Idiopathic disease: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 19:11, 22 March 2025

Diseases with unknown causes

Idiopathic disease refers to a condition or disease whose cause is not known or understood. The term "idiopathic" is derived from the Greek words "idios," meaning "one's own," and "pathos," meaning "suffering." Thus, idiopathic diseases are those that arise spontaneously or for which the origin is obscure.

Characteristics[edit]

Idiopathic diseases are characterized by the absence of a known cause. This can make diagnosis and treatment challenging, as the underlying mechanisms of the disease are not well understood. In many cases, idiopathic diseases are identified by excluding other potential causes through a process known as differential diagnosis.

Examples of Idiopathic Diseases[edit]

Several diseases are classified as idiopathic, including:

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A chronic, progressive lung disease characterized by the thickening and scarring of lung tissue without a known cause.
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura: A disorder that leads to an abnormally low level of platelets in the blood, resulting in easy bruising and bleeding.
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension: A condition characterized by increased pressure around the brain without a detectable cause, often leading to headaches and vision problems.

Diagnosis[edit]

The diagnosis of idiopathic diseases often involves ruling out other potential causes. This process may include a variety of tests, such as blood tests, imaging studies, and biopsies. Once other causes have been excluded, a diagnosis of an idiopathic condition may be made.

Treatment[edit]

Treatment for idiopathic diseases varies depending on the specific condition and its symptoms. In many cases, treatment focuses on managing symptoms and improving quality of life. For example, medications may be used to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, or manage other symptoms associated with the disease.

Research and Understanding[edit]

Research into idiopathic diseases is ongoing, with the goal of uncovering potential causes and developing more effective treatments. Advances in genetics, immunology, and molecular biology have the potential to shed light on the mechanisms underlying these conditions.

Related pages[edit]

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-An '''idiopathic disease''' is any [[disease]] with an unknown cause or mechanism of apparent [[wikt:spontaneous|spontaneous]] origin.<ref name=MLP>{{cite book |chapter=Idiopathic| title =  Concise Medical Dictionary |edition=8th | url = http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199557141.001.0001/acref-9780199557141-e-4863?rskey=EVJW8h&result=5297 | accessdate = 2014-01-18| doi = 10.1093/acref/9780199557141.001.0001}}</ref> From [[Ancient Greek|Greek]] ἴδιος ''idios'' "one's own" and πάθος ''pathos'' "suffering", ''idiopathy'' means approximately "a disease of its own kind". For some medical conditions, one or more causes are somewhat understood, but in a certain percentage of people with the condition, the cause may not be readily apparent or characterized. In these cases, the origin of the condition is said to be '''idiopathic'''. With some other medical conditions, the root cause for a large percentage of all cases have not been established—for example, [[focal segmental glomerulosclerosis]] or [[ankylosing spondylitis]]; the majority of these cases are deemed idiopathic.<ref name=Daskalakis_2006>{{cite journal |vauthors=Daskalakis N, Winn M |title=Focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis |journal=Cell Mol Life Sci |volume=63 |issue=21 |pages=2506–11 |year=2006 |pmid=16952054 |doi=10.1007/s00018-006-6171-y}}</ref>
+{{Short description|Diseases with unknown causes}}
+{{Medical resources}}
-Advances in [[medicine|medical science]] improve the study of causes of diseases and the classification of diseases; thus, regarding any particular condition or disease, as more root causes are discovered, and as events that seemed spontaneous have their origins revealed, the percentage of cases designated as idiopathic decreases.
+'''Idiopathic disease''' refers to a condition or disease whose cause is not known or understood. The term "idiopathic" is derived from the Greek words "idios," meaning "one's own," and "pathos," meaning "suffering." Thus, idiopathic diseases are those that arise spontaneously or for which the origin is obscure.
-The word '''''essential''''' is sometimes [[synonym]]ous with ''idiopathic'' (as in [[essential hypertension]], [[essential thrombocythemia]], and [[essential tremor]]) and the same is true of '''''primary''''' (as in [[primary biliary cholangitis]], or ''primary amenorrhea''), with the latter term being used in such cases to contrast with ''secondary'' in the sense of "secondary to [i.e., caused by] some other condition." Another, less common synonym is '''''agnogenic''''' (''agno-'', "unknown" + ''-gen'', "cause" + ''-ic'').
+==Characteristics==
+Idiopathic diseases are characterized by the absence of a known cause. This can make diagnosis and treatment challenging, as the underlying mechanisms of the disease are not well understood. In many cases, idiopathic diseases are identified by excluding other potential causes through a process known as differential diagnosis.
-The word ''cryptogenic'' (''[[wikt:crypto-|crypto-]]'', "hidden" + ''-gen'', "cause" + ''-ic'') has a [[word sense|sense]] that is synonymous with ''idiopathic''<ref name="Dorlands">{{Cite encyclopedia |title=cryptogenic |work=Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary |publisher=Elsevier |url=http://dorlands.com/ |url-access=subscription }}</ref> and a sense that is contradistinguished from it. Some disease classifications prefer the use of the synonymous term '''cryptogenic disease''' as in cryptogenic stroke,<ref name="Ahmad">{{cite journal|last1=Ahmad|first1=Y|last2=Howard|first2=JP|last3=Arnold|first3=A|last4=Shin|first4=MS|last5=Cook|first5=C|last6=Petraco|first6=R|last7=Demir|first7=O|last8=Williams|first8=L|last9=Iglesias|first9=JF|last10=Sutaria|first10=N|last11=Malik|first11=I|last12=Davies|first12=J|last13=Mayet|first13=J|last14=Francis|first14=D|last15=Sen|first15=S|title=Patent foramen ovale closure vs. medical therapy for cryptogenic stroke: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials|journal=European Heart Journal|volume=39|issue=18|pages=1638–1649|date=24 March 2018|doi=10.1093/eurheartj/ehy121|pmid=29590333|pmc=5946888}}</ref> and some forms of [[epilepsy]]. The use of cryptogenic is also sometimes reserved for cases where it is presumed that the cause is simple and will be found in the future.
+==Examples of Idiopathic Diseases==
+Several diseases are classified as idiopathic, including:
-Some [[birth defect|congenital conditions]] are idiopathic, and sometimes the word ''congenital'' is used synonymously with ''idiopathic''; but careful usage prefers to reserve the word ''congenital'' for conditions to which the literal sense of the word applies (that is, those whose pathophysiology has existed since the [[infant|neonatal]] period).
+* [[Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis]]: A chronic, progressive lung disease characterized by the thickening and scarring of lung tissue without a known cause.
+* [[Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura]]: A disorder that leads to an abnormally low level of platelets in the blood, resulting in easy bruising and bleeding.
+* [[Idiopathic intracranial hypertension]]: A condition characterized by increased pressure around the brain without a detectable cause, often leading to headaches and vision problems.
-==Syndrome without a name==
+==Diagnosis==
-The term '''syndrome(s) without a name''' (SWAN) is used "when a child or young adult is believed to have a genetic condition and testing has failed to identify its genetic cause". It is believed that "about half (50%) of children with learning disabilities and approximately 60% of children with congenital disabilities (disabilities which are apparent from birth) do not have a definitive diagnosis to explain the cause of their difficulties".<ref name="genetic-alliance">{{cite web |title=What does SWAN or being undiagnosed mean? |url=https://www.undiagnosed.org.uk/support_information/what-does-swan-or-being-undiagnosed-mean/ |publisher=Genetic Alliance UK |date= 22 March 2017|accessdate=16 April 2019}}</ref><ref name="raising">{{cite web |title=Syndromes without a name (SWAN) |url=https://raisingchildren.net.au/guides/a-z-health-reference/swan |publisher=Raising Children Network (Australia) |date=10 January 2017|accessdate=16 April 2019}}</ref> The registered charity  [[Genetic Alliance UK]] runs SWAN UK, a support group for families of children with undiagnosed genetic conditions.<ref name=genetic-alliance /> SWAN USA became a [[501c3]] organisation in 2006.<ref name="swan-usa-hist">{{cite web |title=Our History |url=http://swanusa.org/about-us/#our-history |publisher=SWAN USA |accessdate=16 April 2019}}</ref>
+The diagnosis of idiopathic diseases often involves ruling out other potential causes. This process may include a variety of tests, such as blood tests, imaging studies, and biopsies. Once other causes have been excluded, a diagnosis of an idiopathic condition may be made.
-==See also==
+==Treatment==
-* [[Diagnosis of exclusion]]
+Treatment for idiopathic diseases varies depending on the specific condition and its symptoms. In many cases, treatment focuses on managing symptoms and improving quality of life. For example, medications may be used to reduce inflammation, relieve pain, or manage other symptoms associated with the disease.
-* [[Embolic stroke of undetermined source]]
-* [[Functional disorder]]
-* [[Idiosyncratic drug reaction]]
-==References==
+==Research and Understanding==
-{{reflist}}
+Research into idiopathic diseases is ongoing, with the goal of uncovering potential causes and developing more effective treatments. Advances in [[genetics]], [[immunology]], and [[molecular biology]] have the potential to shed light on the mechanisms underlying these conditions.
-== External links ==
+==Related pages==
-* {{wiktionary-inline}}
+* [[Disease]]
+* [[Pathology]]
+* [[Diagnosis]]
+* [[Treatment]]
-[[Category:Idiopathic diseases| ]]
 [[Category:Medical terminology]]
-[[Category:Nosology]]
+[[Category:Diseases and disorders]]
-{{No image}}