Rare Diseases

Centripetal cicatricial alopecia is a rare form of hair loss caused by scarring at the hair follicles (the living part of the hair, under the skin's surface). Men and women of all ages, but mostly...

While the technique has been used for at least a century, recently doctors have been reexamining maggot therapy as an alternative method to remove dead tissue from wounds and ulcers. In this...

Cigarettes cause a wide range of problems with the body. The mouth is highly affected by tobacco and cigarette smoking. Understanding the different problems cigarettes cause with the mouth may...

Vestibular diseases in children are uncommon, but refer to an assortment of conditions that affect the systems of the brain and inner ear that control coordination and balance.

Since it is dependent on so many different factors, hair growth can be a good indicator of overall health. This is especially true when the growth time, pattern or density becomes abnormal.

Gadolinium, a very rare metal, is used to enhance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) images. Gadolinium poisoning can occur in patients with kidney disease...

Collagen is a connective tissue found throughout the human body found in bones, tendons, skin and even organs. Collagen disorder is not a condition, but rather a descriptive term applied to...

Gadolinium is the active ingredient in various brands of contrast dyes that are injected into a patient's bloodstream in order to enhance MRI and MRA images. In a patient with normally-functioning...

Malignant is defined as a tumor differentiated by uninhibited growth; cancerous, persistent or metastatic. A fibrous tumor indicates that it affects the fibrous tissues within the body. Although...

Adrenal fatigue occurs when the adrenal glands are not functioning properly. It is most common to experience adrenal fatigue when your body has undergone a lot of emotional or physical stress....

Heartworm disease most often affects dogs and cats, but in rare cases it can also be spread to humans and cause some bothersome symptoms.

Sinusitis, or sinus infections, refers to an inflammation of the sinuses and nasal passages which can be broken down into three types: viral, bacterial and fungal. A fungal sinus infection, a rare...

Rabies is a debilitating virus, occurring mostly in animals, but can also be transmitted to humans through bites from infected animals. There is no reliable cure or treatment for rabies once the...

Amyloidosis is a rare, and frequently misunderstood, disease. It's also a serious, potentially life-threatening one that can attack a number of organs, including the heart, liver, kidney and...

Rabies is an incredibly dangerous virus transmitted from the bite of an infected animal. The virus is found in the saliva of the animal. Although the condition is treatable before symptoms begin...

The flickering of florescent lights inside offices and schools can cause dizziness, which is similar to that of vertigo, and cause people to feel sick and uncomfortable. As more people are...

Kawasaki disease affects the lymph nodes, mouth and skin and appears in 19 out of every 100,000 children in the United States. It usually occurs before the age of five. It can affect all races but...

Kohler's bone disease is a rare disorder in which the blood supply to a bone at the back of the foot known as the navicular is cut off. This causes the navicular bone to die and collapse,...

Pemphigus is a rare skin disorder that results in blisters. The blisters associated with the condition are commonly found on the skin, in the mouth, or on the genitals. According to the Mayo...

One percent of the world's population suffers from Vitiligo. Vitiligo occurs when the body's cells that produce the pigment melanin are destroyed. This results in white patches of skin, white...

Cushing's Disease is a rare hormonal disease that is the result of too much cortisol in the body. It occurs in men and women ages 20-50, but there are more symptoms in women than men.

Cushing's Syndrome occurs when the body's tissues are overexposed to cortisol for a long period of time. While it is rare, some children are naturally born with the syndrome.

Liver disease is a serious condition at any age, especially when it happens to a child. There are a number of symptoms you can watch for if you are concerned your child may be ill with liver disease.

Rabies is a serious viral disease that is carried in animals such as bats, wolves and even pet dogs. While it is not as common for humans to contract rabies as it is for other animals, it is still...

Amyloidosis is a rare disease with a number of types, and doctors do not completely understand the causes, reports the Mayo Clinic. The disease is marked by the build-up of proteins called amyloid...

High levels of radiation can do a great deal of damage to the human body, according to AtomicArchive.com. Radiation sickness can lead to a breakdown of cell structures, which affects each part of...

Homeopathy is a branch of medicine that is based on treating like with like. It looks at the whole person and underlying causes of the disease. In treatment, homeopathy would look to induce a...

The term "pemphigus" actually refers to a group of rare disorders in which blisters develop on your skin or in your mucous membranes. It is an autoimmune disorder, meaning that your immune system...

Also called bulbous nose, rhinophyma is a condition in which the nose becomes large, red and bulb-shaped. It is a rare condition that may be a severe form of rosacea.

"Vertigo" is a medical term used to describe a serious feeling that the room around you is spinning even when it is not. It can lead to serious balance problems as well as headaches and nausea....

Rabies is a virus that is most commonly spread to humans via the bite of an infected animal. The animals most often afflicted with rabies in the United States are bats, skunks, coyotes and...

Roundworms are parasites that can infect animals like dogs and cats. These worms lay eggs inside your pet, which hatch and absorb nutrients from the food your pet consumes. This can cause your pet...

Over 100 different diseases and conditions can affect the liver of infants and children. Some of these diseases are unique to babies, while some are caused by inflammation and others are genetic....

Minamata disease is a rare condition caused by the effects of pollution of the Minamata Bay in Japan. The condition first appeared in 1956.

There are several conditions and diseases that may contribute to body odor. Liver problems can be inherited or occur due to a virus or from exposure or ingestion of chemicals. If liver problems...

Bobble-head doll syndrome is a very rare movement disorder that appears during childhood. It is typically associated with abnormalities in the third ventricle region of the brain and usually can...

Landau-Kleffner syndrome is a condition that typically plagues children and causes a gradual lessening of their ability to both use and understand verbal language.

Whipple's disease often occurs in the gastrointestinal system, but it can also affect major organs, including the brain and heart. The disease, which develops slowly, only affects 1 out of a...

People have used quinine to treat malaria throughout the world for centuries. More recently quinine has been used for the treatment of leg cramps, although this is currently unauthorized by the...

There are approximately 4,200 cases of Kawasaki disease in the United States each year, according to the Kawasaki Disease Foundation. Although the name of this condition that primarily strikes...

Rabies is a viral disease that infects both wild and domestic animals, such as bats, dogs, skunks and raccoons. The virus is transmitted through saliva, and is commonly contracted through bites...

Fructose is a simple sugar found naturally in many foods, such as honey, berries and fruit. It also contains high amounts of sucrose, or common table sugar, which is used in many treats and...

Sometimes, once the symptoms of menopause have subsided, a woman finds herself at the doctor's office complaining frequent and severe headaches. In such instances, after extensive testing, she...

Sickle cell anemia is a disease that affects the red blood cells (RBC) and causes them to become abnormally shaped. For instance, instead of the RBC being a circular shape they sickle or form a C...

Rabies, a zoonotic viral infection, can affect most warm-blooded mammals. Unlike with many viruses, the medical name of the rabies virus is identical to its common name.

Cheilitis is any medical condition involving an inflammation of the lips. A variety of maladies can induce cheilitis in humans. It can be a side effect or an indicator of a deeper problem.

Aluminum is used in a number of cooking utensils, including pans, pots and utensils. However, the consumption of aluminum can harm humans; that's true even if only a small amount is ingested.

Although most of the time, grey hair is a symbol of aging, occasionally patches of grey hair can be seen in young people, even children. If your child exhibits grey hair, there are several...