Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Disease of the arteries, veins, and capillaries. There are two types of angiopathy: microangiopathy and macroangiopathy. In microangiopathy, the walls of small blood vessels become so thick and weak that they bleed, leak protein, and slow the flow of blood. For example, diabetics may develop microangiopathy with thickening of capillaries in many areas, including the…

A genetic form of angioedema. (Angioedema is also referred to as Quinke’s disease.) Persons with it are born lacking an inhibitor protein (called C1 esterase inhibitor) that normally prevents activation of a cascade of proteins leading to the swelling of angioedema. Patients can develop recurrent attacks of swollen tissues, pain in the abdomen, and swelling of the voice box…

A slow-growing tumor of stromal cells which occurs primarily in the genital and pelvic regions. This tumor is much more common in women. It can range from relatively small tumors to football-size masses in the pelvis. The histologic appearance of the tumor under the microscope is rather distinctive. Treatment consists of surgical excision (removal). Unfortunately, there is…

This is a benign (noncancerous) tumor of the kidney. An angiomyolipoma is composed of three types of cells: Vascular cells (“angio-“) Immature smooth muscle cells (“myo-“) Fat cells (“lipoma”) These benign tumors are usually found in the kidney, but they occasionally occur in the liver and rarely in the ovary, fallopian tube, colon, palate, and spermatic cord. Most angiomyolipomas…

 A bacterial infection due to a cat scratch most often seen today in people with HIV. The disease characteristically presents with swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenitis), sore throat, fatigue, and fever, chills, sweats, vomiting, loss of appetite, and weight loss. There is usually a little bump (a papule) which may be pus-filled (a pustule) at the site of the scratch. Then more nodules appear on and under…

A genetic disease caused by a mutation in the GLA gene, resulting in a deficiency of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A, also known as ceramide trihexosidase. This enzyme is essential to the metabolism of a fat compound known as globotriaosylceramide. Without alpha-galactosidase A, this fatty substance accumulates in the walls of blood vessels, leading to narrowing and decreased…

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) is a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is a group of related cancers of the lymphatic system (lymphomas). Lymphomas are cancers of white blood cells (lymphocytes) that also function as part of the immune system. Signs and symptoms can include enlargement of a specific lymph node region or areas of lymph nodes as well as the presence of cancerous…

Tiny breaks in the elastin-filled tissue in the retina in the back of the eye. Angioid streaks are seen in patients with pseudoxanthoma elasticum, a rare disorder of degeneration of the elastic fibers with tiny areas of calcification in the skin, retinae, and blood vessels, and they are visible during an examination using an ophthalmoscope. Angioid…

The most common inherited bleeding disorder, in which a clotting protein called von Willebrand factor is deficient or defective. Von Willebrand factor is made by cells lining the wall of blood vessels. Several types of von Willebrand disease have been described. All types affect both males and females. Symptoms can include easy bruising, nosebleeds, bleeding from the gums after…

 A test to examine blood vessels in the retina, choroid, and iris of the eye. A special dye is injected into a vein in the arm and pictures are taken as the dye passes through the blood vessels in the eye. The dye is injected into a vein in the arm. The pictures taken as the dye…