Glossary for Joint swelling

Medical terms related to Joint swelling or mentioned in this section include:

• Acanthocheilonemiasis: A rare tropical infection caused by a particular threadworm usually found in Africa. It may cause skin rashes, muscle and joint pains, neurologic disorders and skin lumps. The cerebrospinal fluid may also contain the larvae.
• Acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A malignant disease that starts suddenly and progresses quickly. It is characterized by a high number of immature cells in the organs, bone marrow and blood. Symptoms include fever, pallor, anorexia, fatigue, anemia, hemorrhage, bone pain, splenomegaly and frequent infections. Also called acute lymphocytic leukemia.
• Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, adult: Cancer of the white blood cells. Precursors to white blood cells are called blasts and are made by the bone marrow but in ALL the blasts are abnormal and do not develop into lymphocytes. Instead, the abnormal blasts or leukemic cells multiply rapidly and reduce the level of other types of blood cells such as red blood cells and platelets.
• Acute rheumatic fever: Bacterial joint infection with risk of heart complications.
• Alkaptonuria: A rare inherited metabolic disease characterized by homogentisic aciduria, arthritis and ochronosis. Symptoms include darkening of urine, alkinization due to overproduction of homogentisic acid, arthritis in the large joints and black ochronotic pigmentation of cartilage and collagen tissue. However, many of these symptoms may not occur until middle age. The condition may also be caused by chronic phenol poisoning.
• Ankle Osteoarthritis: A form of arthritis where the cartilage which cushions the bones in the ankle joint as they move against each other, becomes progressively degraded and damaged. This causes problems such as pain, stiffness and impaired movement. Pain is not present in all cases however, with some patients imply suffering joint stiffness. Primary osteoarthritis occurs as the person ages but results from repetitive use and/or high mechanical stress on the joint. It is not a direct result of the aging process. Secondary osteoarthritis is the result of such things as injury to the joint, joint infection, obesity, ligament damage, joint overuse, hormonal problems, pregnancy and various other conditions. Family history seem to play a factor in developing the condition.
• Ankle swelling: Ankle swelling often from injury or fluid retention.
• Ankylosing Spondylitis: A form of chronic inflammation of the spine which may also affect joints in the shoulder, hip, neck, ribs and jaw. May result in loss of mobility. Also called Marie-Strumpell disease.
• Anorexia Nervosa: A disorder where a distorted sense of body image leads to self-starvation to the point of death in some cases.
• Arthritis: A condition which is characterized by the inflammation of a joint
• Arthritis pain: Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints, which results in pain, swelling, stiffness, and limited movement.
• Arthritis-like symptoms: A condition which is characterized by symptoms which mimic that of arthritis
• Arthropathy, Neurogenic: Joint destruction caused by damage to the nervous system which prevents the patient feeling sensations in the joint. Due to the nerve damage, pain and damage to the joint often goes unnoticed as the joint deteriorates even further. The knee and ankle are the most common joints affected. The condition is usually caused by an underlying diseases which affects the nerves e.g. diabetic neuropathy, syringomyelia, spinal cord injury and pernicious anemia.
• Asian Dendorlimus pini caterpillar poisoning: A chronic illness caused by contact with certain a poisonous caterpillar called Dendorlimus pini. Contact with the cocoon can also cause symptoms. These caterpillars can be found in Asia, north Africa and eastern Europe.
• Barmah Forest virus: Mosquito-borne virus in parts of Australia
• Behcet's Disease: Recurring inflammation of small blood vessels affecting various areas.
• Beriberi: Disease due to vitamin B1 deficiency (thiamine)
• Bone symptoms: Symptoms affecting the body's bones
• Borreliosis: An infectious bacterial disorder that is transmitted by ticks and causes skin rashes joint swelling and other symptoms similar to the flu.
• Bursitis: inflammation of one or more bursae (small sacs) of synovial fluid in the body.
• Charcot joint: A degeneration of a stress bearing joint chronically and progressively
• Chondrocalcinosis: A rare inherited metabolic disorder where the chemical calcium pyrophosphate dihyrdate is deposited in one or more joints in the body - usually the knee is affected.
• 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).
• Common symptoms: The most common symptoms
• Cranio osteoarthropathy: A very rare syndrome characterized by large fontanelles, joint problems and finger clubbing.
• Dermatomyositis: A muscle disease characterized by chronic muscle inflammation resulting in progressive muscle weakness and a characteristic rash.
• Dieterich's disease: A rare disorder involving destruction of the head of the metacarpal bone due to an interrupted blood supply to the bone. The metacarpal bone is the hand bone that attaches to the finger bones. The disorder is often associated with trauma, steroid use or systemic lupus erythematosus.
• Diffuse systemic sclerosi: A rare condition that characterized by skin tightness affecting the trunk and extremities as well as organ involvement. It involves an early period of internal inflammation which distinguishes it from other forms of scleroderma and the organ involvement can be severe and even life-threatening.
• Dislocation: Bone dislocated from a joint
• Elbow Arthritis: Inflammation of the elbow joint. The inflammation can be the result of such things as degenerative joint disease, gout, infection, trauma and autoimmune conditions.
• Elbow Osteoarthritis: A form of arthritis where the cartilage which cushions the bones in the elbow joint as they move against each other, becomes progressively degraded and damaged. This causes problems such as pain, stiffness and impaired movement. Pain is not present in all cases however, with some patients imply suffering joint stiffness. Primary osteoarthritis occurs as the person ages but results from repetitive use and/or high mechanical stress on the joint. It is not a direct result of the aging process. Secondary osteoarthritis is the result of such things as injury to the joint, joint infection, obesity, ligament damage, joint overuse, hormonal problems, pregnancy and various other conditions. Family history seem to play a factor in developing the condition.
• Elbow swelling: A swelling located on the elbow
• Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome: A life-threatening condition caused by ingesting tryptophan.
• Eosinophilic synovitis: Inflammation of the lining of joints due to the presence of excessive eosinophils. Eosinophils can build up in parts of the body as a response to a variety of conditions such as allergy, parasitic infections and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Essential mixed cryoglobulinemia: A rare autoimmune disorder characterized by the presence of a mixture of various types of antibodies (crylglobulins) in the blood.
• Familial Cold Autoinflammatory Syndrome (FCAS): An inherited inflammatory disorder which causes periods of fever, rash and pain in joints after being exposed to cold conditions. Symptoms last less than a day and start within hours of exposure to the cold.
• Farber's disease: A rare inherited biochemical disorder involving the deficiency of an enzyme called ceramidase resulting in the harmful accumulation of certain chemicals in the body which causes damage and inflammation.
• Fever: Raised body temperature usually with other symptoms.
• Finger osteoarthritis: A form of arthritis where the cartilage which cushions the bones in the finger joints as they move against each other, becomes progressively degraded and damaged. This causes problems such as pain, stiffness and impaired movement. Pain is not present in all cases however, with some patients imply suffering joint stiffness. Primary osteoarthritis occurs as the person ages but results from repetitive use and/or high mechanical stress on the joint. It is not a direct result of the aging process. Secondary osteoarthritis is the result of such things as injury to the joint, joint infection, obesity, ligament damage, joint overuse, hormonal problems, pregnancy and various other conditions. Family history seem to play a factor in developing the condition.
• Finger symptoms: Symptoms affecting any fingers
• Fractures: Breakage of bones
• Gemfibrozil - Teratogenic Agent: There is evidence to indicate that exposure to Gemfibrozil during pregnancy may have a teratogenic effect on the fetus. A teratogen is a substance that can cause birth defects. The likelihood and severity of defects may be affected by the level of exposure and the stage of pregnancy that the exposure occurred at.
• Gout: Painful joints, most commonly the big toe.
• Heberden's nodes: Small hard nodules that form at the interphalangeal joints due to osteoarthritis
• Hemophilic arthropathy: Joint destruction associated with hemophilia. The knees, ankles, elbows, hip and shoulders are the most common joints involved. Symptoms are progressive and often surgical intervention is required to prevent total loss of joint function.
• Hip osteoarthritis: A form of arthritis where the cartilage which cushions the bones in the hip joint as they move against each other, becomes progressively degraded and damaged. This causes problems such as pain, stiffness and impaired movement. Pain is not present in all cases however, with some patients imply suffering joint stiffness. Primary osteoarthritis occurs as the person ages but results from repetitive use and/or high mechanical stress on the joint. It is not a direct result of the aging process. Secondary osteoarthritis is the result of such things as injury to the joint, joint infection, obesity, ligament damage, joint overuse, hormonal problems, pregnancy and various other conditions. Family history seem to play a factor in developing the condition.
• Infection: Infections as a symptom.
• Infectious arthritis: A rare condition where arthritis occurs as a result of joint infection by a bacteria, virus or fungus. Symptoms vary according to the infection type.
• Inflammatory joint effusion: Occurs when there is a joint effusion with a high WBC count and high polymorphic neutrophil percentage in the fluid
• Injury: Any damage inflicted in the body
• Jacobs syndrome: A very rare syndrome characterized mainly by heart inflammation (pericardium), joint disease and permanent finger flexion. The number of joints affected is variable.
• Jaffe-Lichtenstein-Sutro syndrome: A rare disorder characterized by pain and limited movement in one or more large joints such as the knee.
• Joint injury: An injury to any joint in the body. The larger limb joints tend to be the most utilized and are hence more prone to injuries. Severity of symptoms varies depending on the type and location of injury and often the primary symptom is pain. A joint injury can involve damage to the bones, ligaments or other tissues of the joint. The injury may be acute (e.g. trauma) or chronic (e.g. overuse).
• Joint pain: Pain affecting the joints
• Joint swelling in children:
• Joint symptoms: Symptoms affecting the joints.
• Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis: Chronic arthritis affecting children and teens
• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis: A group of chronic inflammatory joint disorders that affects children. The condition generally involves periods of time where the condition is active followed by periods of abatement of symptoms. In some cases, the condition can be systemic and can cause symptoms such as fever and rash with organ involvement. There are three main types of juvenile idiopathic arthritis - oligoarticular, polyarticular and systemic (Still's disease).
• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, unclassified: A chronic inflammatory joint condition affecting children. This particular subtype is defined as unclassified as it doesn't fit into any of the other classifications.
• Knee osteoarthritis: A form of arthritis where the cartilage which cushions the bones in the knee joint as they move against each other, becomes progressively degraded and damaged. This causes problems such as pain, stiffness and impaired movement. Pain is not present in all cases however, with some patients imply suffering joint stiffness. Primary osteoarthritis occurs as the person ages but results from repetitive use and/or high mechanical stress on the joint. It is not a direct result of the aging process. Secondary osteoarthritis is the result of such things as injury to the joint, joint infection, obesity, ligament damage, joint overuse, hormonal problems, pregnancy and various other conditions. Family history seem to play a factor in developing the condition.
• Knee swelling: Swelling of the knee joint
• Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Acute, L1: Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells. Precursors to white blood cells are called blasts and are made by the bone marrow but in ALL the blasts are abnormal and do not develop into lymphocytes. Instead, the abnormal blasts or leukemic cells multiply rapidly and reduce the level of other types of blood cells such as red blood cells and platelets. There are three main subtypes (L1, L2 and L3) which are differentiated by the appearance of the cancerous cells: L1 is characterized by small, uniform cancer cells with a round nucleus and very little cytoplasm. L1 has a better prognosis than L2. L1 is the main form in children (about 85%) but is less common in adults (about 30%).
• Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Acute, L2: Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a cancer of the white blood cells. Precursors to white blood cells are called blasts and are made by the bone marrow but in ALL the blasts are abnormal and do not develop into lymphocytes. Instead, the abnormal blasts or leukemic cells multiply rapidly and reduce the level of other types of blood cells such as red blood cells and platelets. There are three main subtypes (L1, L2 and L3) which are differentiated by the appearance of the cancerous cells: L2 is characterized by larger cells, an irregular-shaped nucleus, more cytoplasm and significant variation between cells. L2 has a poorer prognosis than L1. L2 is the main form in adults (about 65%) but is less common in children (about 15%).
• Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Acute, L3: Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a relatively aggressive cancer of the white blood cells. Precursors to white blood cells are called blasts and are made by the bone marrow but in ALL the blasts are abnormal and do not develop into lymphocytes. Instead, the abnormal blasts or leukemic cells multiply rapidly and reduce the level of other types of blood cells such as red blood cells and platelets. There are three main subtypes (L1, L2 and L3) which are differentiated by the appearance of the cancerous cells. L3 is quite uncommon but is very similar to Burkitt's lymphoma - in fact, they may be considered the same disease with different manifestations.
• Leukemia, Myeloid, Philadelphia-Negative: Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a relatively aggressive cancer of the white blood cells. Precursors to white blood cells are called blasts and are made by the bone marrow but in ALL the blasts are abnormal and do not develop into lymphocytes. Instead, the abnormal blasts or leukemic cells multiply rapidly and reduce the level of other types of blood cells such as red blood cells and platelets. The Philadelphia negative form of the condition is not associated with a genetic mutation. It is distinguished from the positive form by the clinical course which is initially the same but progresses to eventual bone marrow failure without a distinct increase in blast cells. Other differences include poor response to chemotherapy, lower white blood cell counts, greater monocytosis, less basophilia, lower bone marrow myeloid to erythroid ratio and increased likelihood of developing thrombocytopenia. Philadelphia negative patients also tend to be older and median survival rates tend to be poorer.
• Leukemia, Myeloid, Philadelphia-Positive: Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a relatively aggressive cancer of the white blood cells. Precursors to white blood cells are called blasts and are made by the bone marrow but in ALL the blasts are abnormal and do not develop into lymphocytes. Instead, the abnormal blasts or leukemic cells multiply rapidly and reduce the level of other types of blood cells such as red blood cells and platelets. The Philadelphia form of myeloid leukemia carries the poorest prognosis of all the different types. It involves an acquired genetic mutation which results in the production tyrosine kinase which causes too many white blood cells to be produced which results in a shortage of other blood cell types. Treatment is aimed at inhibiting the production of tyrosine kinase.
• Lupus: Autoimmune disease with numerous effects on various organs and linings.
• Mansonelliasis: Infection with a nematode (worm-like parasite) called Mansonella. Transmission usually occurs through the bite of a midge.
• Marie-Bamberg syndrome: A rare condition characterized by clubbing of fingers and toes, excessive sweating and development of fibrous tissue around the ends of bones. The condition is a form of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy that occurs secondary to other conditions such as cardiopulmonary disease and certain cancers.
• Mucha-Habermann syndrome: A rare skin disorder characterized by recurring skin lumps, blisters and bleeding under the skin.
• Negative rheumatoid factor polyarthritis: A form of rheumatoid arthritis which doesn't involves the presence of rheumatoid factor in the blood. More than one joint is involved.
• Nerve symptoms: Symptoms affecting the nerves
• Orthopedic disorders: Various types of physical disorders and deformity
• Osteoarthritis: A form of degenerative arthritis due to chronic degeneration
• Osteochondritis Dissecans: A rare condition caused by an interruption of the blood supply to section of bone in a joint which can result in a piece of bone breaking off and causing pain. The knee is most often affected but it can occur in ankles and elbows.
• Pain: Any type of pain sensation symptoms.
• Palindromic rheumatism: A rare disorder involving periodic inflammation in and around joints. Eventually, rheumatoid arthritis may develop if the condition persists.
• Polyarthritis, rheumatic factor-negative: A form of rheumatoid arthritis which doesn't involves the presence of rheumatoid factor in the blood. More than one joint is involved.
• Polychondritis: A serious, progressive, episodic condition characterized by inflammation and degeneration of cartilage in the body. The duration and severity of the episodes can vary.
• Positive rheumatoid factor polyarthritis: A form of rheumatoid arthritis which involves the presence of rheumatoid factor in the blood. More than one joint is involved.
• Pregnancy symptoms: Symptoms related to pregnancy.
• Pseudogout: A condition which is characterized by an acute inflammatory arthropathy caused by calcium pyrophosphate crystals
• Reactive arthritis: The inflammation of a joint
• Reiter’s syndrome: A form of reactive arthritis characterized by arthritis, urethritis, conjunctivitis and skin lesions.
• Relapsing polychondritis: A chronic disease that affects multiple joints resulting in inflammation and degeneration
• Rhabditida Infections: Infection with a parasitic worm from the order rhabditida. The symptoms are determined by the species involved.
• Rheumatic conditions: Any condition that affects ones joints
• Rheumatic fever: An inflammatory disorder that can occur as a complication of untreated streptococcal bacterial infection such as strep throat or scarlet fever. The condition may affect the brain, skin, heart and joints.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: An autoimmune inflammatory condition which primarily affects the joints
• Ross River virus: Mosquito-borne virus in parts of Australia and other countries
• Secernentea Infections: Infection with a type of parasitic nematode (worm). The symptoms are highly variable depending on where the worm migrates to through out the body and which particular species is involved. Some examples of nematodes are Wuchereria, Spirurina, Mansonella, Drucunculus, Loa and Ascaris.
• Sensations: Changes to sensations or the senses
• Seronegative Arthritis: Classification given to the group of joint conditions with similar features to rheumatoid arthritis, but affecting different joints and lacking the specific autoantibodies used to identify rheumatoid arthritis
• Serum sickness: Type of allergic reaction to certain medications or serums
• Shoulder Osteoarthritis: A form of arthritis where the cartilage which cushions the bones in the shoulder joint as they move against each other, becomes progressively degraded and damaged. This causes problems such as pain, stiffness and impaired movement. Pain is not present in all cases however, with some patients imply suffering joint stiffness. Primary osteoarthritis occurs as the person ages but results from repetitive use and/or high mechanical stress on the joint. It is not a direct result of the aging process. Secondary osteoarthritis is the result of such things as injury to the joint, joint infection, obesity, ligament damage, joint overuse, hormonal problems, pregnancy and various other conditions. Family history seem to play a factor in developing the condition.
• Spinal arthritis: Inflammation of the spine joints. The inflammation can be the result of such things as degenerative joint disease, gout, infection, trauma and autoimmune conditions.
• Spine osteoarthritis: A form of arthritis where the cartilage which cushions the bones in the spine as they move against each other, becomes progressively degraded and damaged. This causes problems such as pain, stiffness and impaired movement. Pain is not present in all cases however, with some patients imply suffering joint stiffness. Primary osteoarthritis occurs as the person ages but results from repetitive use and/or high mechanical stress on the joint. It is not a direct result of the aging process. Secondary osteoarthritis is the result of such things as injury to the joint, joint infection, obesity, ligament damage, joint overuse, hormonal problems, pregnancy and various other conditions. Family history seem to play a factor in developing the condition.
• Sprain: an injury which occurs to ligaments caused by a sudden overstretching.
• Stiff joints: Reduced mobility or movement of the joints
• Still's Disease, Adult-Onset: A form of arthritic inflammation characterized by fever, rash and joint pain that occurs in adults. The cause is unknown.
• Swelling symptoms: Symptoms causing swelling or enlargement.
• Synovial osteochondromatosis: A rare joint disorder where some of the tissue that lines the joint is replaced by bone-like tissue or cartilage. Usually only one joint is affected and it tends to be the knee, elbow or hip
• Synovitis: Inflammation of the synovial membrane which causes arthritis. It usually results from injury, infection or rheumatic disease.
• T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Cancer of particular white blood cells called T-cells. Precursors to white blood cells are called blasts and are made by the bone marrow but in ALL the blasts are abnormal and do not develop into lymphocytes. Instead, the abnormal blasts or leukemic cells multiply rapidly and reduce the level of other types of blood cells such as red blood cells and platelets.
• Tendinitis: a painful inflammation of a tendon
• Toe Osteoarthritis: A form of arthritis where the cartilage which cushions the bones in the toe joints as they move against each other, becomes progressively degraded and damaged. This causes problems such as pain, stiffness and impaired movement. Pain is not present in all cases however, with some patients imply suffering joint stiffness. Primary osteoarthritis occurs as the person ages but results from repetitive use and/or high mechanical stress on the joint. It is not a direct result of the aging process. Secondary osteoarthritis is the result of such things as injury to the joint, joint infection, obesity, ligament damage, joint overuse, hormonal problems, pregnancy and various other conditions. Family history seem to play a factor in developing the condition.
• Urethral discharge: A condition which is characterized by a discharge which occurs from the urethra
• Wegener's granulomatosis: A rare disease involving blood vessel inflammation which can affect the blood flow to various tissues and organs and hence cause damage. The respiratory system and the kidneys are the main systems affected.
• Whipple's Disease: Rare malabsorption disease from bacterial digestive infection
• Wrist osteoarthritis: A form of arthritis where the cartilage which cushions the bones in the wrist joint as they move against each other, becomes progressively degraded and damaged. This causes problems such as pain, stiffness and impaired movement. Pain is not present in all cases however, with some patients imply suffering joint stiffness. Primary osteoarthritis occurs as the person ages but results from repetitive use and/or high mechanical stress on the joint. It is not a direct result of the aging process. Secondary osteoarthritis is the result of such things as injury to the joint, joint infection, obesity, ligament damage, joint overuse, hormonal problems, pregnancy and various other conditions. Family history seem to play a factor in developing the condition.
• Wrist swelling: Swelling at or near the wrist joint
• Wrist symptoms: Symptoms of the wrist area and joint

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