Definition

1. Noun:
   • A medical condition characterized by the falling out of hair: "psilosis" refers to abnormal hair loss or baldness.
   • A chronic malabsorption disorder: In medical contexts, "psilosis" is a synonym for sprue, a disease where nutrients are not properly absorbed by the intestines, leading to symptoms like severe diarrhea and weight loss.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The patient was diagnosed with psilosis, resulting in significant scalp hair loss.
  • Chronic diarrhea and emaciation are classic signs of intestinal psilosis.

Advanced Usage

• Medical Terminology: The term is highly specialized and primarily used in clinical or historical medical literature. It is often synonymous with "sprue" when referring to the intestinal disorder.
  • Tropical psilosis and celiac disease share some similar malabsorption characteristics.

Variants and Related Words

• Sprue (n): A more common term for the intestinal form of psilosis.
  • The doctor confirmed it was a case of sprue, also known as psilosis.

Synonyms

• Alopecia: For the meaning related to hair loss.
• Malabsorption syndrome: For the meaning related to the intestinal disorder.

Related Phrases

• Tropical psilosis: Refers to the form of the disease prevalent in tropical climates.
• Non-tropical psilosis: Refers to the form of the disease not associated with tropical regions, often equivalent to celiac disease.

Noun

1. falling out of hair
2. a chronic disorder that occurs in tropical and non-tropical forms and in both children and adults; nutrients are not absorbed; symptoms include foul-smelling diarrhea and emaciation