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Blastomycosis
Blastomycosis Infection with a fungus called Blastomyces dermatitidis. The infection causes symptoms in about 50% of cases. It usually presents as a flu-like illness with fever, chills, productive cough, myalgia, arthralgia and pleuritic chest pain. Some patients fail to recover and develop chronic pulmonary infection or widespread disseminated infection (affecting the skin, bones, and genitourinary tract). It occasionally affects the meninges which cover the brain and spinal cord.
RELATED TERMS--------------------------------------
Infection
Anything that invades the body and reproduces. Infections can be bacteria, protozoa, fungi, or viruses. Bacteria and fungi are one celled creatures that cause many infections including strep throat, bladder infections, and some lung infections. Fungi cause “athlete’s foot” and thrush, an infection in the mouth. Protozoa are small organisms with many cells that can cause infections in the guts or in the lungs. Most healthy people do not get protozoal infections, but people with suppressed immune systems can. Viruses are not really organisms; they are tiny particles that can live only inside another cell. They reproduce by taking over a cell and causing that cell to make more virus particles, rather than doing what the cell is supposed to do. Viruses cause most colds and flu cases.
Fungus
A group of organisms that includes yeasts, molds and mushrooms.
Fever
When body temperature rises above its normal level - defined as 98.6 degrees F, though it varies by individual and time of day. A fever is the sign of an immune system at work and usually indicates an infection.
Cough
A rapid expulsion of air from the lungs typically in order to clear the lung airways of fluids, mucus, or material.
Myalgia
Muscle pain.
Arthralgia
Joint pain. There may not be any outward evidence of a joint abnormality.
Chest
The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains the lungs, the heart and part of the aorta. The walls of the chest are supported by the dorsal vertebrae, the ribs, and the sternum.
Pain
An unpleasant sensory or emotional experience primarily associated with tissue damage, or described in terms of tissue damage, or both.
Chronic
Ongoing or recurring. Chronic medical conditions include diabetes, epilepsy, and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Pulmonary
Pertains to lungs and respiratory system.
Skin
Skin is an organ of the integumentary system; which is composed of a layer of tissues that protect underlying muscles and organs. Skin is used for insulation, vitamin D production, sensation, and excretion (through sweat).
Meninges
Membranes which surround and protect the brain and spinal cord; anatomically there are 3 meninges: the pia mater, which adheres to the brain and the spinal cord, the dura mater, which adheres to the bone and the arachnoid between these two membranes.
Brain
"That part of the central nervous system that is located within the cranium (skull). The brain functions as the primary receiver, organizer and distributor of information for the body. It has two (right and left) halves called ""hemispheres."" "
Cord
1. In anatomy, a long ropelike structure. 2. Short for the spinal cord or the umbilical cord.
SIMILAR TERMS--------------------------------------
BLAST
Abbreviation for Basic Local Alignment Search Tool, a computer program that identifies homologous genes in different organisms (such as worms, the fruit fly, mice, and humans). Homologous genes are genes in different species that share similar structures and functions.
Blast phase
Refers to advanced chronic myelogenous leukemia. In this phase, the number of immature, abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow and blood is extremely high. Also called blast crisis.
Blastocoel
The fluid-filled cavity within the blastula.
Blastocyst
The developmental stage of the fertilized ovum by the time it is ready to implant; formed from the morula and consists of an inner cell mass, an internal cavity, and an outer layer of cells (the trophoblast).
Blastocyst cavity
The fluid-filled cavity within the blastocyst, sometimes referred to as the blastocoel.
Blastocystis hominis
The parasitic organism that causes blastocystosis. See Blastocystosis.
Blastocystis infection
See: Blastocystosis.
Blastocystosis
Infection with Blastocystis hominis, a common microscopic parasite found worldwide. Symptoms may include watery or loose stools, diarrhea, abdominal pain, anal itching, weight loss, and excess gas. Some people have no symptoms. The organism can remain in the intestines for weeks, months, or years. Diagnosis requires finding it in the stool, How Blastocystis is transmitted is unknown, although the number of people infected seems to increase in areas where sanitation and personal hygiene is inadequate. Treatment is with the antibiotics metronidazole or iodoquinol.
Blastokinin
See: Uteroglobin.
Blastoma
"A tumor thought to arise in embryonic tissue. The term ""blastoma"" is commonly used as part of the name for a tumor as, for examples, in glioblastoma and medulloblastoma (types of brain tumors), hepatoblastoma (a liver tumor), nephroblastoma ( Wilms tumor of the kidney), neuroblastoma (a childhood tumor of neural origin), osteoblastoma (a bone tumor) and retinoblastoma (a tumor of the retina)."
Blastomere
A cell from a morula-stage embryo.
Blastomyces dermatitidis
The fungus that causes a disease called blastomycosis.
Blasts
"Immature blood cells. Leukemic blasts do not grow and age normally; they proliferate wildly and fail to mature."
Blastula
Term (often used in lower vertebrates) to describe an early stage in the development of an embryo consisting of a hollow sphere of cells enclosing a fluid-filled cavity called the blastocoel. The term blastula sometimes is used interchangeably with blastocyst.
PREVIOUS AND NEXT TERMS--------------------------------------
Blastocystis infection
See: Blastocystosis.
Blastocystosis
Infection with Blastocystis hominis, a common microscopic parasite found worldwide. Symptoms may include watery or loose stools, diarrhea, abdominal pain, anal itching, weight loss, and excess gas. Some people have no symptoms. The organism can remain in the intestines for weeks, months, or years. Diagnosis requires finding it in the stool, How Blastocystis is transmitted is unknown, although the number of people infected seems to increase in areas where sanitation and personal hygiene is inadequate. Treatment is with the antibiotics metronidazole or iodoquinol.
Blastokinin
See: Uteroglobin.
Blastoma
"A tumor thought to arise in embryonic tissue. The term ""blastoma"" is commonly used as part of the name for a tumor as, for examples, in glioblastoma and medulloblastoma (types of brain tumors), hepatoblastoma (a liver tumor), nephroblastoma ( Wilms tumor of the kidney), neuroblastoma (a childhood tumor of neural origin), osteoblastoma (a bone tumor) and retinoblastoma (a tumor of the retina)."
Blastomyces dermatitidis
The fungus that causes a disease called blastomycosis.
Blastomycosis
Blasts
"Immature blood cells. Leukemic blasts do not grow and age normally; they proliferate wildly and fail to mature."
Bleb
A bladder-like structure more than 5 mm in diameter with thin walls that may be full of fluid. Also called a bulla.
Blender experiment
See: Hershey-Chase experiment.
Blepharophimosis
Horizontal narrowing of the palpebral fissures (eye slits).
Blighted ovum
A fertilized ovum (egg) that did not develop or whose development ceased at an early stage, before 6 or 7 weeks of gestation. On the ultrasound examination of a blighted ovum, only the gestational sac that normally surrounds the embryo can be seen. There is usually no embryo inside the gestational sac.
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