Show All Definitions
Dysphagia
Difficulty swallowing that can have numerous causes, but is seen in scleroderma.
Cor pulmonale
Pulmonary heart disease is damage to the right ventricle of the heart caused by resistance to blood flow in the lung -- as a result of pulmonary hypertension or restrictive lung disease (pulmonary fibrosis).
Pulmonary hypertension
An increase in blood pressure in the pulmonary artery, pulmonary vein, or pulmonary capillaries.
Usual interstitial fibrosis
A form of progress fibrosis of the lung caused by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or collagen vascular disorders.
Malar rash
A facial rash in a butterfly pattern, often seen in lupus erythematosus (but is not pathognomonic). Malar is Latin for "cheek."
Raynaud phenomenon
A vasospastic disorder causing the blanching discoloration of the fingers or toes due to decreased blood supply. Usually idiopathic but can be seen in collagen vascular disorders.
Antiphospholipid antibodies
Autoimmune antibodies that induce a hypercoagulable state that can cause arterial or vascular thrombosis. Frequently seen in lupus.
Acute humoral rejection
Preformed or induced antibodies against a transplanted organ that leads to microvascular thrombosis.
Acute cellular rejection
A T-lymphocyte mediated immune reaction against a transplanted organ that can damage the tubules and vessels within the kidney.
Chronic rejection
A form of rejection that occurs over years due to either multiple episodes of acute cellular rejection or other other injury.
