Definition

1. Noun:
   • A severe form of viral hepatitis: Delta hepatitis is a serious liver infection caused by the hepatitis D virus (HDV). It can only occur in individuals who are already infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), as HDV requires the HBV surface antigen to replicate.

Usage

• Delta hepatitis is diagnosed through specific blood tests that detect antibodies to the hepatitis D virus or the virus itself.
• The term is used in medical contexts to describe the condition, its progression, and its treatment.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The patient's liver failure was attributed to a coinfection with hepatitis B and delta hepatitis.
  • Delta hepatitis is considered the most severe form of viral hepatitis due to its rapid progression to cirrhosis.
  • Screening for delta hepatitis is recommended for all individuals diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B.

Advanced Usage

• "Acute delta hepatitis": Refers to a new, short-term infection with the hepatitis D virus.
  • Acute delta hepatitis can lead to fulminant hepatitis, a life-threatening condition.
• "Chronic delta hepatitis": Refers to a long-lasting infection with the hepatitis D virus, typically lasting more than six months.
  • Chronic delta hepatitis significantly increases the risk of developing liver cancer compared to hepatitis B infection alone.

Variants and Related Words

• Hepatitis D: The full medical term for delta hepatitis; often used interchangeably.
  • Hepatitis D is caused by an RNA virus.
• HDV: The standard abbreviation for the hepatitis D virus, the causative agent of delta hepatitis.
  • The HDV genome is circular.
• Superinfection: A specific medical scenario where a person with chronic hepatitis B acquires a new delta hepatitis infection.
  • A superinfection with delta hepatitis often leads to a more severe clinical course than a coinfection.

Synonyms

• Hepatitis D: The synonymous full name of the disease.
• HDV infection: A term focusing on the infection by the causative virus.

Related Phrases

(Note: As a specific medical noun, "delta hepatitis" does not have phrasal verbs. Related phrases are medical terminology.) - Coinfection with HBV and HDV: When a person is simultaneously infected with both hepatitis B and hepatitis D viruses. - Coinfection with HBV and HDV can cause severe acute hepatitis. - Delta agent: An older term historically used for the hepatitis D virus. - The delta agent was first identified in the 1970s.

Related Idioms

(Note: As a technical medical term, "delta hepatitis" is not used in idiomatic expressions.)

Noun

1. a severe form of hepatitis