Category: Bc-Be

Beryllium poisoning.  A toxic metal found in ores containing other elements that is used in making metal alloys for nuclear reactors and the aerospace industry. Acute exposure to beryllium fumes can cause a severe, sometimes fatal pneumonitis (inflammation of the lungs). Chronic overexposure to beryllium is more common and causes a diffuse inflammatory reaction in the…

Frenzied, enraged. From the Norse berserkr, one of the old Norse warriors who worked themselves into a frenzy.

A small aneurysm that looks like a berry and classically occurs at the point at which a cerebral artery departs from the circular artery (the circle of Willis) at the base of the brain. Berry aneurysms frequently rupture and bleed.

A test to find out if heartburn is caused by acid in the esophagus, and so to diagnose GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). The test involves dripping a mild acid, similar to stomach acid, through a tube placed in the esophagus. Also known as esophageal acid infusion test.

A disorder in which the platelets crucial to normal blood clotting lack the ability to adequately stick to injured blood vessel walls, leading to abnormal bleeding. Bernard-Soulier syndrome usually appears in the newborn period, infancy, or early childhood, with bruises, nosebleeds, and gum bleeding. Bernard-Soulier syndrome is an inherited disease, transmitted as an autosomal recessive trait. There is no specific…

A condition resulting from interruption of the sympathetic nerve pathways to the eye, resulting in the drooping of the upper eyelid on one same side (ptosis), the constriction of the pupil of that eye (miosis), and with the lack of sweating (anhidosis) and flushing of the affected side of the face. Also known as Horner-Bernard syndrome, Bernard syndrome, Bernard-Horner…

South African surgeon (1922-2001) who pioneered cardiac transplantation. Dr. Bernard did the world’s first heart transplant on December 3, 1967. The heart donor was Denise Darvall, a 25-year old woman, struck by an automobile while crossing a street in Cape Town. She was rushed to Groote Schuur Hospital, where her brain was found to be clinically dead. Her heart…

A complex of abnormal findings, namely sinking in of one eyeball, ipsilateral ptosis (drooping of the upper eyelid on the same side) and miosis (constriction of the pupil of that eye) together with anhidrosis (lack of sweating) and flushing of the affected side of the face. Due to paralysis of certain nerves (specifically, the cervical sympathetic nerves). Also called Horner-Bernard syndrome, Bernard-Horner…

The name of a company in Berlin, Germany and of a ventricular assist device it makes. The device works by helping the right ventricle of the heart to pump blood to the lungs and the left ventricle to pump blood to the body. The Berlin Heart comes in various sizes for a range of patients, including newborn babies. The bulk of the device…

Disease in infants due to deficiency of thiamine. This disease is well-known in undeveloped countries among malnourished infants but it is very rare in developed countries. It can occur if a breastfeeding mother has an inadequate intake of thiamine. The disease can also occur in infants who are fed a formula containing insufficient thiamine, as happened tragically in…