, blood-clotting disorder such as thrombocytopenia, and tick borne diseases.
Epistaxis
Defined as an accute hemorrhage (bleeding) from the nostrul, nasal cavity or the nasopharnynx.
Common cause can be trauma or nasal tumours, however other serious conditions such as liver failure, infection, tooth rot, rodenticide
Ataxia
A group of neurological conditions that affect balance and coordination, there are many types of ataxia. Some causes of ataxia are, tumours, infection or inflammation, hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia and nutritnal imbalances.
Symptoms of ataxia include, abnormal gait, lethargy, decreased appetite, loss of balance
Rhinitis
Inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nose, can be acute or chronic and may have bacterial, viral or allergic cause. Rhinitis is one of the most common upper respiratory tract malfunctions.
Signs of rhinitis - nasal discharge, sneezing, open-mouth breathing, laboured breathing
Causes - trauma, foreign bodies, inflammatory disease, viral infection, canine distemper, canine parainfluenza, allergic rhinitis is associated with pllen production, molds and dust
Lymphadenopathy
Lymphadenopathy refers to the swelling of lymph nodes, it can be localised or generalised.
The most common cause of lymphoadenopathy in the dog is mrimary lymphiod neoplasia affecting the node, however other causes such as recative hyperplasia, inflammation of the node, lymph node haemorrhage
Polyphagia
Also known as hyerphagia is defined as an excessive intake of food, presenting as an increased appetite. Polyphagi can be either physiological or pathological.
It can occure with highly palatbale diets or for behavioural reasons or with certain medications.
Causes of polyphagia- overfeeding, boredom, excercise, pregnancy, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes mellitus
Pulmonary oedema
Condition caused by abnormal accumulation of fluid in the lung tissue, airways or air sacs, may occur with ciculatory disorders, some allergic reactions or infectious diseases, airway constructions, trauma. The condtion is usually divided into cardiogenic and non-cardiogenic
Signs- laboured or open-mouthed breathing, hesitant to lay down or preference to sit up, coughing, cyanosis
Syncope
A loss of consciousness for a short period of time.
This occurs when there is a sudden change in the blood flow to the brain where it does not recieve enough oxygen.
Tachycardia
Tachycardia - increaed heart and pulse rates. This can be seen with exercise, stress, disease and drug administration.
Bradycardia
Bradycardia - reduced heart and pulse rates. These can either be drug induced or seen in animals that are asleep, very fut or stuggling from cardiac arrythmias.
Exotic animals which hibernate have a low pulse rate during the winter months.
Ascites
Ascites- accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavitiy causing a distension of the abdomen
Jaundice
Jaundice- elevated levels of bilirubin in the tissues and circulation, resulting in a yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes.
Dyspnoea
Dyspnoea is diffuculty in breathing. It can be very distressing, worsen rapidly and is life-threathening
Cyanosis
Cyanosis is a bluish/purplish discolouration of the mucous membranes and skin whihc occurs as a result of reduced oxygen in the body as not enough is being carried by RBCs.
Apnoea
Apnoea is the cessation of breathing
Haematuria
Haematuria is blood in the urine that occurs due to bleeping in the urinary system or reproductive tracts.
Haematemesis
Haematemesis is defined as the vomiting of blood and indicates an upper gastrointestinal site of bleeding
