Polymorphism
A variation in the DNA that is too common to be due merely to new mutation. A polymorphism must have a frequency of at least 1% in the population.
Examples of polymorphisms include the genes for sickle cell disease, thalassemia and G6PD deficiency. These genes are widely believed to offer an advantage against malaria.
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- Polymorphonuclear leukocyte
A type of white blood cell with a nucleus that is so deeply lobated or divided that the cell looks to have multiple nuclei. Informally called a poly.
- Polymyalgia
Pain in multiple muscles, as in polymyalgia rheumatica.
- Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR)
A disorder of the muscles and joints of older persons characterized by pain and stiffness, affecting both sides of the body, and involving the shoulders, arms, neck, and buttock areas.
- Polymyositis
An autoimmune inflammatory disease of muscle that begins when white blood cells spontaneously invade muscles, especially those closest to the trunk or torso. This immune activity results in muscle pain, tenderness, and weakness. Blood testing in a person with polymyositis shows significantly elevated creatinine phosphokinase levels. The diagnosis is further suggested by electromyogram testing and […]
- Polyneuritis, acute idiopathic
Also known as the Guillain-Barre syndrome, a disorder characterized by progressive symmetrical paralysis and loss of reflexes usually beginning in the legs with, in most cases, nearly complete or complete recovery. The Guillain-Barre syndrome is not associated with fever. There is paralysis involving more than one limb, most commonly the legs, and that paralysis is […]