Infiltrate Health Dictionary

Infiltrate: From 1 Different Sources


Build-up of substances or cells within a tissue that are either not normally found in it or are usually present only in smaller amounts.

Infiltrate may refer to a drug (such as a local anaesthetic) that has been injected into a tissue, or to the build-up of a substance within an organ (for example, fat in the liver caused by excessive alcohol consumption).

Radiologists use the term to refer to the presence of abnormalities, most commonly on a chest X-ray, due to conditions such as infection.

Health Source: BMA Medical Dictionary
Author: The British Medical Association

Cancer

A group of diseases characterized by the abnormal and unrestrained growth of cells in body organs or tissues. Tumour-forming cells develop when the oncogenes (genes controlling cell growth and multiplication) in a cell or cells undergo a series of changes. A small group of abnormal cells develop that divide more rapidly than normal, lack differentiation (they no longer perform their specialized task), and may escape the normal control of hormones and nerves. Cancers differ from benign neoplasms (abnormal growths, such as warts) in that they spread and infiltrate surrounding tissue and may cause blockages, destroy nerves, and erode bone. Cancer cells may also spread via the blood vessels and lymphatic system to form secondary tumours (see metastasis).

Causes of cancer include environmental factors such as sunlight, smoking, pollutants, alcohol consumption, and dietary factors. These factors may provoke critical changes in body cells in susceptible people. Susceptibility to certain cancers may be inherited.

Many cancers are now curable, usually by combinations of surgery, radiotherapy, and anticancer drugs. For information on particular cancers, refer to the organ in question (for example lung cancer; stomach cancer).... cancer

Leukaemia

Any of several types of cancer in which there is a disorganized proliferation of white blood cells within the bone marrow. Organs such as the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, or brain may cease to function properly if they become infiltrated by abnormal cells.

Leukaemias are classified into acute and chronic types (acute types generally develop faster than chronic leukaemia). They are also classified according to the type of white cell that is proliferating abnormally. If the abnormal cells are lymphocytes or lymphoblasts (precursors of lymphocytes), the leukaemia is called lymphocytic or lymphoblastic leukaemia. If abnormal cells are derived from other types of white cell or their precursors, the disease is called myeloid, myeloblastic, or granulocytic leukaemia. (See also leukaemia, acute; leukaemia, chronic lymphocytic; leukaemia, chronic myeloid.)... leukaemia

Oncogenes

Genes found in every cell that control growth, repair, and replacement.

Abnormalities of oncogenes are known to be a factor in the development of cancerous cells.

Mutations in oncogenes, resulting from damage by carcinogens, can cause a cell to grow unrestrainedly and infiltrate and destroy normal tissues (see cancer).

Factors known to cause cancer include ultraviolet light, radioactivity, tobacco, alcohol, asbestos, some chemicals, and certain viruses.... oncogenes

Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome

(acute respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS) a form of *acute respiratory failure that occurs after a precipitating event, such as trauma, aspiration, or inhalation of a toxic substance; it is particularly associated with septic shock. Lung injury is characterized by reduced oxygen in the arteries, reduced lung volume, and decreased lung compliance, and diffuse infiltrates are seen on a chest X-ray. Treatment is correction of the original cause, volume replacement, diuretics, oxygen, and mechanical ventilation.... adult respiratory distress syndrome

Bronchiolitis Obliterans Organizing Pneumonia

(BOOP) a disease entity characterized clinically by a flulike illness with cough, fever, shortness of breath, and late inspiratory crackles; there are specific histological features and patchy infiltrates on X-ray. It is sometimes the result of a viral infection, but may follow medication with certain drugs or be associated with connective-tissue disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis. The condition usually responds to oral corticosteroids; however, if a drug is implicated, it must be withdrawn.... bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia

Bronchoalveolar Lavage

(BAL) a method of obtaining cellular material from the lungs that is used particularly in the investigation and monitoring of interstitial lung disease and in the investigation of pulmonary infiltrates in immunosuppressed patients. A saline solution is infused into the lung, via a bronchoscope, and immediately removed. Examination of the cells in the lavage fluid may help to identify the cause of interstitial lung disease. The combination of cytological and microbiological examination can lead to a very high rate of diagnostic accuracy in such conditions as *Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia.... bronchoalveolar lavage

Fungating

adj. describing or relating to a mass of malignant tissue that has infiltrated the epithelium and broken through the skin surface. Often in the shape of a fungus, it may be infected, smell strongly, and cause pain and is most likely to occur in the advanced stages of cancer, particularly of the breast, head, or neck.... fungating

Infiltration

n. 1. the abnormal entry of a substance (infiltrate) into a cell, tissue, or organ. Examples of infiltrates are blood cells, cancer cells, fat, starch, or calcium and magnesium salts. Infiltration can occur when a vein is damaged and the fluid being infused continues to leak out and accumulate in the surrounding tissue (also known as ‘tissuing’). This can result in inflammation. 2. the injection of a local anaesthetic solution into the tissues to cause local *anaesthesia. Infiltration anaesthesia is routinely used to anaesthetize upper teeth to allow dental procedures to be carried out.... infiltration

Lardaceous

adj. resembling lard: often applied to tissue infiltrated with the starchlike substance amyloid (see amyloidosis).... lardaceous

Lymphadenectomy

n. surgical removal of lymph nodes, an operation commonly performed when a cancer has invaded nodes in the drainage area of an organ infiltrated by a malignant growth. The whole chain of lymph nodes draining the tumour is excised. This is performed for local control and also staging of the cancer, to plan further treatment and for prognosis.... lymphadenectomy

Endometriosis

n. the presence of fragments of endometrial tissue at sites in the pelvis outside the uterus or, rarely, throughout the body (e.g. in the lung, rectum, or umbilicus). It is thought to be caused by retrograde *menstruation. When the tissue has infiltrated the wall of the uterus (myometrium) the condition is known as adenomyosis. Symptoms vary, but typically include pelvic pain, severe *dysmenorrhoea, *dyspareunia, infertility, and a pelvic mass (or any combination of these). Medical treatment is aimed at suppressing ovulation using *gonadorelin analogues, combined oral contraceptives, or the intrauterine system (see IUS). High-dose progestogens suppress *gonadotrophins (FSH and LH), shrink implanted endometrial tissue, and reduce retrograde menstruation. They have a similar efficacy to other medical treatments, are cheaper, and have fewer side-effects than gonadorelin analogues. Surgical treatment may also be necessary, usually by laser or ablative therapy via the laparoscope. More radical surgical treatment in the form of a total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy is sometimes required.... endometriosis

Tumour-infiltrating Lymphocyte

(TIL) a lymphoid cell that can infiltrate solid tumours. Such cells can be cultured in vitro, in the presence of *interleukin 2, and have been used as vehicles for *tumour necrosis factor in gene therapy trials for cancer.... tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte



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