Plague and Related Medical Terminology

Case Figure: Medieval Painting (1411)

  • A medieval painting from a German language Bible of 1411 depicts a case figure relevant to understanding disease context.

Lymphadenitis, Adenopathy, and Related Terms

  • Lymphadenitis: A form of adenopathy characterized by visible buboes (painful swellings).
  • Bubonic Plague: Lymphadenitis is characteristic of bubonic plague.
  • Inguinal Lymphadenitis:
    • Inguin/o: Refers to the groin.
    • Lymph/o: Refers to lymph.
    • -al: A suffix indicating pertaining to.
    • Aden/o: Refers to a gland.
    • -itis: Suffix indicating inflammation.
  • Adenopathy:
    • Aden/o: Means gland.
    • -pathy: Means disease.
  • Axillary Lymph Nodes: Located in the armpit region.
  • Cervical Lymph Nodes: Located in the neck region.

Petechial Hemorrhaging

  • Petechial hemorrhaging may develop as a result of septicemic plague.
  • Petechial Hemorrhage: Refers to small, pinpoint hemorrhages.

Septicemic Plague

  • Septicemic plague results from bacteremia and endotoxemia.
  • Bacteremia: The presence of bacteria in the blood.
  • Endotoxemia: The presence of endotoxins in the blood.

The Great Mortality (15th Century)

  • Church documents from the 15th century describe a Swiss village experiencing high mortality (30% death rate) from a new illness.
  • Symptoms included fever and "the marks," identified as petechial hemorrhages, possibly from disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC).

Case Study: Middle-Aged Male with Septicemic Plague

  • A middle-aged male presented with inguinal lymphadenitis.
  • After two days, he exhibited black lesions on fingers and toes due to thrombi blocking capillaries, leading to ischemia.
  • His condition deteriorated, presenting with hematemesis (vomiting blood), hemoptysis (coughing up blood), and hematochezia (blood in stool), ultimately leading to death.

Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC)

  • DIC involves increased coagulation, resulting in circulating clots.
  • This leads to depletion of clotting factors, causing hemorrhaging.

Plague and Yersinia pestis

  • Plague is caused by infection with Yersinia pestis bacterium.
  • It is a zoonotic infection transmitted from rodents to humans through fleas.

Bubonic Plague

  • Bubonic plague results from bites of infected fleas.
  • Infection spreads through the lymphatic system, causing lymphadenopathy, particularly in inguinal and cervical regions.
  • Swollen and rupturing lymph nodes are called buboes, characteristic of bubonic plague.

Septicemic Plague (Systemic Y. pestis Infection)

  • If Y. pestis moves into systemic circulation, it is termed septicemic plague.
  • Septicemic plague is associated with bacteremia and endotoxemia, worsening to cause thromboembolic and hemorrhaging symptoms.
  • Septicemic plague is almost always fatal.

Pharmacist Terminology

  • Pharmacist is the modern-day term for apothecary.
    • Pharmac/o: Means drug or medicine.
    • -ist: Means a person who practices or is skilled in a particular field.