Condition which affects multiple organs or the whole body
"Life-threatening disease" redirects here.
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A systemic disease is one that affects a number of
organs and
tissues, or affects the
body as a whole.[1]
Ehlers-Danlos syndromes - an inherited connective tissue disorder with multiple subcategories
Adrenal insufficiency – where the adrenal glands don't produce enough steroid hormones
Coeliac disease – an autoimmune disease triggered by
gluten consumption, which may involve several organs and cause a variety of symptoms, or be completely asymptomatic.[2]
Sjogren's Syndrome - an autoimmune disease that primarily attacks the lacrimal and salivary glands, but also impacts other organs such as the lungs, kidneys, liver, and nervous system.
Detection
Getting a regular
eye exam may play a role in identifying the signs of some systemic diseases.[3] "The eye is composed of many different types of tissue. This unique feature makes the eye susceptible to a wide variety of diseases as well as provides insights into many body systems. Almost any part of the eye can give important clues to the diagnosis of systemic diseases. Signs of a systemic disease may be evident on the outer surface of the eye (eyelids, conjunctiva and cornea), middle of the eye and at the back of the eye (retina)."[4]
Since
500 B.C., some researchers have believed that the physical condition of the
fingernails and
toenails can indicate various systemic diseases. Careful examination of the fingernails and toenails may provide clues to underlying systemic diseases [citation needed], since some diseases have been found to cause disruptions in the nail growth process. The
nail plate is the hard
keratin cover of the nail. The nail plate is generated by the
nail matrix located just under the cuticle. As the nail grows, the area closest to becoming exposed to the outside world (distal) produces the deeper layers of the nail plate, while the part of the nail matrix deeper inside the finger (proximal) makes the superficial layers. Any disruption in this growth process can lead to an alteration in the shape and texture.[citation needed]
For example, pitting looks like depressions in the hard part of the nail. Pitting is to be associated with
psoriasis, affecting 10% - 50% of patients with that disorder. [5] Pitting also may be caused by a variety of systemic diseases, including
reactive arthritis and other
connective tissue disorders,
sarcoidosis,
pemphigus,
alopecia areata, and
incontinentia pigmenti.[6] Because pitting is caused by defective layering of the superficial nail plate by the proximal nail matrix, any localized dermatitis (e.g.,
atopic dermatitis or chemical
dermatitis) that disrupts orderly growth in that area also can cause pitting.[7]
^Mayeaux EJ Jr. Nail disorders. Prim Care 2000;27: 333-51.
^Daniel CR 3d, Sams WM Jr, Scher RK. Nails in systemic disease. Dermatol Clin 1985;3:465-83.
^Eds. ROBERT S. FAWCETT, M.D., M.S., SEAN LINFORD, M.D., and DANIEL L. STULBERG, M.D., Nail Abnormalities: Clues to Systemic Disease (American Family Physician, March 15, 2004), Available at
http://www.aafp.org/afp/20040315/1417.html, Accessed 20 August 2009.