Atrophy

atrophy /at·ro·phy/ (at´ro-fe)

1. a wasting away; a diminution in the size of a cell, tissue, organ, or part.

2. to undergo or cause atrophy.

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acute yellow atrophy  the shrunken, yellow liver which is a complication, usually fatal, of fulminant hepatitis with massive hepatic necrosis.

Aran-Duchenne muscular atrophy  spinal muscular a.

bone atrophy  resorption of bone evident in both external form and internal density.

Duchenne-Aran muscular atrophy  spinal muscular a.

healed yellow atrophy  macronodular cirrhosis.

Leber's hereditary optic atrophy  see under neuropathy.

lobar atrophy  Pick's disease (1).

myelopathic muscular atrophy  muscular atrophy due to lesion of the spinal cord, as in spinal muscular atrophy.

olivopontocerebellar atrophy  any of a group of progressive hereditary disorders involving degeneration of the cerebellar cortex, middle peduncles, ventral pontine surface, and olivary nuclei. They occur in the young to middle-aged and are characterized by ataxia, dysarthria, and tremors similar to those of parkinsonism.

optic atrophy  atrophy of the optic disk due to degeneration of the nerve fibers of the optic nerve and optic tract.

peroneal atrophy , peroneal muscular atrophy Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

physiologic atrophy  that affecting certain organs in all individuals as part of the normal aging process.

senile atrophy of skin  the mild atrophic changes in the dermis and epidermis that occur naturally with aging.

spinal muscular atrophy  progressive degeneration of the motor cells of the spinal cord, beginning usually in the small muscles of the hands, but in some cases (scapulohumeral type) in the upper arm and shoulder muscles, and progressing slowly to the leg muscles.

Sudeck's atrophy  post-traumatic osteoporosis.

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at·ro·phy (tr-f)

n.

A wasting or decrease in the size of an organ or tissue, as from death and reabsorption of cells, diminished cellular proliferation, pressure, ischemia, malnutrition, decreased function, or hormonal changes. Also called atrophia.

v.

To undergo atrophy.

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a·trophic (-trfk) adj.

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Atrophy

A wasting away of a tissue or organ, often because of insufficient nutrition.

Mentioned in: Alcohol-Related Neurologic Disease, Esophageal Disorders, Keloids, Malabsorption Syndrome, Optic Atrophy, Optic Neuritis, Orchitis, Pernicious Anemia, Polymyalgia Rheumatica, Postpolio Syndrome, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, Renal Artery Occlusion, Renal Artery Stenosis

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atrophy,

n shrinking or wasting of a body part as a result of lack of use or disease.

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atrophy (at´rōfē),

n/v a progressive, acquired decrease in the size of a normally developed cell, tissue, or organ. Atrophy may result from a decrease in cell size, number of cells, or both.

atrophy, adipose

n an atrophy resulting from a reduction in fatty tissue.

atrophy, alveolar,

n a depletion of the size of the alveolar process of the jaws from disuse, overuse, or pathologic disturbance of the bone.

atrophy, bone,

n 1. the bone resorption internally (in density) and externally (in form) (e.g., of residual ridges).
n 2. a loss of bone substance or volume. Atrophy of bone ordinarily occurs without a corresponding change in the volume or external dimensions of bone, but the mass of bone tissue may be reduced by as much as 75%. The internal architecture of the bone gradually becomes attenuated and finally disappears. Atrophied bone is brittle and has a more spongy consistency than normal bone. In cross-section the cortex is thin, and the periosteal surface is smooth and unchanged, but the intramedullary substance is composed of a yellow, fatty, cancellous bone tissue. Bone atrophy may be systemic, regional, or local.

atrophy, central papillary,

n a lesion on the central dorsum of the tongue, possibly due to a fungal infection, not a developmental disorder; it may be raised or flat. Formerly called
median rhomboid glossitis.

atrophy, diffuse alveolar,

n See periodontosis.

atrophy, facial,

n the failure of facial development. If it is bilateral, it may produce brachygnathia; unilateral types, although rare, are more common than the bilateral type. Causes include physical injury, neurovascular disease, and paralysis.

atrophy, gerodontic mucosal

n an oral degeneration in which the tissue of the epithelium in the oral cavity thins and loses some of its vascular structure and elasticity.

atrophy, muscular,

n a wasting of muscle tissue, especially resulting from lack of use. There are numerous causes for simple atrophy of muscle, such as chronic malnutrition, immobilization, and denervation.

atrophy, of disuse,

n an atrophy resulting from a lack of function of a tissue, organ, or body part.

atrophy, periodontal,

n the quantitative degenerative changes that occur in the periodontium of a tooth as a result of disease or disuse. When a tooth loses its antagonist, osteoporotic changes in the supporting bone, an afunctional change in the direction of periodontal fibers, and a narrowing of the periodontal ligament.

atrophy, postmenopausal,

n a thinning of the oral mucosa after menopause.

atrophy, pressure,

n the tissue destruction and reduction in size as a consequence of prolonged or continued pressure on a local area or group of cells.

atrophy, pressure, by epithelial attachment,

n a theoretical type of atrophy. The theory, advanced to explain destruction of gingival fibers during gingival inflammation, states that gingival fiber degeneration is produced by pressure exerted by the proliferating pocket epithelium. It is now generally conceded that proteolytic substances produced in the tissues during inflammation are responsible for gingival fiber destruction; subsequently, the epithelium can proliferate apically.

atrophy, senile,

n the atrophy or diminution of all tissues characteristic of advanced age.

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atrophy

1. decrease in size of a normally developed organ or tissue; wasting.

2. to undergo or cause atrophy.

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disuse atrophy

atrophy of local musculature due to failure to use a part of the body, due usually to pain. Is separate from neurogenic atrophy when nerve damage causes atrophy from both disuse and denervation.

iris atrophy

occurs with aging, particularly in Siamese cats and miniature schnauzers and poodles; may be secondary to trauma, recurrent uveitis and chronic glaucoma.

mammary atrophy

the terminal stage of chronic mastitis; palpation establishes that little mammary tissue remains and inflammatory fibrous tissue has subsided.

Blind quarter (atrophy) in a cow following mastitis. By permission from Blowey RW, Weaver AD, Diseases and Disorders of Cattle, Mosby, 1997

optic atrophy

atrophy of the optic nerve; may occur with trauma, prolonged inflammatory diseases of the eye, and retinal degeneration.

retinal atrophy

see progressive retinal atrophy.

serous atrophy

in cachexia there is mobilization of depot fat and lipid vacuoles are progressively reduced in size and replaced by proteinaceous fluid which converts the fat depots to gelatinous masses of serous atrophy.

villous atrophy

a common finding in a variety of intestinal diseases of animals, including viral, bacterial and protozoal infections, parasitism, hypersensitivity reactions in the bowel and alimentary lymphosarcoma. Malabsorption and diarrhea result. An idiopathic, possibly immune-mediated, villous atrophy occurs in dogs.