Human Diseases

Ocular herpes is a contagious viral infection of the eye. Ocular herpes is the same strain of herpes that causes a cold sore--completely different from the sexually transmitted form of herpes. The Digital Journal of Ophthalmology from Harvard Medical School states that there are approximately 500,000 cases of ocular herpes treated every year in the United States. Symptoms include blurred vision, tearing and eye pain.

Pyomyositis, is a bacterial infection of the skeletal muscles which results in a pus-filled abscess. Pyomyositis is most common in tropical areas but can also occur in temperate zones.

Borna disease is an infectious neurological syndrome of warm-blooded animals, caused by Borna disease virus, which causes abnormal behaviour and fatality. The causative agent of Borna disease, Borna disease virus (BDV) is a neurotropic virus and is a member of the Bornaviridae family within the Mononegavirales order.

Raynaud's phenomenon is a vasospastic disorder causing discolouration of the fingers, toes, and occasionally other areas. This condition can also cause nails to become brittle with longitudinal ridges.

Sjِgren's syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack and destroy the exocrine glands that produce tears and saliva.

This desease, also known as bacterial pseudomycosis is a rare chronic granulomatous bacterial infection that affects the skin, and sometimes the viscera. Botryomycosis has been known to affect humans, horses, cattle, swine, dogs and cats.

Epidermodysplasia verruciformis is an extremely rare autosomal recessive genetic hereditary skin disorder associated with a high risk of carcinoma of the skin. It is characterized by abnormal susceptibility to human papillomaviruses (HPVs) of the skin.

Schnitzler syndrome is a rare disease characterised by chronic hives (urticaria) and periodic fever, bone pain and joint pain (sometimes with joint inflammation), weight loss, malaise, fatigue, swollen lymph glands and enlarged spleen and liver.

Acute prostatitis is a serious bacterial infection of the prostate gland. This infection is a medical emergency. It should be distinguished from other forms of prostatitis such as chronic bacterial prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS).

Susac's syndrome is a microangiopathy characterized by encephalopathy, branch retinal artery occlusions and hearing loss. It is caused by the immune system attacking healthy tissue, and can lead to mental disorders.

Caries is a progressive destruction of any kind of bone structure, including the skull, ribs and other bones, or the teeth. Caries can be caused by osteomyelitis, which is a microorganism disease. A disease that involves caries is mastoiditis, an inflammation of the mastoid process, in which the bone gets eroded.

Vitiligo is a disorder that causes depigmentation of patches of skin. It occurs when melanocytes, the cells responsible for skin pigmentation, die or are unable to function. The cause of vitiligo is unknown, but research suggests that it may arise from autoimmune, genetic, oxidative stress, neural, or viral causes.

Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (THS) is a rare disorder characterized by severe and unilateral headaches with extraocular palsies, usually involving the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth cranial nerves, and pain around the sides and back of the eye, along with weakness and paralysis (ophthalmoplegia) of certain eye muscles.

Zika fever is an illness caused by the Zika virus, a member of the family Flaviviridae. Common symptoms include a maculopapular skin rash that starts on the face or trunk before moving to the rest of the body, conjunctivitis, joint pain, low-grade fevers and headache.

Ghon's complex is a lesion seen in the lung that is caused by tuberculosis. The lesions consist of a calcified focus of infection and an associated lymph node. These lesions are particularly common in children and can retain viable bacteria, so are sources of long-term infection and may be involved in reactivation of the disease in later life.

Pyoderma gangrenosum is a disease that causes tissue to become necrotic, causing deep ulcers that usually occur on the legs. When they occur, they can lead to chronic wounds. Ulcers usually initially look like small bug bites or papules, and they progress to larger ulcers. Though the wounds rarely lead to death, they can cause pain and scarring.

Wittmaack-Ekbom syndrome is a neurological disorder characterized by an irresistible urge to move one's body to stop uncomfortable or odd sensations. It most commonly affects the legs, but can affect the arms, torso, and even phantom limbs. Moving the affected body part modulates the sensations, providing temporary relief.

Blastomycosis is caused by the fungus Blastomycoses dermatitidis. It grows in soil as a mold producing conidia that infects humans by the airborne route. Along with common mild respiratory infections, skin lesions can also appear. The fungus grows as a budding yeast in human tissues.

Endothrix refers to dermatophyte infections of the hair that invade the hair shaft and internalize into the hair cell. This is in contrast to exothrix (ectothrix), where a dermatophyte infection remains confined to the hair surface.

Fungemia is the presence of fungi or yeasts in the blood. It is most commonly caused by Candida species but can be caused by other fungi as well, including Aspergillus and Cryptococcus. It is most commonly seen in immunosuppressed or immunocompromised patients with severe neutropenia, oncology patients, or in patients with intravenous catheters.

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a condition characterised by an exaggerated response of the immune system (a hypersensitivity response) to the fungus Aspergillus (most commonly Aspergillus fumigatus). It occurs most often in patients with asthma or cystic fibrosis. Aspergillus spores are ubiquitous in soil and are commonly found in the sputum of healthy individuals.

Myringomycosis is a fungal infection of the tympanic membrane. It is caused by the presence of the fungus aspergillus nigricans or flavescens.

Sporotrichosis is a disease caused by the infection of the fungus Sporothrix schenckii. This fungal disease usually affects the skin, although other rare forms can affect the lungs, joints, bones, and even the brain.

Spondylitis is an inflammation of the vertebra. It is a form of spondylopathy. In many cases, spondylitis involves one or more vertebral joint as well, which itself is called spondylarthritis.

Osteomyelitis simply means an infection of the bone or bone marrow. It can be usefully subclassified on the basis of the causative organism (pyogenic bacteria or mycobacteria), the route, duration and anatomic location of the infection.