What is endocrine atrophy?
A destructive or atrophic lesion affecting the pituitary gland with loss of hormones leads to atrophy of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, and gonads and in turn brings atrophic changes to their target organs and the viscera. The decrease in size of the endocrine glands may be extreme.
What causes cell atrophy?
Causes of atrophy include mutations (which can destroy the gene to build up the organ), poor nourishment, poor circulation, loss of hormonal support, loss of nerve supply to the target organ, excessive amount of apoptosis of cells, and disuse or lack of exercise or disease intrinsic to the tissue itself.
What is example of atrophy?
The reduction in size of tissue or organ, possibly after disease. For example when breaking an arm, the arm is temporarily put in a cast for the bone to heal in position. In light of this, many of the muscles in the arm lay unused for a period of time, and begin to waste away due to their redundancy.
What happens during atrophy?
Atrophy is defined as a decrease in the size of a tissue or organ due to cellular shrinkage; the decrease in cell size is caused by the loss of organelles, cytoplasm and proteins.
What is brain atrophy?
In brain tissue, atrophy describes a loss of neurons and the connections between them. Atrophy can be generalized, which means that all of the brain has shrunk; or it can be focal, affecting only a limited area of the brain and resulting in a decrease of the functions that area of the brain controls.
What diseases cause atrophy?
Common causes include neuromuscular diseases, such as spinal cord atrophy, multiple sclerosis (disease that affects the brain and spinal cord causing weakness, coordination, balance difficulties, and other problems), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease; a severe neuromuscular disease …
How do you cure atrophy?
Treatments for muscle atrophy include:
- Physical therapy. Share on Pinterest Physical therapy may help improve mobility in people with muscle atrophy.
- Functional electric stimulation. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is another effective treatment for muscle atrophy.
- Focused ultrasound therapy.
- Surgery.
Which is the best dictionary definition of atrophy?
Definition of atrophy (Entry 1 of 2) 1 : decrease in size or wasting away of a body part or tissue atrophy of muscles also : arrested development or loss of a part or organ incidental to the normal development or life of an animal or plant
How does atrophy affect the function of the brain?
In brain tissue, atrophy describes a loss of neurons and the connections between them. Atrophy can be generalized, which means that all of the brain has shrunk; or it can be focal, affecting only a limited area of the brain and resulting in a decrease of the functions that area of the brain controls.
When does atrophy of the kidneys take place?
This type of kidney atrophy or small kidney usually does not need any special treatment. The second type happens after birth, which can occur in one or both kidneys. This type of kidney atrophy is due to a lower blood supply to the kidney (s)and/or loss of nephrons, the basic working units of the kidneys.
What is the medical term for spinal muscular atrophy?
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.