edgepedia

Human health and medicine

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Angiosarcoma

Angiosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of blood and lymph vessel endothelial cells, about 1-2% of sarcomas, most common over age 70, often skin, breast, liver, or spleen; risk factors include lymphedema (Stewart-Treves syndrome) and prior radiation.

Angiosarcoma of breast

Angiosarcoma of the breast (ICD-11 2B56.2) is a rare endothelial malignancy occurring as primary disease in women 30-50 or as secondary radiation-associated disease about 5-10 years after breast radiotherapy, with poor prognosis.

Angiosarcoma of heart

Primary cardiac angiosarcoma (PCAS) is a rare, aggressive malignant tumor of the heart's blood vessel endothelium, mostly in the right atrium, with median survival about 7 months and treatment centered on surgery plus chemo-radiotherapy.

Angiosarcoma of liver

Angiosarcoma of the liver (hepatic angiosarcoma, PHA): rare malignant vascular tumor, about 2% of primary liver cancers, linked to vinyl chloride, Thorotrast, arsenic; median survival 2 months, resection best option.

Angiosarcoma of skin

Cutaneous angiosarcoma is a rare, aggressive vascular sarcoma of the skin, mainly of the elderly head and scalp, or secondary to radiation or lymphedema; 5-year survival is roughly 30% and treatment is surgery plus radiotherapy.

Angioscopes

Angioscopes are fiber-optic endoscopic catheters (angioscopy) that take true-color video images inside blood vessels. Oldest coronary optical imaging tool; FDA-approved but mainly research use; requires balloon occlusion and saline flushing.

Angioscopy

Angioscopy, or coronary angioscopy, is an endoscopic imaging technique in which a fiber-optic catheter camera directly views blood vessel surfaces, chiefly coronary arteries, for plaque and thrombus.

Angiotensin

Angiotensin, especially angiotensin II, is the effector peptide of the renin-angiotensin system regulating blood pressure; discovered 1898-1958, targeted by ACE inhibitors and ARBs, whose comparative cardiovascular outcomes differ across trial populations.

Angiotensin II receptor blocker

Angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) is a class of drugs called sartans that lowers blood pressure by blocking angiotensin II receptors. The first was losartan, approved in 1995.

Angle class I malocclusion

Angle class I malocclusion (neutroclusion, ICD-11 DA0E.51): malocclusion with normal first-molar jaw relationship but malaligned individual teeth; the most prevalent Angle class, mainly crowding, treated with fixed appliances or aligners.

ANGLE trial

ANGLE trial (NCT07223762), Hyperangulated Versus Standard Geometry Laryngoscope Blade Trial: Vanderbilt-sponsored randomized trial in 2,500 critically ill ED and ICU adults comparing first-attempt intubation success and hypoxemia between hyperangulated and standard geometry video laryngoscope blades.

Angular cheilitis

Angular cheilitis, also called perlèche or angular stomatitis, is inflammatory cracking at the mouth corners caused by saliva maceration with Candida or Staphylococcus infection; not contagious, treated with antifungals and barrier care.

Angus Barbieri's fast

Angus Barbieri's fast: a 382-day medically supervised fast (June 1965 to July 1966) by a Scottish man at Maryfield Hospital, Dundee, on tea, coffee, water, soda water, and vitamins; weight fell from 214 kg to 80.74 kg, the longest recorded fast.

Anifrolumab

Anifrolumab (Saphnelo, formerly MEDI-546) is AstraZeneca's fully human anti-IFNAR1 monoclonal antibody blocking all type I interferons, FDA-approved in 2021 as add-on therapy for moderate-to-severe systemic lupus erythematosus.

Anil Chaudhry

Anil Chaudhry is an Indian energy-sector executive who served as Managing Director and Country President of Schneider Electric India from 2013 and joined the National Academy of Engineering in 2025.

Anileridine

Anileridine (Leritine, Lerinol) is a discontinued synthetic piperidine opioid analgesic related to meperidine, FDA-approved in 1957 by Merck, about 4 times as potent as pethidine, now DEA Schedule II.

Anilingus

Anilingus, also called rimming, is a form of oral sex in which the mouth, lips, or tongue stimulate a partner's anus; it can transmit hepatitis A and B and intestinal parasites.

Animal magnetism

Animal magnetism (mesmerism) was Franz Anton Mesmer's 18th-century theory of a curative invisible force, debunked by the 1784 Franklin Commission; it seeded hypnosis, placebo research, and blinded trials.

Animal-assisted therapy

Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a goal-directed therapeutic intervention in which animals, most often dogs, cats, or horses, are incorporated into treatment by health professionals against documented goals.

Anion gap

Anion gap (serum anion gap): calculated as Na minus (Cl plus bicarbonate) from routine blood panels to estimate unmeasured anions; used mainly to classify metabolic acidosis as high-gap or normal-gap, with albumin correction and delta ratio refinements.

Aniridia

Aniridia, also called congenital aniridia or PAX6-related aniridia, is a rare panocular disorder from PAX6 haploinsufficiency at 11p13, causing iris hypoplasia plus keratopathy, glaucoma, cataract, and foveal hypoplasia, sometimes with WAGR syndrome.

Aniridia-cerebellar ataxia-intellectual disability syndrome

Aniridia-cerebellar ataxia-intellectual disability syndrome, or Gillespie syndrome (OMIM 206700), is a rare ITPR1-related disorder with partial bilateral aniridia, fixed dilated scalloped pupils, non-progressive cerebellar ataxia, hypotonia, and mild to moderate intellectual disability, first described in 1965.

Anisakiasis

Anisakiasis (herring worm disease), also called anisakidosis, is a foodborne parasitic disease from Anisakis, Pseudoterranova, or Contracaecum nematode larvae in raw or undercooked fish or squid, causing gastric, intestinal, ectopic, or allergic illness, common in Japan.

Aniseikonia

Aniseikonia (also ocular image size inequality) is a binocular vision condition where the two eyes perceive images of different size or shape, from optical causes like anisometropia or retinal causes like epiretinal membrane; symptoms begin around 1-3%.

Anisindione

Anisindione (Miradon) is a synthetic oral anticoagulant of the indanedione class that acts as a vitamin K antagonist. It was approved in 1957 and is discontinued.

Anisocoria

Anisocoria, unequal pupil sizes, is a common sign ranging from benign physiologic anisocoria (up to 20% of people, ≤1 mm) to Horner syndrome, Adie pupil, third nerve palsy, and pharmacologic causes, evaluated by light/dark comparison and drug tests.

Anisodamine

Anisodamine (山莨菪碱, code 654; synthetic racemate 654-2) is a tropane alkaloid M-anticholinergic from Anisodus tanguticus, isolated in China in the 1960s and used for smooth-muscle spasm, microcirculatory shock, and organophosphate poisoning.

Anisometropia

Anisometropia: significant interocular difference in refractive error, usually SER ≥1.00 D. Causes amblyopia, reduced stereopsis, aniseikonia; contact lenses preferred correction; increasingly linked to myopia.

Anisotropine

Anisotropine methylbromide (octatropine methylbromide), a quaternary ammonium antimuscarinic tropane derivative once sold as Valpin 50 for peptic ulcer; discontinued, replaced by more effective agents.

Anistreplase

Anistreplase (APSAC, Eminase) is an acylated streptokinase-lys-plasminogen thrombolytic complex, given as a 30-unit IV bolus over 2-5 minutes, half-life about 90 minutes, FDA approved 1989 for acute myocardial infarction.