Epilepsy Dileep R. Nair DEFINITION Seizures result from paroxysmal and excessive electrical neuronal discharges in the brain that cause a variety of clinical manifestations. The term epilepsy is usually restricted…

Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Disorders Octavian C. Ioachimescu, J. Walton Tomford TAXONOMY Mycobacteria other than Mycobacterium leprae, M. tuberculosis, and M. bovis were identified from human sources as early as 1885, but…

Esophageal Cancer Ahmed Absi, David J. Adelstein, Thomas Rice DEFINITION Esophageal cancer has long been considered one of the deadliest malignancies, and considerable controversy has surrounded its management. The most…

Alzheimer’s Disease Jinny Tavee, Patrick Sweeney DEFINITION Originally described by Alois Alzheimer in 1907, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has emerged as the most common type of dementia in the elderly today.1…

Infectious Disease Emergencies Nabin K. Shrestha Infectious disease emergencies are conditions that have potential for significant harm to the patient if not recognized and treated promptly, and for which timely…

Asthma David M. Lang, Serpil C. Erzurum, Mani Kavuru Although much progress has been made in our understanding of bronchial asthma in recent years, asthma remains a commonly encountered condition…

Mitral Valve Disease Stenosis and Regurgitation Ronan J. Curtin, Brian P. Griffin The mitral valve is made up of the annulus, anterior and posterior leaflets, and chordae, which attach the…

Aging and Preventive Health Ronan Factora ROLE OF FRAILTY IN PREVENTIVE HEALTH Health maintenance and preventive measures contribute to the maintenance of independent function and quality of life in the…

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults George E. Tesar, Raul J. Seballos DEFINITION AND ETIOLOGY Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the current diagnosis for what was previously labeled minimal brain damage, minimal brain…

Lung Cancer Peter J. Mazzone DEFINITION Lung cancer is a major public health problem. In the United States, 31% of cancer deaths in men and 26% of cancer deaths in…