Disease Terminology
Term Definition
Acute Disease characterized by abrupt or sudden onset, usually with severe symptoms. Acute disease, as a rule, lasts a comparatively short time—no more than a few weeks.
Chronic Disease characterized by longer duration, often months or years. It is usually associated with symptoms of less severe intensity.
Communicable Disease that is transmissible by direct or indirect contact with infection.
Complicating Disease that occurs during or after an illness and has the same cause as the original disease or results from changes produced by the original disease.
Congenital Disease present in an infant at birth; it may be caused by hereditary factors or result from a prenatal condition or disease.
Contagious Highly transmissible disease.
Deficiency Disease resulting from a lack of vitamins or minerals in the diet or a failure to absorb vitamins or minerals from food.
Endemic Disease that occurs continuously or recurrently in a particular geographic region.
Epidemic Disease that attacks simultaneously a large number of persons living in a particular geographic region.
Functional Disease in which there is no significant anatomical change in the tissues or organs to account for the change in function or the performance of the body.
Hereditary Disease transmitted from parent to offspring genetically.
Idiopathic Disease in which the cause is unknown.
Occupational Disease that results directly or indirectly from the patient's job.
Organic Disease in which there are significant anatomical changes in the tissues or organs.
Pandemic Disease that occurs more or less over the entire world at the same time.
Primary Term used in several ways to characterize disease. When an individual has several diseases, the term primary may refer to the initial disease or to the most important disease. Sometimes it is used to denote a disease or group of diseases for which there is no specific cause. At times it is used to indicate the site in which a pathological process begins.
Prognosis Medical assessment of the probable outcome or the prospect for recovery of the disease.
Psychosomatic Disease that seems to be caused or worsened by psychological factors. It may or may not produce anatomical changes.
Secondary Disease that results from a definite contributing factor. For instance, secondary anemia may result from blood loss or blood destruction.
Sporadic Disease that occurs in isolated cases in a locality where it is neither endemic nor epidemic.
Subacute Disease characterized by an onset that is not as abrupt as in the acute form and with symptoms less severe and of shorter duration than chronic.

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