Diseases

Guillain-Barré syndrome

Guillain–Barré syndrome ( Landry's paralysis, acute idiopathic polyneuritis) is a rapid-onset muscle weakness as a result of damage to the peripheral nervous system. Many experience changes in sensation or develop pain, followed by muscle weakness beginning in the feet and hands. The symptoms develop over half a day to two weeks. During the acute phase, the disorder can be life-threatening with about a quarter developing weakness of the breathing muscles and requiring mechanical ventilation. Some are affected by changes in the function of the autonomic nervous system, which can lead to dangerous abnormalities in heart rate and blood pressure.

This autoimmune disease is caused by the body's immune system mistakenly attacking the peripheral nerves and damaging their myelin insulation. Sometimes this immune dysfunction is triggered by an infection. The diagnosis is usually made on based on the signs and symptoms, through the exclusion of alternative causes, and supported by tests such as nerve conduction studies and examination of the cerebrospinal fluid. Various classifications exist, depending on the areas of weakness, results of nerve conduction studies, and the presence of antiganglioside antibodies. It is classified as an acute polyneuropathy.

Gusher syndrome

An inherited form of progressive deafness affecting mostly males. It results from a congenital malformation of the inner ear structures

Gynandroblastoma

A type of ovarian tumor that causes feminizing and masculinizing effects of estrogen and androge

Haemophilus influenzae

Haemophilus influenzae, formerly called Pfeiffer's bacillus or Bacillus influenzae, is a non-motile Gram-negative coccobacillus first described in 1892 by Richard Pfeiffer during an influenza pandemic. A member of the Pasteurellaceae family, it is generally aerobic, but can grow as a facultative anaerobe.[1] H. influenzae was mistakenly considered to be the cause of influenza until 1933, when the viral etiology of the flu became apparent. Still, H. influenzae is responsible for a wide range of clinical diseases.

Haff disease

Haff disease or Haff syndrome is the development of rhabdomyolysis (swelling and breakdown of skeletal muscle, with a risk of acute kidney failure) within 24 hours of ingesting fish.

It was first described in 1924 in the vicinity of Königsberg, Germany (now Kaliningrad, Russia) on the Baltic coast, in people staying around the haff (German: lagoon).Over the subsequent fifteen years, about 1000 cases were reported in people, birds and cats, usually in the summer and fall, and a link was made with the consumption of fish (burbot, eel and pike). Since that time, only occasional reports have appeared of the condition, mostly from the Soviet Union and Germany.

In 1997, six cases of Haff disease were reported in California and Missouri, all after the consumption of buffalo fish (Ictiobus cyprinellus). In July and August 2010, dozens of people contracted rhabdomyolysis after eating Procambarus clarkii in Nanjing, China. A month later, the Chinese authorities claimed they were victims of Haff disease.

The most recent US outbreak was reported in Brooklyn, NY on 18 November 2011, when two household members were stricken by the syndrome after eating Buffalo fish.

Hagemoser Weinstein Bresnick syndrome

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

Hailey Hailey disease

Hailey-Hailey disease, or familial benign pemphigus, was originally described by the Hailey brothers in 1939.[1][2] It is a genetic disorder that causes blisters to form on the skin.

Haim-Munk syndrome

Haim-Munk syndrome is an extremely rare genetic disorder similar to Papillion-Lefevre syndrome. Features include callous patches of skin on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet, long pointy fingers, and degeneration of the tissues that surround and support the teeth.

HAIR-AN syndrome

A very rare syndrome that affects females only and is characterized mainly by insulin resistance, dark velvety patches of skin and increased male hormone production in females.

Hairy cell leukemia

Hairy cell leukemia is a rare, slow-growing cancer of the blood in which the bone marrow produces too many B cells (lymphocytes), a type of white blood cell that fights infection. The condition is named after these excess B cells which look 'hairy' under a microscope because of fine projections (villi) from their surface. As the number of leukemia cells increases, fewer healthy white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets are produced.

Hairy cell leukemia affects more men than women, and it occurs most commonly in middle-aged or older adults. Hairy cell leukemia is considered a chronic disease because it may never completely disappear, although treatment can lead to a remission for years.

Hairy elbows

A rare condition where the elbows become progressively hairy until about 5 years of age and then slowly disappears. Short stature appears to be associated in the some of the few cases reported.

Hairy palms and soles

A rare inherited condition characterized by patches of hair on the palms and soles. The patches of skin associated with the hair has hair follicles and is different to the normal skin on palms and soles.

Hairy tongue

Hairy tongue, also known as black tongue, is a benign condition of elongation and staining of the fingerlike projections (papillae) on the tongue surface. This condition may be caused by overgrowth of a bacteria or yeast that produces a colored substance (pigment). Anything that reduces the flow of saliva in the mouth, such as dehydration or illness, or if the person is not eating a normal diet, can lead to the condition, which typically develops over a few weeks. Medications that commonly cause hairy tongue include antibiotics, anti-psychotics, anti-depressants, and anti-cholinergic agents. Other causes include smoking, alcohol, the use of mouthwashes, and exposure to radiation therapy.

Hajdu-Cheney syndrome

Hajdu-Cheney syndrome is an extremely rare genetic disorder of the connective tissue characterized by severe and excessive bone resorption leading to osteoporosis and a wide range of other potential symptoms. Approximately 50 cases have been reported worldwide.

Halal syndrome

Halal syndrome: A very rare syndrome characterized mainly by a small head and a cleft palate. Halal syndrome is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Halal syndrome, or a subtype of Halal syndrome, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population. Source - National Institutes of Health (NIH) Ophanet, a consortium of European partners, currently defines a condition rare when it affects 1 person per 2,000. They list Halal syndrome as a "rare disease".

Halo nevi

A halo nevus is a mole that is pink or brown surrounded by an area of white or light skin. The halo is depigmented which means it has lost the normal skin pigment or color. Halo nevi are usually seen in young people. The mole portion tends to flatten and may disappear completely. The white area may stay if the mole disappears, or the normal skin color may return. Halo nevi are not dangerous or contagious, but they are sometimes a sign that something is wrong with the skin.

Hamanishi Ueba Tsuji syndrome

A very rare syndrome characterized mainly by flexion deformity of the thumb and some fingers as well as sensory disturbance in the arms.

Hamano Tsukamoto syndrome

A very rare syndrome characterized by weak eye muscles, progressive spinal cord deterioration resulting in muscle weakness and wasting.

Hand foot uterus syndrome

Hand-foot-uterus (HFU) syndrome is characterized by abnormalities of the hand, foot, urinary tract, and reproductive tract.

Hand-Schuller-Christian disease

Hand-Schuller-Christian Syndrome (HSC) is one variant of Langerhan's cell histiocytosis (LCH) which was previously known as Histiocytosis X.1 Langerhan's cell histiocytosis covers a spectrum of disorders that have been separately classified in the past as: * Eosinophilic granuloma (localised bony lesions, single or multiple) * Hand-Schuller-Christian syndrome itself (multiple bony lesions affecting the skull, associated with proptosis and hypothalamic infiltration) and * Letterer-Siwe disease (aggressive systemic variant with involvement of soft tissue only).2

Hanhart syndrome

An autosomal recessive disorder due to a deficiency in the body of the tyrosine amino transferase enzyme.

Hantavirosis

Infection by hantavirus which is a virus from the family Bunyaviridae. Infection generally causes severe febrile illness which can involve bleeding, shock and even death in some cases. The disease is transmitted by infected rodents.