Medical science, drawn into focus.

Parkinson's Disease

Overview Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and a wide spectrum of non-motor symptoms including sleep disorders, hyposmia, bladder and bowel dysfunction, fatigue, dementia, and other neuropsychiatric symptom. Although the disease has no cure, available treatments effectively control motor symptoms and improve quality of life. Parkinson disease affects approximately 1…

Anaphylaxis 

Overview Anaphylaxis is a severe, systemic hypersensitivity reaction that is rapid in onset and potentially fatal, most often triggered by foods, medications, or venom; global incidence is ~50–112 per 100,000 person-years with rising emergency presentations in many regions, including Australia [1,2,4] .  Mortality is low but non-trivial and is driven by airway obstruction, severe bronchospasm,…

Multiple Sclerosis

"Each patient ought to feel somewhat the better after the physician's visit irrespective of the nature of the illness." -Warfield Theobald Longcope Overview Multiple sclerosis (MS) is defined as an inflammatory demyelinating disease characterised by the presence of episodic neurological dysfunction in at least 2 areas of the CNS (brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves)…

Diabetes Mellitus type I

Overview Type 1 diabetes is B-cell destruction leading to absolute insulin deficiency. It accounts for 5-10% of all diabetes. Type I diabetes is divided into two types: Immune mediated and idiopathic. The traditional paradigm is of childhood onset with acute symptoms of DKA. Diabetes:  A group of metabolic diseases in which there are high blood…

Vasculitides

Classification Large-vessel vasculitis Takayasu arteritis Medium-sized vessel vasculitis Childhood polyarteritis nodosa Kawasaki Disease Small-vessel vasculitis Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s Syndrome) Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg–Strauss syndrome) Henoch-Schönlein purpura (Spring Fever) Other vasculitides Behçet’s disease Kawasaki disease and HSP are the most common childhood vasculitis followed by PAN.

Varicose Veins

Overview Varivose veins (VV) are long, torturous and dilated don't veins of the superficial venous system. There is a spectrum ranging from telangiectasias (dilated interdermal venules less than 1 mm), through to reticular veins (non-palpable subdermal veins 1–3 mm) to varicose veins (greater than 3 mm). 35% of the general population affected. The venous system of…

Neural Tube Defect

Overview Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a group of major congenital anomalies comprising anencephaly, spina bifida and encephalocele that result from very early disruption in the development of the brain and spinal cord. These conditions are often incompatible with life. Survivors frequently require intensive, costly, lifelong health and social care. Neural tube defect (NTD): Severe…

Full resource library