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Diseases » Histoplasmosis » Glossary

Glossary for Histoplasmosis

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections: A term given to HIV patients who have a low CD4 count (below 200) which means that they have low levels of a type of immune cell called T-cells. AIDS patients tend to develop opportunistic infections and cancers. Opportunistic infections are infections that would not normally affect a person with a healthy immune system. The HIV virus is a virus that attacks the body's immune system.
Blastomycosis: A fungal infection caused by Blastomyces dermatitidis and resulting in lung, skin, bone and genitourinary involvement.
Chorioretinitis: Inflammation of the choroids and retina of the eye. It can be caused by various pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungus or protozoa. Other noninfectious diseases such as sarcoidosis can cause abnormal deposits in the eye which can also result in inflammation.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Severe chronic fatigue disorder often following infection.
Common cold: A cold is a relatively minor contagious infection of the nose and throat that can be caused by a number of different viruses (e.g. rhinoviruses, coronaviruses). There are over 200 different viruses that have the potential to cause the common cold. Although colds can cause discomfort they are not considered a serious condition.
Erythema nodosum: Allergic skin condition usually on the legs
Fever: Elevation of the body temperature above the normal 37 degrees celsius
Flu: Very common viral respiratory infection.
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.
Leishmaniasis: A rare infectious disease caused by any of a number of parasitic Leishmania species. Infection can cause any of three different manifestations: cutaneous leishmaniasis, mucosal leishmaniasis and visceral leishmaniasis.
Lung symptoms: Symptoms affecting one or both lungs.
Lymphoma: Cancer involving lymph nodes and the immune system.
Malaise: General feelings of discomfort or being ill-at-ease.
Mediastinitis: Inflammation of the area between the lungs called the mediastinum which contains the heart, thymus gland, windpipe, esophagus and large blood vessels. The condition may occur suddenly (acute) or slowly over a period of time (chronic). It is often a complication of open chest surgery or penetrating chest wounds.
No symptoms: The absence of noticable symptoms.
Nocardiosis: A rare infectious disease caused by the bacteria Nocardia asteroides which primarily affects the lung but may also involve the brain, soft tissues and other organs.
Ocular histoplasmosis syndrome: An uncommon eye complication from lung histoplasmosis.
Pericarditis: Inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart
Pleural effusion: Fluid in the pleural spaces.
Pneumoconiosis: A lung disease caused by breathing in coal dust. It often occurs in people employed in the coal industry. Generally symptoms stop once the exposure ceases.
Pneumocystic carinii pneumonia: An infectious disease caused by the fungus called Pneumocystitis carinii which causes pneumonia. It primarily occurs in people with a poor immune system.
Pulmonary fibrosis: A scarring condition that affects the lungs
Respiratory symptoms: Symptoms affecting the breathing systems.
Sarcoidosis: Rare autoimmune disease usually affecting the lungs.
Sepsis: The presence of pathological micro-organisms in the blood
Stevens-Johnson Syndrome: A rare but serious condition involving inflammation and blistering of the skin and mucous membranes. It is believed to be an allergic reaction that can occur in response to some drugs or infectious diseases.
Tuberculosis: Bacterial infection causing nodules forming, most commonly in the lung.
Type A influenza subtype H1: The H1 subtype of influenza is a strain of the type A influenza virus that can cause cause serious illness and result in pandemics. Influenza is viral respiratory infection. The virus is very contagious and can cause severe illness especially in patients who are very young or old or have some other medical condition as well. The severity of symptoms can vary but usually involves respiratory and constitutional (e.g. headache, aching muscles) symptoms. The influenza virus can mutate and produce different strains though the symptoms are the same. This frequent mutation means that people need regular vaccinations to ensure they are protected against new strains as they arise.
Zoonotic Diseases: When a condition is transmitted through a zoonotic organisms