idiopathic
Meaning: Describing a disease or condition that arises spontaneously or from an unknown cause. It is one of the most frequently used terms in clinical medicine when no identifiable aetiology can be established.
Idiopathic conditions are diagnosed by exclusion, after all known causes have been ruled out. The term appears in numerous disease names, including 'idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis,' 'idiopathic intracranial hypertension,' and 'idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.' While it literally means 'of one's own suffering,' in practice it is a clinical admission that the underlying mechanism remains unclear. As medical knowledge advances, some formerly idiopathic conditions have been reclassified.
Examples
- The patient was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis after extensive testing failed to identify a cause. 在广泛检查未能确定原因后,该患者被诊断为特发性肺纤维化。El paciente fue diagnosticado de fibrosis pulmonar idiopática después de que las pruebas exhaustivas no lograran identificar una causa.広範な検査でも原因が特定できなかったため、その患者は特発性肺線維症と診断された。광범위한 검사에서도 원인이 밝혀지지 않아 그 환자는 특발성 폐섬유증으로 진단되었다.
- Idiopathic epilepsy accounts for a substantial proportion of seizure disorders in otherwise healthy children. 特发性癫痫在其他方面健康的儿童中占癫痫发作障碍的相当大比例。La epilepsia idiopática representa una proporción sustancial de los trastornos convulsivos en niños por lo demás sanos.特発性てんかんは、その他の点では健康な小児におけるてんかん発作の相当な割合を占めている。특발성 간질은 다른 면에서는 건강한 소아의 경련성 질환에서 상당한 비율을 차지한다.
- The condition was labelled idiopathic, though the consultant suspected an autoimmune component that current tests could not confirm. 该病症被标记为特发性,尽管顾问医生怀疑存在现有检测无法确认的自身免疫成分。La afección fue etiquetada como idiopática, aunque el especialista sospechaba un componente autoinmune que las pruebas actuales no podían confirmar.その状態は特発性と分類されたが、専門医は現在の検査では確認できない自己免疫的要素を疑っていた。그 상태는 특발성으로 분류되었지만, 전문의는 현재 검사로는 확인할 수 없는 자가면역적 요소를 의심하였다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: medical, academic
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Greek 'idiopatheia,' from 'idios' (one's own, personal) and 'pathos' (suffering, disease). Adopted into medical Latin and thence into English in the late 17th century.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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