Idiopathic

Idiopathic

Idiopathic is an adjective used primarily in medicine meaning "arising spontaneously" or "from an obscure or unknown cause". From Greek ἴδιος, idios (one's own) + πάθος, pathos (suffering), it means approximately "a disease of its own kind."

It is technically a term from nosology, the classification of disease. For most 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 medical conditions, the medical community cannot establish a root cause for a large percentage of all cases ("e.g." Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, the majority of which are idiopathic);cite journal |author=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] with other conditions, however, idiopathic cases account for a small percentage ("e.g.", pulmonary fibrosis).cite web | title = Medical Encyclopedia: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis | work = MedlinePlus| url = http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000069.htm | accessdate = 2007-02-13] As medical and scientific advances are made with relation to a particular condition or disease, more root causes are discovered, and the percentage of cases designated as "idiopathic" shrinks.

In his book "The Human Body," Isaac Asimov noted a comment about the term "idiopathic" made in the 20th edition of "Stedman's Medical Dictionary": "A high-flown term to conceal ignorance." Similarly, in the American television show "House", the title character remarks that the word "comes from the Latin, meaning 'we're idiots, because we don't know what's causing it.'"

ee also

*Cryptogenic
*Diagnosis of exclusion
*Idiosyncratic drug reaction

References

External links


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  • Idiopathic — Id i*o*path ic, Idiopathical Id i*o*path ic*al, a. [Cf. F. idiopathique.] (Med.) Pertaining to idiopathy; characterizing a disease arising primarily, and not in consequence of some other disease or injury; opposed to {symptomatic}, {sympathetic} …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • idiopathic — [id΄ē ō΄path′ik, id΄ē əpath′ik] adj. [< Gr idiopatheia, feeling for oneself alone (see IDIO & PATHY) + IC] designating or of a disease whose cause is unknown or uncertain idiopathy [id΄ēäp′ə thē] n. pl. idiopathies …   English World dictionary

  • idiopathic — Denoting a disease of unknown cause. SYN: agnogenic. [idio + G. pathos, suffering] * * * id·io·path·ic .id ē ə path ik adj arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause: PRIMARY <idiopathic epilepsy> <idiopathic… …   Medical dictionary

  • idiopathic — adjective Date: 1669 1. arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause ; primary < idiopathic epilepsy > 2. peculiar to the individual • idiopathically adverb …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • idiopathic — adjective (of diseases) arising from an unknown cause idiopathic epilepsy • Pertains to noun: ↑idiopathy …   Useful english dictionary

  • Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis — Classification and external resources Extensive lung fibrosis from usual interstitial pneumonitis ICD 10 J …   Wikipedia

  • Idiopathic CD4+ lymphocytopenia — (ICL) is a very rarecite journal author=Walker UA, Warnatz K title=Idiopathic CD4 lymphocytopenia journal=Curr Opin Rheumatol volume=18 issue=4 pages=389–95 year=2006 month=July pmid=16763460 doi=10.1097/01.bor.0000231908.57913.2f url=http://meta …   Wikipedia

  • Idiopathic interstitial pneumonia — Classification and external resources Micrograph of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP). UIP is the most common pattern of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia and usually represents idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis …   Wikipedia

  • Idiopathic intracranial hypertension — Classification and external resources For IIH to be diagnosed, brain scans (such as MRI) must be performed to ensure there is no underlying cause for the increased pressure around the brain ICD 10 …   Wikipedia

  • Idiopathic hypoglycemia — is, literally, a medical condition in which the glucose level in the blood (blood glucose) is abnormally low due to an undeterminable cause. This is considered an incomplete and unsatisfactory diagnosis by physicians and is rarely used by… …   Wikipedia

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