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 SAPHO Syndrome Main Article |  Glossary |  SAPHO Syndrome Index 

SAPHO Syndrome Glossary of Terms

The following are health and medical definitions of terms that appear in the SAPHO Syndrome article.

Abnormal: Not normal. Deviating from the usual structure, position, condition, or behavior. In referring to a growth, abnormal may mean that it is cancerous or premalignant (likely to become cancer ).
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Acne: Localized skin inflammation as a result of overactivity of the oil glands at the base of hair follicles. Acne happens when oil (sebaceous) glands come to life around puberty, when these glands are stimulated by male hormones that are produced in the adrenal glands of both boys and girls.
See the entire definition of Acne

Ankylosing: Undergoing ankylosis (stiffening or fusion of a joint).

Ankylosing spondylitis: A type of arthritis that causes chronic inflammation of the spine and the sacroiliac joints. Chronic inflammation in these areas causes pain and stiffness in and around the spine. Over time, chronic spinal inflammation (spondylitis) can lead to a complete cementing together (fusion) of the vertebrae, a process called ankylosis. Ankylosis causes total loss of mobility of the spine.
See the entire definition of Ankylosing spondylitis

Arthritis: Inflammation of a joint. When joints are inflamed they can develop stiffness, warmth, swelling, redness and pain. There are over 100 types of arthritis. (see osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, gout, pseudogout).

Aspirin: A good example of a tradename that entered into the language, Aspirin was once the Bayer trademark for acetylsalicylic acid .
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Bone: Bone is the substance that forms the skeleton of the body. It is composed chiefly of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate . It also serves as a storage area for calcium, playing a large role in calcium balance in the blood.
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Chronic: This important term in medicine comes from the Greek chronos, time and means lasting a long time.
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Condition: The term "condition" has a number of biomedical meanings including the following:

  1. An unhealthy state, such as in "this is a progressive condition."
  2. A state of fitness, such as "getting into condition."
  3. Something that is essential to the occurrence of something else; essentially a "precondition."
  4. As a verb: to cause a change in something so that a response that was previously associated with a certain stimulus becomes associated with another stimulus; to condition a person, as in behavioral conditioning.

Cortisone: An adrenocorticoid hormone , a naturally occurring hormone made by and secreted by the adrenal cortex , the outer part (the cortex ) of the adrenal gland .
See the entire definition of Cortisone

Eponym: Something named after someone. For example, a condition called Shiel's syndrome might be named after someone named Shiel who discovered it or described and clearly delineated it.

Feet: The plural of foot, both an anatomic structure and a unit of measure.
See the entire definition of Feet

Hyperostosis: Overgrowth of bone. Hyperostosis is a nonspecific term that does not refer to any particular condition.

Ibuprofen: A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) commonly used to treat pain, swelling, and fever. Common brand names for Ibuprofen include Advil, Motrin, and Nuprin.

Inflammation: A basic way in which the body reacts to infection , irritation or other injury, the key feature being redness, warmth, swelling and pain . Inflammation is now recognized as a type of nonspecific immune response .
See the entire definition of Inflammation back to top

Joint: A joint is the area where two bones are attached for the purpose of motion of body parts. A joint is usually formed of fibrous connective tissue and cartilage. An articulation or an arthrosis is the same as a joint.
See the entire definition of Joint

Methotrexate : A drug that acts as an antimetabolite and specifically as a folic acid antagonist that inhibits the synthesis of DNA , RNA , and protein .
See the entire definition of Methotrexate

Naproxen : A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used for the management of mild to moderate pain, fever, and inflammation . Naproxen blocks the enzyme cyclooxygenase that makes prostaglandins, resulting in lower concentrations of prostaglandins. As a consequence, inflammation, pain and fever are reduced. Brand names for naproxen include Anaprox, Naprelan, Naprosyn, and Aleve.
See the entire definition of Naproxen

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constricted part of a bone or organ that joins its parts as, for example, the neck of the femur bone.
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Osteitis: Osteitis is inflammation of the bone.
See the entire definition of Osteitis

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pain has both physical and emotional components. The physical part of pain results from nerve stimulation. Pain may be contained to a discrete area, as in an injury, or it can be more diffuse, as in disorders like fibromyalgia . Pain is mediated by specific nerve fibers that carry the pain impulses to the brain where their conscious appreciation may be modified by many factors.
See the entire definition of Pain

Pus: A thick whitish-yellow fluid which results from the accumulation of white blood cells (WBCs), liquified tissue and cellular debris. Pus is commonly a site of infection or foreign material in the body.

Pustulosis: A highly inflammatory skin condition resulting in large fluid-filled blister-like areas (pustules). Pustulosis typically occurs on the palms of the hands and/or the soles of the feet. The skin of these areas peels and flakes (exfoliates).
See the entire definition of Pustulosis

Reactive arthritis : A chronic form of arthritis featuring the following three conditions: (1) inflamed joints; (2) inflammation of the eyes ( conjunctivitis ); and (3) inflammation of the genital , urinary or gastrointestinal system.
See the entire definition of Reactive arthritis

SAPHO syndrome : SAPHO syndrome is an eponym for a condition which is characterized by a combination of:

  • Synovitis -- inflammation of the joint lining (synovium), typically manifest as warmth, tenderness, pain, swelling, and stiffness of involved joints ( arthritis ).
  • Acne -- a familiar skin condition featuring tiny areas of inflammation with pus formation at the hair follicles, most commonly on the face and upper back.
  • Pustulosis -- a very inflammatory skin condition resulting in large fluid-filled blister-like areas (pustules), typically on the palms of the hands and/or the soles of the feet; the skin of these areas peels and flakes (exfoliates).
  • Hyperostosis -- abnormal excessive growth of bone. The hyperostosis of the SAPHO syndrome frequently is located at the points of the bone where tendons attach.
  • Osteitis -- inflammation of the bone. Patients with SAPHO syndrome can develop inflammation of the sacroiliac joints (sacroiliitis) as well as inflammation of the spine (spondylitis) which leads to stiffness and pain of the neck and back.

See the entire definition of SAPHO syndrome

Skin: The skin is the body's outer covering. It protects us against heat and light, injury, and infection. It regulates body temperature and stores water, fat, and vitamin D. Weighing about 6 pounds, the skin is the body's largest organ. It is made up of two main layers; the outer epidermis and the inner dermis.


See the entire definition of Skin

Spine: 1) The column of bone known as the vertebral column, which surrounds and protects the spinal cord. The spine can be categorized according to level of the body: i.e., cervical spine (neck), thoracic spine (upper and middle back), and lumbar spine (lower back). See also vertebral column. 2) Any short prominence of bone. The spines of the vertebrae protrude at the base of the back of the neck and in the middle of the back. These spines protect the spinal cord from injury from behind.

Spondylitis: Inflammation of one or more of the vertebrae of the spine. Diffuse inflammation of the spine is seen in the disease ankylosing spondylitis . Localized spondylitis is seen with infections of a certain area of the spine, such as in Pott's disease.
See the entire definition of Spondylitis

Syndrome: A set of signs and symptoms that tend to occur together and which reflect the presence of a particular disease or an increased chance of developing a particular disease.
See the entire definition of Syndrome

Synovitis: Inflammation of the synovial membrane, the lining of the joint.

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Topical: Pertaining to a particular surface area. A topical agent is applied to a certain area of the skin and is intended to affect only the area to which it is applied. Whether its effects are indeed limited to that area depends upon whether the agent stays where it is put or is absorbed into the blood stream.
See the entire definition of Topical back to top

 SAPHO Syndrome Main Article |  Glossary |  SAPHO Syndrome Index 




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  • acetylsalicylic acid, Aspirin, Ecotrin - Specifies the medication acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin, Ecotrin), a drug used for the treatment of arthritis, pain and fever.
  • Arthroscopy - Read about arthroscopy, a procedure with few complications that uses a tube-like device to examine, diagnose and treat a joint (knee, hip, wrist, shoulder, ankle, jaw).
  • Psoriatic Arthritis - Learn more about psoriatic arthritis, including a description, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, medications and future outlook.

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SAPHO Syndrome

What is reactive arthritis?

Reactive arthritis is a chronic form of arthritis featuring the following three conditions: (1) inflamed joints, (2) inflammation of the eyes (conjunctivitis), and (3) inflammation of the genital, urinary, or gastrointestinal systems.

This form of joint inflammation is called "reactive arthritis" because it is felt to involve an immune system that is "reacting" to the presence of bacterial infections in the genital, urinary, or gastrointestinal systems. Accordingly, certain people's immune systems are genetically primed to react aberrantly when these areas are exposed to certain bacteria. The aberrant reaction of the immune system leads to spontaneous inflammation in the joints and eyes. This can be confounding to the patient and the doctor when the infection has long passed at the time of presentation with arthritis or eye inflammation.

Reactive arthritis has, in the past, been referred to as Reiter syndr...

Read the Reactive Arthritis article »










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