Diagnosis of Immune disorders
Immune disorders Diagnosis: Book Excerpts
Diagnostic Tests for Immune disorders: Online Medical Books
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Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about diagnostis of Immune disorders.
Common variable immunodeficiency:
Diagnosis
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Characteristic diagnostic markers in this disorder are decreased serum IgM, IgA, and IgG levels detected by immunoelectrophoresis, along with a normal circulating B-cell count. Antigenic stimulation confirms an inability to produce specific antibodies; cell-mediated immunity may be intact or delayed. X-rays usually show signs of chronic lung disease or sinusitis.
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Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Allergic purpuras:
Diagnosis
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
No laboratory test clearly identifies allergic purpura (although white blood cell count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate are elevated). Diagnosis therefore necessitates careful clinical observation, in many cases during the second or third attack. Except for a positive tourniquet test (a test to assess the capillaries’ability to withstand increased pressure), coagulation and platelet function tests are usually normal. Small-bowel X-rays may reveal areas of transient edema; in many cases, tests for blood in the urine and stool are positive. Increased blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels may indicate renal involvement. Diagnosis must rule out other forms of nonthrombocytopenic purpura.
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Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Allergic rhinitis:
Diagnosis
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Microscopic examination of sputum and nasal secretions reveals large numbers of eosinophils. Blood chemistry shows normal or elevated IgE. A definitive diagnosis is based on the patient’s personal and family history of allergies as well as physical findings during a symptomatic phase. Skin testing paired with tested responses to environmental stimuli can pinpoint the responsible allergens given the patient’s history. In patients who can’t tolerate skin testing, the radioallergosorbent test may be helpful in determining specific allergen sensitivity.
To distinguish between allergic rhinitis and other nasal mucosa disorders, remember these differences:
❑ In chronic vasomotor rhinitis, eye symptoms are absent, rhinorrhea is mucoid, and seasonal variation is absent.
❑ In infectious rhinitis (the common cold), the nasal mucosa is beet red; nasal secretions contain polymorphonuclear, not eosinophilic, exudate; and signs and symptoms include fever and sore throat. This condition isn’t a recurrent seasonal phenomenon.
❑ In rhinitis medicamentosa, which results from excessive use of nasal sprays or drops, nasal drainage and mucosal redness and swelling disappear when such medication is withheld.
❑ In children, differential diagnosis should rule out a nasal foreign body, such as a bean or a button.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
anaphylaxis:
Diagnosis
(Handbook of Diseases)
Anaphylaxis can be diagnosed by the rapid onset of severe respiratory or cardiovascular symptoms after ingestion or injection of a drug, vaccine, diagnostic agent, food, or food additive or after an insect sting. If these symptoms occur without a known allergic stimulus, rule out other possible causes of shock (such as acute myocardial infarction, status asthmaticus, and heart failure).
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Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Common variable immunodeficiency:
Diagnosis
(Handbook of Diseases)
Characteristic diagnostic markers in this disorder include decreased serum immunoglobulin (Ig) M, IgA, and IgG detected by immunoelectrophoresis, along with a normal circulating B-cell count. Antigenic stimulation confirms an inability to produce specific antibodies; cell-mediated immunity may be intact or delayed. X-rays usually show signs of chronic lung disease or sinusitis.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Allergic purpura:
Diagnosis
(Handbook of Diseases)
No laboratory test result clearly identifies allergic purpura (although the white blood cell count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate are elevated). Diagnosis therefore requires careful observation, usually during the second or third attack. Except for a positive tourniquet test result, coagulation and platelet function test results are usually negative. X-rays of the small bowel may reveal areas of transient edema; test results for blood in the urine and stool are often positive. Increased blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine levels may indicate renal involvement. The diagnosis must rule out other forms of nonthrombocytopenic purpura.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome:
Diagnosis
(Handbook of Diseases)
The cause and nature of CFIDS are still unknown, and no single test unequivocally confirms its presence. Therefore, the diagnosis is based on the patient’s history and the CDC criteria. Because the CDC criteria are admittedly a working concept that may not include all forms of this disease and are based on symptoms that can result from other diseases, diagnosis is difficult and uncertain. Considerable overlap exists between CFIDS and fibromyalgia syndrome, with many patients having features of both.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Allergic rhinitis:
Diagnosis
(Handbook of Diseases)
Microscopic examination of sputum and nasal secretions reveals large numbers of eosinophils. Blood chemistry studies show normal or elevated IgE levels, possibly linked to seasonal overproduction of interleukin-4 and -5 (involved in the allergic inflammatory process). A firm diagnosis rests on the patient’s personal and family history of allergies and on physical findings during a symptomatic phase. Skin testing, paired with tested responses to environmental stimuli, can help pinpoint the responsible allergens when interpreted in light of the patient’s history.
To distinguish between allergic rhinitis and other disorders of the nasal mucosa, remember these differences:
With chronic vasomotor rhinitis, eye symptoms are absent, rhinorrhea is mucoid, and seasonal variation is absent.
CLINICAL TIP: With infectious rhinitis (the common cold), the nasal mucosa is red; nasal secretions contain polymorphonuclear, not eosinophilic, exudate; and signs and symptoms include fever and sore throat. This condition isn’t a recurrent seasonal phenomenon.
With rhinitis medicamentosa, which results from excessive use of nasal sprays or drops, nasal drainage and mucosal redness and swelling disappear when such medication is withheld.
In children, a differential diagnosis should rule out the presence of a foreign body in the nasal passage, such as a bean or a button.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
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