Basic TERMINOLOGY

Pathology
study of disease processes
Etiology
study of the cause of
disease and often misused as
a synonym for the actual
cause of the disease.
Disease is any
abnormal change in
the function or
structure within the
body.
It is a morbid process,
usually having specific
characteristics
symptoms & physical
signs.
A disease can primarily
affect one or more
organs, or can target
one organ & affect
another secondarily.
 Pathogenesis
- sequence of events that
leads from the causes of a
disease, to abnormalities,
and finally to
manifestations.
 DIAGNOSIS is the
determination of the
disease an individual is
believed to have
PROGNOSIS is the
predicted course of
disease & the prospects
for the patient’s recovery.
A patient is evaluated
by various
PROCEDURES such as
Barium Enema or an
Arthrogram.
An analysis of specimens
taken from patient, such
as blood or excrement
can also help determine
the disease process,
these are known as
TESTS.
 The term
MANIFESTATIONS refers
to the observed changes
in the patient that are
caused by the disease,
namely SYMPTOMS,
SIGNS.
A SYMPTOM is the
patient’s perception of the
disease such as headache
or abdominal pain.
subjective & only the
patient can identify them.
A written description
of symptoms in a
patient’s record is
referred to as the
HISTORY.
SIGNS are objective
manifestations that are
physically observed by the
health examiner.
Example: Mass, Rash
Abnormal pulse rate
A cluster of findings
that characterize a
specific abnormal
disturbance is known
as a SYNDROME.
All disease processes
are measured by
Frequency, Incidence
& Prevalence.
FREQUENCY is the rate
of occurrence of the
pathologic process that
is measured over a
given period of time,
normally 1 yr.
 INCIDENCE is the
number of newly
diagnosed cases of a
disease in 1 yr.
 PREVALENCE is the
number of people who
have any given disease
at any given point in
time.
MORBIDITY RATE refers
to the ratio of sick to well
persons in a given area.

MORTALITY RATE is the

ratio of actual deaths to
expected deaths.
 CLASSIFICATION OF
DISEASES
All ds. of the body are produced by
an alteration either in structure or in
function of an organ or system.
2 CLASSIFICATION OF
DISEASES

Structural Disease
Functional Disease
STRUCTURAL DISEASE
also known as ORGANIC
DS. involves physical &
biochemical changes
within the cell. Physical
changes are known as
LESIONS..
 Genetic & developmental
diseases
- caused by abnormalities
in the genetic make –up of
the individual
- abnormalities due to
change in utero
The range of abnormalities in
this category extends from
deformities present at birth,
known as CONGENITAL
abnormalities, to changes
caused by genes but
influenced by the
environment so that they are
not manifested later in life.
HEREDITARY DS. Result
from developmental
disorders genetically
transmitted from either
parent to the child & are
derived from ancestors.
 ACQUIRED INJURIES &
INFLAMMATORY DS.
- diseases caused by
internal or external
agents that destroy cells
or cause the body to
injure itself by means of
inflammatory process
FUNCTIONAL DISEASE
disease in which the
function of the organ
maybe impaired, but
its structural elements
are unchanged.
 The basic change is a
physiologic or
functional one & is
referred to as a
PATHOPHYSIOLOGIC
CHANGE.
The onset begins without
any lesions
-diseases triggered by
psychic or psychophysiologic
factors.
 Many mental illness
are considered
functional disorders.
Most common are
TENSION HEADACHE &
FUNCTIONAL BOWEL
SYNDROME, disorders that
are caused by unconscious
stimulation of the
autonomic nervous
system.