Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas and Medicine...Merry Christmas to all! #medtweeps #christmas

Christmas is in the air! I was just wondering how Christmas relates to medicine...Sounds crazy!! But I ended up getting this, an eponymously named disease, clinical signs, radiological signs, a connection to toxicology and few other interesting stuff which is related to Christmas.....Post any further additions to the list in comments..

Christmas disease- aka hemophilia B...Is a blood clotting disorder caused by a mutation of the Factor IX gene, leading to a deficiency of Factor IX(Christmas factor). It is the less common form of haemophilia, rarer than haemophilia A. It has nothing to do with Christmas though, it is called Christmas disease after Stephen Christmas, the first patient described with this disease.

Christmas tree pattern- Seen in Pityriasis Rosea a scaling dermatological disorder, characterized by often widespread papulosquamous, hyperpigmented, scaling lesions that develop a "Christmas tree" pattern on the back.

Christmas tree deformity- A radiological sign seen sometimes in Intestinal atresia..In over 10% of patients with intestinal atresia the mesentery is absent, and the superior mesenteric artery cannot be identified beyond the origin of the right colic and ileocolic arteries. The ileum coils around one of these two arteries, giving rise to the so-called Christmas tree deformity on contrast radiographs.

CO toxicity from leaking electric Christmas tree lights -CO toxicity has also been reported as a result of inhaling methyl chloride vapor, which is a component of paint stripping solutions, or from leaking "bubble" electric Christmas tree lights

Tropical Sporotrichosis is common in those involved in Christmas tree farming- Sporotrichosis is a subacute or chronic subcutaneous infection caused by the fungus Sporothrix schenckii.Diagnosis should be considered when a cutaneous lesion is found on a patient involved with Christmas tree farming, landscaping, rose gardening, berry picking, baling of hay, and in veterinarians.

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Posted via web from Inquisitives' posterous

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