Diseases

Ventricular septal defects

A ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a defect in the ventricular septum, the wall dividing the left and right ventricles of the heart. The ventricular septum consists of an inferior muscular and superior membranous portion and is extensively innervated with conducting cardiomyocytes. The membranous portion, which is close to the atrioventricular node, is most commonly affected in adults and older children

Ventriculo-arterial discordance- isolated

A rare birth disorder where the right atrium is connected to the left ventricle and vice versa. The position of the heart ventricles is also inverted which allows normal blood oxygenation. Symptoms generally only occur later in life or if other heart defects are present which is usually the case.

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis

Vernal keratoconjunctivitis is a chronic, severe allergy that affects the surfaces of the eyes. It most commonly occurs in boys living in warm, dry climates. Attacks associated with VKC are common in the spring (hence the name "vernal" and summer but often reoccur in the winter. The condition usually subsides at the onset of puberty.

Verrucous nevus

Verrucous nevus: A condition characterised by the occurrence of one or more pigmented lesions on the skin.

Vertebral body fusion overgrowth

Vertebral body fusion (medical condition): A rare syndrome characterized by the progressive fusion of the front of the vertebrae as well as the excessive growth of the whole body.

Vertical talus- congenital

Vertical talus, congenital (medical condition): A congenital condition that is characterised by a vertical talus resulting in a rigid flatfoot.

VEXAS syndrome

VEXAS syndrome is a disorder involving episodes of fever and abnormal inflammation. VEXAS is an acronym that stands for the technical terms of key descriptors of the condition. Normally, inflammation is an immune system response to injury or foreign invaders (such as bacteria). In people with VEXAS syndrome, part of the immune system called the innate immune response is turned on (activated) abnormally, when there is no injury or foreign invader, which causes fevers and inflammation-related damage to tissues and organs. Based on this process, VEXAS syndrome is classified as an autoinflammatory disease.

VEXAS syndrome typically affects older adults, primarily males, with signs and symptoms of the condition developing in a person’s fifties, sixties, or seventies. People with VEXAS syndrome often have inflammation of the joints (arthritis), skin (dermatitis), cartilage in the ear and nose (chondritis), or blood vessels (vasculitis). Inflammation can also develop in other tissues, including in the lungs and eyes. Affected individuals may also have enlarged lymph nodes.

Blood cell abnormalities are common in VEXAS syndrome. Most affected individuals develop a shortage of red blood cells (a condition called anemia), and the red blood cells that are present are abnormally large (macrocytic). People with VEXAS syndrome can also have a shortage of blood cells called platelets (a disorder known as thrombocytopenia); platelets  are needed for normal blood clotting.  Some affected individuals develop myelodyspastic syndrome, a condition in which immature blood cells fail to develop normally; this condition may progress to a form of blood cancer called leukemia.

Vibratory angioedema

Vibratory angioedema: A rare condition where the skin produces a hypersensitivity reaction to a vibrating stimulus.

Vibrio vulnificus infection

Vibrio vulnificus: This organism causes wound infections, gastroenteritis, or a syndrome known as "primary septicemia." Vibrio vulnificus, a lactose-fermenting, halophilic,

Vibrios (other than Vibrio cholerae)

Vibrio Infections: Infection by a bacteria which occurs naturally in seawater and in the stomach of many seawater animals. It is a serious infection and accounts for most seafood-related deaths. It causes severe gastrointestinal symptoms and can also cause wound infection.

Viljoen Kallis Voges syndrome

Viljoen Kallis Voges syndrome is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Viljoen Kallis Voges syndrome, or a subtype of Viljoen Kallis Voges syndrome, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.

VIPoma

A rare disorder caused by an increase in secretion of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) by the pancreas. The syndrome is often caused by an islet-cell tumor (except for beta cells) in the pancreas.

Viral hemorrhagic fever

The viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a diverse group of animal and human illnesses that are caused by five distinct families of RNA viruses: the Arenaviridae, Filoviridae, Bunyaviridae, Togaviridae, and Flaviviridae. All types of VHF are characterized by fever and bleeding disorders and all can progress to high fever, shock and death in extreme cases. Some of the VHF agents cause relatively mild illnesses, such as the Scandinavian nephropathia epidemica, whilst others, such as the African Ebola virus, can cause severe, life-threatening disease.

Virilizing ovarian tumor

An ovarian tumor made up of hormone secreting cells which results in excessive male hormone (androgen) production.