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.
