Asymptomatic
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In medicine, a disease is asymptomatic if a patient carries a disease or infection but experiences no symptoms. A condition might be asymptomatic if it fails to show the noticeable symptoms with which it is usually associated. Asymptomatic infections are also called subclinical infections. The term clinically silent is also used.
Knowing that a condition is asymptomatic is important since
- It may develop symptoms later so require watch and wait or early treatment
- Reassurance that it might resolve itself or is benign.
- Requiring that a person takes treatment so it does not cause later clinical problem such as with high blood pressure and hyperlipidaemia.[1]
- Be alert to possible problems: asymptomatic hypothyroidism makes a person vulnerable to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome or beri-beri following intravenous glucose.[2]
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[edit] Infections
Asymptomatic infections are important since a person might be infectious and so can spread the infection to others.
[edit] Conditions
Asymptomatic conditions may not be discovered until the patient undergoes medical tests (X-rays or other investigations). Some remain asymptomatic for a remarkably long time, including some forms of cancer. If a patient is asymptomatic, precautionary steps must be taken.
A patient's individual genetic makeup may delay or prevent the onset of symptoms.
[edit] List
These are conditions for which at least sufficient individuals exist that are asymptomatic that it is clinically noted. For list of asymptomatic infections see subclinical infection
- Alkaptonuria
- Aortic valve stenosis
- Atrial fibrillation
- Balanitis xerotica obliterans
- Benign lymphoepithelial lesion
- Cardiac shunt
- Carotid artery dissection
- Carotid bruit
- Cavernous hemangioma
- Chloromas (Myeloid_sarcoma)
- Chronic myelogenous leukemia
- Coeliac disease
- Diabetic retinopathy
- Essential Fructosuria
- Folliculosebaceous cystic hamartoma
- Glioblastoma multiforme (occasionally)
- Glucocorticoid remediable aldosteronism
- Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
- Hereditary elliptocytosis
- Heterophoria
- high blood pressure
- Histidinemia
- Hyperaldosteronism
- hyperlipidaemia
- Hyperprolinemia type I
- Hypothyroidism
- Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
- Iridodialysis (when small)
- Lesch-Nyhan syndrome (female carriers)
- Levo-Transposition of the great arteries
- Meckel's diverticulum
- Microvenular hemangioma
- Mitral valve prolapse
- Monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis
- Myelolipoma
- Optic disc pit
- Osteoporosis
- Pes cavus
- Polyorchidism
- Pre-eclampsia
- Prehypertension
- Protrusio acetabuli
- Pulmonary contusion
- Renal tubular acidosis
- Spermatocele
- Sphenoid wing meningioma
- Spider angioma
- Splenic infarction (though not typically)
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage
- Tonsillolith
- Type II diabetes
- Vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia
- Venous lake
- Wilson's disease
