Clinical Diagnosis · Multiple Systems · Medium
Cachexia
Meaning: Severe weight loss and muscle wasting caused by chronic illness such as cancer or heart failure.
In practice: Despite eating, the patient with advanced lung cancer developed marked cachexia.
Quick check
Two questions on related clinical diagnosis words.
Which word means: Damage to or disease of the kidneys, such as that caused by diabetes or contrast dye.
Answer: Nephropathy
Which word means: A raised number of immature red blood cells in the circulation, indicating active red cell production.
Answer: Reticulocytosis
Words like cachexia come up in the daily game
One medical word a day, then a quick three-question quiz. Free on iPhone, or play in your browser on Android and computer.