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Diseases » Lymphoma » Glossary

Glossary for Lymphoma

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.
Amyloidosis: A rare group of metabolic disorders where a protein called amyloid accumulates in body organs and tissues where it can cause damage and is potentially fatal. Symptoms depend on the organs involved. There are numerous forms of the condition: primary amyloidosis, secondary amyloidosis, hemodialysis-associated amyloidosis and familial amyloidosis.
Blood cancer: Malignancy of one or several of the different types of cells in the blood
Bloom Syndrome: A rare genetic inherited genetic disorder which mainly affects Ashkenazic Jewish people and is characterized by short stature, malar hypoplasia, and a telangiectatic erythema of the face.
Brain cancer: Cancer of the brain.
Brucellosis: An infectious disease caused by the Brucella genus which is transmitted from animals to humans.
$CRMO, juvenile$: A rare chronic inflammatory bone disease that occurs in children. The symptoms go into periods of remission only to return. The most common sites for the inflammation are the shinbone, thighbone and collarbone with usually several sites being affected at once.
Cancer: Abnormal overgrowth of body cells.
Cat scratch disease: An infectious disease transmitted through a cat's bite, scratch or lick and resulting primarily in lymph node pain and swelling. The condition can be mild or severe.
Celiac Disease: Digestive intolerance to gluten in the diet.
Chromosome 9, monosomy 9p: A rare chromosomal disorder where a portion of the short arm (p) of chromosome 9 is missing resulting in various abnormalities.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Severe chronic fatigue disorder often following infection.
Chédiak-Higashi syndrome: An inherited immune system disorder characterized by reduced pigmentation, recurrent infection and neurological disorders.
Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: A common form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma characterized by abnormal proliferation of B-lymphocytes. It is a cancer of the B-lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) which, if untreated, can spread to other parts of the body such as the bones and the liver. It differs from follicular lymphoma in that it is a high-grade lymphoma that usually develops rapidly. Follicular lymphoma often transforms into diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Dry mouth: A condition characterized by the sensation of a dry mouth
Fever: Elevation of the body temperature above the normal 37 degrees celsius
Flu: Very common viral respiratory infection.
Flu-like symptoms: Symptoms similar to flu including fever
Follicular lymphoma: A form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma characterized by an abnormal proliferation of B-lymphocytes. It is a cancer of the B-lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) which, if untreated, can spread to other parts of the body such as the bones and the liver. It differs from diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in that it is a low-grade lymphoma that usually develops slowly. Follicular lymphoma often transforms into diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Groin swelling: Swelling in the groin joint area
HIV/AIDS: HIV is a sexually transmitted virus and AIDS is the progressive immune failure that HIV causes.
Hashimoto's Thyroiditis: Hashimoto thyroiditis is characterized by the destruction of thyroid cells by various cell- and antibody-mediated immune processes. Patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis have antibodies to various thyroid antigens, the most frequently detected of which include antithyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), antithyroglobulin (anti-Tg), and, to a lesser extent, TSH receptor-blocking antibodies.
Histoplasmosis: Lung infection from fungus Histoplasma capsulatum
Hodgkin's Disease: A form of cancer that affects the lymphatic system.
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.
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis:
Immune disorders: Disorders that affect the immune system
Immunoproliferative diseases: Diseases characterised by proliferation of the lymphoid cells
Infection: Infections as a symptom.
Kidney Cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues of the kidneys
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.
Leukemia: Cancer of the blood cells, usually white blood cells.
Li-Fraumeni syndrome: A rare inherited disorder characterized by tumor development by young adulthood.
Lung cancer: Lung cancer is a disease of uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. This growth may lead to metastasis, which is the invasion of adjacent tissue and infiltration beyond the lungs. Most lung tumors are malignant.
Lymphatic Filariasis: Parasitic worm infection of the lympatic system
Lymphoid interstitial pneumonia: A relatively rare form of lung disease characterized by the buildup of lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) in the air spaces or alveoli of the lungs. The condition can affect children or adults and is frequently associated with conditions such as HIV and autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Symptoms may develop gradually over a period of months or even years in some cases.
Macroglossia: Abnormally large tongue.
Mantle cell lymphoma: A form of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (a cancer of the B-lymphocytes) which has a very poor prognosis with the 5-year survival rate being about 25%. The lymphoma can spread to other parts of the body such as the liver, spleen or bone marrow.
Microcephaly immunodeficiency lymphoreticuloma: A very rare syndrome characterized mainly by a small head, reduced immunity and increased risk of cancer. There are a wide range of other abnormalities and symptoms that can occur.
Mononucleosis: Common infectious virus.
Neck Cancer: Any cancer that occurs in the neck
Night sweats: Night sweats is the occurrence of excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) during sleep. The sufferer may or may not also suffer from excessive perspiration while awake.
Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome: A very rare syndrome characterized mainly by a small head, reduced immunity and increased risk of cancer. There are a wide range of other abnormalities and symptoms that can occur.
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.
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma: A type of lymphoma, a cancer affecting lymph nodes and the immune system.
Osteoporosis: Bone thinning and weakening from bone calcium depletion.
Pancreatic cancer: Pancreatic cancer is a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas
Platelet disorder, familial, with associated myeloid malignancy: A blood disorder associated with the development of leukemia. The disorder arises from a genetic mutation.
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.
Primary effusion lymphoma: A cancerous proliferation of lymphocytic B-cells caused by the human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus). It is more prevalent in immunodeficient people such as AIDS patients. The cancer tends to occur in the lining of body cavities such as the pericardium and peritoneum. The cancerous cells are detected in the fluid secreted from the lining of the cavity.
Primary immunodeficiency disorders: A defective immune system not caused by a disease or virus but rather due to a genetic mutation. Many different cells in the body are involved in the body's immune system and thus there are over 100 different primary immunodeficiency disorders. B cells, T cells, natural killer cells and phagocytic cells are some of the cells that make up the immune system. Symptoms can range from mild to severe. Primary immunodeficiencies may occur on their own or as part of a syndrome.
Relapsing fever: Tick-borne disease with symptoms that resolve and then relapse
Sarcoidosis: Rare autoimmune disease usually affecting the lungs.
Sjogren's Syndrome: Autoimmune disease damaging the eye tear ducts and other glands.
Small Intestine Cancer: Cancer of the small intestine.
Spleen Cancer: Malignancy of white blood cells with tumour deposits in the spleen.
Swelling symptoms: Symptoms causing swelling or enlargement.
Swollen lymph nodes: Swelling or enlargement of the lymph nodes
Swollen neck lymph nodes: Swollen lymph nodes in the neck region
Toxocariasis: A parasitic roundworm (Toxocara canis or Toxocara cati) infection that normally occurs in cats and dogs but can be transmitted to humans by ingesting the larvae or eggs. The infection may be asymptomatic or severe and symptoms depend on where the larvae travel to when they migrate through the body.
Toxoplasmosis: Infection often caught from cats and their feces.
Trypanosomiasis:
Tuberculosis: Bacterial infection causing nodules forming, most commonly in the lung.
Tularemia: A rare infections disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis (a gram-negative pleomorphic coccobacillus). Transmission occurs through contact with infected animals or there habitats e.g. bites from infected insects or other animals, eating infected wild animals, contact with contaminated water and soil. Symptoms can vary greatly depending on the method of infection. For example infection through inhalation can cause symptoms similar to pneumonia, eating infected animals can cause a sore throat and abdominal symptoms and transmission through the skin can cause result in a painful skin ulcer.
Typhoid fever: Fever from bacterial food poisoning.
Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia: A plasma cell dyscrasia that resembles leukaemia
X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome: A rare inherited immunodeficiency disorder where the body's immune systm is unable to respond appropriately to certain viral infections (Epstein Barr virus).
Xerostomia: A medical term for a dry mouth due to insufficient saliva. There are numerous causes of a dry mouth including medications and nerve damage.