Faculty of Allied Health Sciences > Nutrition and Food Engineering

Diseases Named After Food

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Shamim Ansary:
Café au Lait Spot


French for ‘my coffee is more sophisticated than your coffee’, café au lait spots are birthmarks. Like the port wine stain, they, in and of themselves, are not harmful and are called such due to their light brown color. However, café au lait spots can be an indication of the presence of many diseases, such as tuberous sclerosis, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome and Hunter syndrome. The presence of at least six café au lait spots, at least 5 millimeters in diameter (before puberty) or 15 mm (after puberty) aid in the diagnosis of Neurofibramatosis I (NF-1). NF-1 is a human genetic disorder that was once thought to be the Elephant Man’s diagnosis du jour, but has since fallen out of favor with medical historians.

Shamim Ansary:
Currant Jelly Sputum


This is not something you want to spread on your scones along with some clotted cream. Currant jelly sputum is a mass of blood, sputum, mucous and cellular debris that collects in lung passages as a result of untreated Klebsiella pneumoniae pneumonia. The incidence of Klebsiella infection is increasing, likely due to new strains with antibiotic resistance. This bacterium is the second most common cause of urinary tract infections, second to E. coli. However, before you start worrying that you are going to cough up something that looks like the blue ribbon prize at the 4-H meet, pneumonia due to Klebsiella usually occurs in people who already have other medical conditions such as diabetes, other chronic lung diseases and alcoholism. Other symptoms include high fever, chills and flu-like symptoms.

Shamim Ansary:
Bread and Butter Pericarditis


Also known as fibrinous pericarditis, this is the result of inflammation of the pericardium, or sac that encloses the heart. It is often caused by bacterial or viral infections, or after a heart attack. The pericardium takes on the appearance of butter on bread after it has been dropped (butter side down, of course) on the carpet. No, there are not stray hairs or dust bunnies found imbedded in the lining of the heart but there might as well be. The appearance is caused by fibrin (a type of protein) that is deposited as a result of injury. This causes a characteristic “friction rub” that is audible with a stethoscope. Another key finding is chest pain similar to a heart attack, that gets better when you lean forward. Treatment is usually with aspirin or anti inflammatory medication, with surgery rarely required. Of note, this is another one of those factlets that are pounded into your head in medical school, but never tested on because that would make things too easy.

Shamim Ansary:
Port Wine Stain


A port wine stain is a relatively common birth mark caused by a collection of swollen blood vessels near the skin surface. It is usually innocuous, but may cause emotional distress in patients where the birthmark is especially prominent (hey, it didn’t stop Gorbachev from espousing Perestroika and Glasnost). The color is reddish-purple like the color of Port wine (sorry Sherry, there is no birthmark named after you) and can darken with age. Occasionally, a port wine stain may be an indication of a more serious disease such as Sturge-Weber syndrome, or Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome (I always wondered if doctors resented having to share a disease discovery with so many other doctors). If bothersome, port wine stains can be removed just like unwanted tattoos. Laser treatments are effective because it kills the offending blood vessels without damaging the skin. Repeated treatments are required and this can be an expensive and time consuming proposition.

Shamim Ansary:
Chocolate Cyst


This is one of the few cases where chocolate is not better than sex for the majority of women out there (well at least 52% of British women according to a 2007 survey by Cadbury, who makes chocolate, incidentally). Also known as endometriosis of the ovary, a chocolate cyst occurs when endometrial tissue (blood vessel laden tissue that lines the uterus and is shed monthly in the absence of an implanted fertilized egg) finds its way into the pelvic cavity and begins to grow on one or both ovaries. This tissue continues to proliferate, slough off, and proliferate again much like a regular menstrual cycle. The problem is this is now occurring within the ovary instead of the uterus. Blood accumulates over time and turns a brown chocolate color. Unfortunately, chocolate cysts often rupture, but not before causing a lot of pain and discomfort. Surgical removal of the ovary is definitive treatment, but hormonal treatments are available as well.

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