desert rheumatism
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: - A fungal infection: Desert rheumatism is a medical term for a fungal infection caused by Coccidioides species, primarily affecting the lungs and sometimes the skin. It is characterized by respiratory symptoms and may involve the formation of nodules.
Usage
- As a subject:
- As an object:
Examples
Advanced Usage
- Medical Context: The term is used almost exclusively in medical and epidemiological contexts to describe the condition formally known as coccidioidomycosis or Valley fever.
- The study focused on the incidence of desert rheumatism in agricultural workers.
Variants and Related Words
- Coccidioidomycosis (n): The formal medical name for the disease.
- Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley fever, starts as a respiratory infection.
- Valley fever (n): A common name for the same infection.
- Valley fever is another name for desert rheumatism.
Synonyms
- Coccidioidomycosis: The technical synonym.
- Valley fever: A colloquial synonym, primarily used in the southwestern United States.
Notes on Meaning
- This term specifically refers to an infectious disease. It is not related to the joint pain condition "rheumatism" in its typical sense; the name is a historical descriptor based on some symptomatic similarities. The core meaning is a fungal infection.
Noun
- an infection of the lungs and skin characterized by excessive sputum and nodules