Category: Sg-Sl

Sapporo-like virus.

The Sjogren-Larsson syndrome is a genetic (inherited) disease usually characterized by a triad of clinical findings consisting of ichthyosis (thickened fish-like skin), spastic paraplegia (spasticity of the legs) and mental retardation. The skin changes in the SLS are similar to those in congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma, a genetic disease that results in fish-like, reddened skin. Hyperkeratosis (thickening of the skin) is a regular feature. Ecchymoses (bruises)…

Hiatal hernias are categorized as being either sliding or para-esophageal. Sliding hiatal hernias are those in which the junction of the esophagus and stomach, referred to as the gastro- esophageal junction, and part of the stomach protrude into the chest. The junction may reside permanently in the chest, but often it juts into the chest only during a swallow.…

A frightening form of paralysis that occurs when a person suddenly finds himself or herself unable to move for a few minutes, most often upon falling asleep or waking up. Sleep paralysis is due to an irregularity in passing between the stages of sleep and wakefulness. The symptoms of sleep paralysis include sensations of noises, smells, levitation, paralysis, terror,…

Any drug used to help sleep. Most prescription sleep drugs are sedative hypnotic agents. They include Valium, Xanax, Restoril, Ambien, and Sonata.

The temporary stoppage of breathing during sleep, often resulting in daytime sleepiness. Apnea is a Greek word that means “want of breath.” The most common form of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. In obstructive sleep apnea, the muscles of the soft palate around the base of the tongue and the uvula relax, obstructing the airway. The airway obstruction causes the…

The body’s rest cycle. Sleep is triggered by a complex group of hormones that are active in the main, and that respond to cues from the body itself and the environment. About 80 percent of sleep is dreamless, and is known as non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. During NREM sleep, the breathing and heart rate are slow…

SLE (systemic lupus erythematosus) is a chronic inflammatory condition caused by an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease occurs when the body’s tissues are attacked by its own immune system. Patients with lupus have unusual antibodies in their blood that are targeted against their own body tissues. Lupus can cause disease of the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, joints, and nervous system. When only the…

An ear that is slanted more than usual. Technically, an ear is slanted when the angle of the slope of the auricle is more than 15 degrees from the perpendicular. Considered a minor anomaly. The presence of 2 or more minor anomalies in a child increases the probability that the child has a major malformation.

The skull is a collection of bones which encase the brain and give form to the head and face. The bones of the skull include the following: the frontal, parietal, occipital, temporal, sphenoid, ethmoid, zygomatic, maxilla, nasal, vomer, palatine, inferior concha, and mandible. The early English word “skulle” came from the Nordic words “skal” and “skul” meaning a bowl. It is also…