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Diseases » AIDS » Glossary

Glossary for AIDS

Breast Feeding: Nursing an infant with breast milk.
Cachexia: physical wasting with loss of weight and muscle mass caused by disease
Candidiasis: Fungal infection of moist areas such as mouth or vagina
Cardiomyopathy: Any disease of the heart muscle
Chronic Granulomatous Disease: A very rare inherited blood disorder where certain cells involved with immunity (phagocytes) are unable to destroy bacteria and hence the patient suffers repeated bacterial infections.
Common Variable Immunodeficiency: An immunodeficiency disorder involving low blood gamma globulin levels which results in an increased susceptibility to infections. The condition may be inherited or can be caused by certain drugs (levamisole, hydantoin and carbamazepine).
Fever: Elevation of the body temperature above the normal 37 degrees celsius
Fungal infections: Any condition caused by fungus.
HIV/AIDS: HIV is a sexually transmitted virus and AIDS is the progressive immune failure that HIV causes.
Hyper-IgM Syndrome: A rare inherited immunodeficiency disorder which causes frequent infections involving the ears, eyes, sinuses, lungs, skin, respiratory tract and other areas of the body.
Infection: Infections as a symptom.
Kaposi's Sarcoma: Kaposi's sarcoma is a cancerous tumor of the connective tissue, and is often associated with AIDS.
Maculopapular rash: A rash that occurs on the skin that appears reddish with macula and papules
Melanoma: Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. It is the leading cause of death from skin disease. It involves cells called melanocytes, which produce a skin pigment called melanin. Melanin is responsible for skin and hair color.
Melioidosis: Bacterial infection from soil or water.
Meningoencephalitis: A condition which is characterized by inflammation of the brain and meninges
Mononeuritis multiplex: A rare neurological condition where nerve damage occurs at more than one site. Nerve damage can result from conditions such as diabetes mellitus, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and blood vessel diseases.
Multiple Sclerosis: Autoimmune attack on spinal nerves causing diverse and varying neural problems.
Myelopathy: Myelopathy is any disease process that effects the spinal cord.
Myopathy: General name for any disease of the muscles.
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A type of lymphoma, a cancer affecting lymph nodes and the immune system.
Optic neuritis: Optic nerve inflammation
Oral thrush: Candida fungal infection of the mouth.
Parotid gland enlargement:
Pneumococcal pneumonia: Lung pneumnoia from streptococcus bacteria.
Pneumonia: Infection of the lung by bacteria, viruses or fungus.
Primary Immune Deficiency: Various types of immune deficiencies; usually genetic.
SCID: Major failure of the immune system, usually genetic.
Selective IgA Deficiency: Immune deficiency from lacking immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Various diseases spread by sexual contact.
Shingles: Infectious viral infection occuring years after chickenpox infection.
Sweating: Sweating more than normal
Thrombocytopenia: Decreased platelets in the blood
X-Linked Agammaglobulinemia: Immune deficiency from lack of antibodies.