Cyclaneusma (needle cast) is a fungal disease that is a part of the phylum, Ascomycota. It infects plants that are of pine classification. After infection by "Cyclaneusma", most pines do not display symptoms until 10 months after the initial infection. Symptoms include needles developing yellow spots, horizontal brown bands around the needles, swelling of needles, and off-white fruiting bodies formed on infected needles. Because "Cyclaneusma" is an ascomycete it produces two spore types, an asexual (conidiomata) and sexual (ascomycota) spore. Controlling "Cyclaneusma" has presented a challenge as the disease can survive on both living and dead needles during the winter months. Effective management methods include planting new pines in non-shaded, well drainable soil as well as spraying fungicide. "Cyclaneusma" Needle Cast is an important fungal disease because it directly impacts the commercial value of decorative pines as well as lumber.

Needle cast diseases in general are somewhat difficult to diagnose simply because their symptoms are similar to low pH, poor nutrition, fertilizer or chemical burn, and even root rots. Correct diagnosis requires microscopic examination of the size and shape of the fungal producing ascospores. Unfortunately these fungal spores are produced quite infrequently; after the disease infects needles, it will not produce symptoms or additional spores until the following year. In addition, "Cyclaneusma" may not be the only fungus present on the diseased needles. Saprophytic fungi live on dead tissue and may therefore continue to worsen the infection on needles after they have fallen. Saprophytes will also be present if the needles were killed by fertilizer burn or root rots. Due to these obstacles, it is important to examine the spores directly after infection (while spores are being produced) in order to ensure that "Cyclaneusma" is indeed the pine’s cause of death.

An eschar (; Greek: "eschara") is a slough or piece of dead tissue that is cast off from the surface of the skin, particularly after a burn injury, but also seen in gangrene, ulcer, fungal infections, necrotizing spider bite wounds, spotted fevers and exposure to cutaneous anthrax. The term "eschar" is not interchangeable with "scab". An eschar contains necrotic tissue, whereas a scab is composed of dried blood and exudate.

Black eschars are most commonly attributed to anthrax, which may be contracted through herd animal exposure, but can also be obtained from "Pasteurella multocida" exposure in cats and rabbits. A newly identified human rickettsial infection, "R. parkeri" rickettsiosis, can be differentiated from Rocky Mountain spotted fever by the presence of an eschar at the site of inoculation.

Eschar is sometimes called a "black wound" because the wound is covered with thick, dry, black necrotic tissue.

Eschar may be allowed to slough off naturally, or it may require surgical removal (debridement) to prevent infection, especially in immunocompromised patients (e.g. if a skin graft is to be conducted).

If eschar is on a limb, it is important to assess peripheral pulses of the affected limb to make sure blood and lymphatic circulation is not compromised. If circulation is compromised, an escharotomy, or surgical incision through the eschar, may be indicated.

White plague is a suite of coral diseases of which three types have been identified, initially in the Florida Keys. They are infectious diseases but it has proved difficult to identify the pathogens involved. White plague type II may be caused by the gram negative bacterium "Aurantimonas coralicida" in the order Rhizobiales but other bacteria have also been associated with diseased corals and viruses may also be implicated.

An escharotic is a substance that causes tissue to die and slough off. Examples include acids, alkalis, carbon dioxide, metallic salts and sanguinarine, as well as certain medicines like imiquimod. Escharotics known as black salves, containing ingredients such as zinc chloride and sanguinarine containing bloodroot extracts, were traditionally used in herbal medicine as topical treatments for localised skin cancers, but often cause scarring and can potentially cause serious injury and disfigurement. Consequently, escharotic salves are very strictly regulated in most western countries and while some prescription medicines are available with this effect, unauthorized sales are illegal. Some prosecutions have been pursued over unlicensed sales of escharotic products such as Cansema.

In 1977, a disease of scleractinian corals appeared on reefs off the Florida Keys in the United States and was termed white plague. It caused white lesions and was shown to be an infectious disease, being particularly prevalent in "Mycetophyllia ferox". This disease caused little mortality and occurred sporadically, but was still present in the area in 1984. It is now known as white plague type 1.

In 1995, a new coral disease was described as an epizootic disease in the same reefs in the Florida Keys. Many species of coral found in the area were affected and the mortality rate of these was up to 38%. The pathogen involved was found to be a previously unknown species of bacterium in the order Rhizobiales, which was placed in the newly created genus "Aurantimonas" and given the name "Aurantimonas coralicida", and the disease was described as white plague type 2. The pathogen was isolated from a diseased colony of "Dichocoenia stokesi" and cultured in the laboratory, subsequently being used to inoculate two healthy colonies which then developed the disease. In the next few months, it had spread over of reef and was killing seventeen species of coral. Over the next four years, it spread further, but interestingly, was most severe in different regions each year.

However, white plague is an enigmatic disease. Further research cast into doubt the role of "A. coralicida" as a causative agent by finding that bacterium on healthy parts of colonies of "Orbicella annularis" affected by white plague disease but absent from diseased parts. In these diseased colonies, an α-proteobacterium similar to one which causes a disease in juvenile oysters has been implicated, being found on the diseased parts of the coral but not on the sound tissues. These anomalous findings may be caused by the fact that there are two or more diseases with similar symptoms, both known as white plague.

In 1999, a third and still more virulent variant appeared in the northern Florida Keys. White plague type III mostly affected "Colpophyllia natans" and "Orbicella annularis".

A white-plague like disease reported from the Red Sea in 2005 has been shown to be caused by a different bacterial pathogen, "Thalassomonas loyana". Further research has shown that viruses may be involved in white plague infections, the coral small circular ssDNA viruses (SCSDVs) being present in association with diseased tissue. This group of viruses is known to cause disease in plants and animals.

Soot tattoos are a cutaneous condition that may be a sign of drug abuse, a condition produced by injections of residual carbon on the needle after flaming of the tip.

Soot tattoos are considered the oldest form of tattoos. The 5300 year old body of Tyrolean iceman Ötzi is decorated with simple tattoos, and researchers think they may have served a medicinal purpose, not a decorative one.

Soot tattoos are still used in some countries.

Sufferers experience pain and swelling in the middle part of the foot and usually limp as a result. Patients that walk with a limp tend to walk with increased weight on the lateral side of the foot. Also, there can be tenderness over the navicular. Patients often complain of pain over the apex.

An X-ray of both feet is used to diagnose disease. The affected foot tends to have a sclerotic and flattened navicular bone.

Typically, Dupuytren's contracture first presents as a thickening or nodule in the palm, which initially can be with or without pain. Later in the disease process, there is painless increasing loss of range of motion of the affected fingers. The earliest sign of a contracture is a triangular “puckering” of the skin of the palm as it passes over the flexor tendon just before the flexor crease of the finger, at the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint. Generally, the cords or contractures are painless, but, rarely, tenosynovitis can occur and produce pain. The most common finger to be affected is the ring finger; the thumb and index finger are much less often affected. The disease begins in the palm and moves towards the fingers, with the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints affected before the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joints.

In Dupuytren's contracture, the palmar fascia within the hand becomes abnormally thick, which can cause the fingers to curl and can impair finger function. The main function of the palmar fascia is to increase grip strength; thus, over time, Dupuytren's contracture decreases a person's ability to hold objects. People may report pain, aching and itching with the contractions. Normally, the palmar fascia consists of collagen type I, but in Dupuytren sufferers, the collagen changes to collagen type III, which is significantly thicker than collagen type I.

People with severe involvement often show lumps on the back of their finger joints (called “Garrod's pads”, “knuckle pads”, or “dorsal Dupuytren nodules”) and lumps in the arch of the feet (plantar fibromatosis or Ledderhose disease). In severe cases, the area where the palm meets the wrist may develop lumps. Severe Dupuytren disease may also be associated with frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis of shoulder), Peyronie's disease of the penis, increased risk of several types of cancer, and risk of early death, but more research is needed to clarify these relationships.

A bloodborne disease is a disease that can be spread through contamination by blood and other body fluids. Bloodborne pathogens are microorganisms such as viruses or bacteria. The most common examples are HIV, hepatitis B and viral hemorrhagic fevers.

Diseases that are not usually transmitted directly by blood contact, but rather by insect or other vector, are more usefully classified as "vector-borne disease", even though the causative agent can be found in blood. Vector-borne diseases include West Nile virus and malaria.

Many bloodborne diseases can also be contracted by other means, including high-risk sexual behavior or intravenous drug use. These diseases have also been identified in sports medicine.

Since it is difficult to determine what pathogens any given sample of blood contains, and some bloodborne diseases are lethal, standard medical practice regards all blood (and any body fluid) as potentially infectious. "Blood and Body Fluid precautions" are a type of infection control practice that seeks to minimize this sort of disease transmission.

Lactation mastitis usually affects only one breast and the symptoms can develop quickly. The signs and symptoms usually appear suddenly and they include:

- Breast tenderness or warmth to the touch

- General malaise or feeling ill

- Swelling of the breast

- Pain or a burning sensation continuously or while breast-feeding

- Skin redness, often in a wedge-shaped pattern

- Fever of 101 F (38.3 C) or greater

- The affected breast can then start to appear lumpy and red.

Some women may also experience flu-like symptoms such as:

- Aches

- Shivering and chills

- Feeling anxious or stressed

- Fatigue

Contact should be made with a health care provider with special breastfeeding competence as soon as the patient recognizes the combination of signs and symptoms. Most of the women first experience the flu-like symptoms and just after they may notice a sore red area on the breast. Also, women should seek medical care if they notice any abnormal discharge from the nipples, if breast pain is making it difficult to function each day, or they have prolonged, unexplained breast pain.

In most cases AIT is characterized by onset of pain, firmness, tenderness, redness or swelling in the anterior aspect of the neck. Patients will also present with a sudden fever, dysphagia and dysphonia. Symptoms may be present from 1 to 180 days, with most symptoms lasting an average of about 18 days. The main issue associated with the diagnosis of AIT is differentiating it from other more commonly seen forms of thyroid conditions. Pain, fever and swelling are often much more severe and continue to get worse in patients who have AIT compared to those with other thyroid conditions. Patients who are suspected of having AIT often undergo tests to detect for elevated levels of white blood cells as well as an ultrasound to reveal unilobular swelling. Depending on the age and immune status of the patient more invasive procedures may be performed such as fine needle aspiration of the neck mass to facilitate a diagnosis.

In cases where the infection is thought to be associated with a sinus fistula it is often necessary to confirm the presence of the fistula through surgery or laryngoscopic examination. While invasive procedures can often tell definitively whether or not a fistula is present, new studies are working on the use of computed tomography as a useful method to visualize and detect the presence of a sinus fistula.

Köhler disease (also spelled "Kohler" and referred to in some texts as Kohler disease I) is a rare bone disorder of the foot found in children between six and nine years of age. The disease typically affects boys, but it can also affect girls. It was first described in 1908 by Alban Köhler (1874–1947), a German radiologist.

It is caused when the navicular bone temporarily loses its blood supply. As a result, tissue in the bone dies and the bone collapses. When treated, it causes no long term problems in most cases although rarely can return in adults. As the navicular bone gets back to normal, symptoms typically abate.

In February 2010, the "Journal of the American Medical Association" reported that the 19-year-old king Tutankhamun may well have died of complications from malaria combined with Köhler disease II.

Mulberry molars are a dental condition usually associated with congenital syphilis, characterized by multiple rounded rudimentary enamel cusps on the permanent first molars. Mulberry molars are physically defective permanent molars. The deformity is caused by congenital syphilis. This type of abnormality is characterized by dwarfed molars with cusps covered with globular enamel growths. These teeth are functional but can be cosmetically fixed with crowns, bridges, or implants.

Just above the gum line, the mulberry molar looks normal. A deformity becomes apparent towards the cusp or top grinding surface of the tooth. Here, the size of the mulberry molar is diminished in all aspects, creating a stumpy version of a conventional molar. The cause of the molar atrophy is thought to be enamel hypoplasia, or a deficiency in tooth enamel. The underlying dentin and pulp of the tooth is normal, but the enamel covering or molar sheath is thin and deformed, creating a smaller version of a typical tooth.

The grinding surface of a mulberry molar is also corrupted. Normally, the grinding surface of a molar has a pit and is surrounded by a circular ridge at the top of the tooth, which is used for grinding. The cusp deformity of the mulberry molar is characterized by an extremely shallow or completely absent pit. Instead, the pit area is filled with globular structures bunched together all along the top surface of the cusp. This type of deformity is also thought to be caused by enamel hypoplasia. Mulberry molars are typically functional and do not need treatment. If the deformity is severe or the person is bothered by the teeth, there are several options. The teeth can be covered with a permanent cast crown, stainless steel crown, or the molars can be removed and an implant or bridge can be put in place of the mulberry molar.

A mulberry molar is caused by congenital syphilis, which is passed from the mother to the child in the uterus through the placenta. Since this particular symptom of congenital syphilis manifests later in childhood with the eruption of the permanent molars, it is a late stage marker for the disease. Hutchinson’s teeth, marked by dwarfed teeth and deformed cusps that are spaced abnormally far apart, are another dental deformity caused by congenital syphilis. Mulberry molars and Hutchinson’s teeth will often occur together. Pregnant women with syphilis should tell their doctors about the condition and be treated for it during pregnancy, otherwise the baby should be screened for the disease after birth and treated with penicillin if necessary.

Acute infectious thyroiditis (AIT) also known as suppurative thyroiditis, microbial inflammatory thyroiditis, pyrogenic thyroiditis and bacterial thyroiditis.

The thyroid is normally very resistant to infection. Due to a relatively high amount of iodine in the tissue, as well as high vascularity and lymphatic drainage to the region, it is difficult for pathogens to infect the thyroid tissue. Despite all this, a persistent fistula from the piriform sinus may make the left lobe of the thyroid susceptible to infection and abscess formation. AIT is most often caused by a bacterial infection but can also be caused by a fungal or parasitic infection, most commonly in an immunocompromised host.

In clubfoot one or both feet are rotated inwards and downwards. The affected foot, calf, and leg may be smaller than the other. In about half of those affected, both feet are involved. Most cases are not associated with other problems. Without treatment, people walk on the sides of their feet which causes issues with walking.

A breast abscess is a collection of pus that develops into the breast with different causes. During lactation, breast abscess develops only rarely, most sources cite about 0.4–0.5% of breastfeeding women. Known risk factors are age over 30, primiparous and late delivery. No correlation was found with smoking status however this may be in part because much fewer smoking women choose to breastfeed. Antibiotics were not shown effective in prevention of lactation abscess but are useful to treat a secondary infection (see the section on the treatment of breast abscess in this article).

Keratinizing squamous metaplasia of lactiferous ducts may play a similar role in the pathogenesis of nonpuerperal subareolar abscess.

Dogs with limb osteosarcoma typically show lameness and swelling at the affected site. For other sites, dogs may show difficulty to open their mouth (if jaw bone cancer), nasal discharge (if nasal cavity bone cancer) or neurological signs (if spine bone cancer).

A needlestick injury, percutaneous injury, or percutaneous exposure incident is the penetration of skin by a needle or other sharp object, which was in contact with blood, tissue, or other body fluid before the exposure. Occupational needlestick injuries primarily affect healthcare workers, who make up 80% of needlestick injuries in the United States. Various other occupations are also at increased risk of needlestick injury, including law enforcement, laborers, tattoo artists, food preparers, and agricultural workers. Though the acute physiological effects of a needlestick injury are generally negligible, these devices can transmit blood-borne diseases, placing those exposed at increased risk of contracting infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Among healthcare workers and laboratory personnel worldwide, more than 25 blood-borne viruses have been reported to be caused by needlestick injuries.

It is estimated that half of all occupational needlestick injuries are not reported. Additionally, an unknown number of occupational needlestick injuries are reported by the affected employee, yet due to organizational failure, institutional record of the injury does not exist. Increasing recognition of the unique occupational hazard posed by needlestick injuries, as well as the development of efficacious interventions to minimize the largely preventable occupational risk, encouraged legislative regulation in the US, causing a decline in needlestick injuries among healthcare workers.

A sialocele is a localized, subcutaneous cavity containing saliva. It is caused by trauma (e.g. violence, accident or surgery) or infection. They most commonly develop about 8–14 days after injury.

They are a relatively common complication following surgery to the salivary glands, commonly parotidectomy (removal of the parotid gland). In this case the sialocele is the result of saliva draining out of remaining parotid tissue, and occurs about 5 to 10% of cases of superficial (partial) parotidectomy.

It is usually not painful, and a mild and self-limiting complication, and is managed by repeated aspiration (draining) of the swelling via a needle after the skin has been disinfected with an antibacterial. The fluid is usually a clear yellow, and contains amylase (in contrast to fluid from a seroma). Pressure dressings do not tend to be used. They are rarely chronic, however if persistent a surgical drain may be required. Botulinum toxin injections have also been used to manage this condition.

Diagnosis of clubfoot deformity is by physical examination. Typically, a newborn is examined shortly after delivery with a head to toe assessment. Examination of the lower extremity and foot reveals the deformity, which may affect one or both feet. Examination of the foot shows four components of deformity.

- First, there is a higher arch on the inside of the foot. This component of the deformity can occur without the other aspects of clubfoot deformity. In isolation, this aspect of the deformity is called cavus deformity.

- Second, the forefoot is curved inward or medially (toward the big toe). This component of the deformity can occur without the other aspects of clubfoot deformity. In isolation, this aspect of the deformity is called metatarsus adductus.

- Third, the heel is turned inward. This is a natural motion of the heel and subtalar joint, typically referred to as inversion. In clubfoot deformity, the turning in (inversion) of the heel is fixed (not passively correctable) and considered a varus deformity.

- Fourth, and finally, the ankle is pointed downward. This is a natural motion of the ankle referred to as plantar flexion. In clubfoot deformity, this position is fixed (not correctable) and is referred to as equinus deformity.

A foot that shows all four components are diagnosed as having clubfoot deformity. These four components of a clubfoot deformity can be remembered with the acronym CAVE (cavus, forefoot adductus, varus, and equinus).

The severity of the deformity can also be assessed on physical exam, but is subjective to quantify. One way to assess severity is based on the stiffness of the deformity or how much it can be corrected with manual manipulation of the foot to bring it into a corrected position. Other factors used to assess severity include the presence of skin creases in the arch and at the heel and poor muscle consistency.

In some cases, it may be possible to detect the disease prior to birth during a prenatal ultrasound. Prenatal diagnosis by ultrasound can allow parents the opportunity to get information about this condition and make plans for treatment after their baby is born.

Other testing and imaging is typically not needed. Further testing may be needed if there are concerns for other associated conditions.

Idiopathic toe walking can be described as bilateral toe walking with no orthopedic or neurological cause past the age of two. In this condition, children are able to voluntarily walk with the normal heel-toe pattern, but prefer to walk with the toe-toe pattern. In order for it to be considered idiopathic, the child's medical history should be clear of any neurological, orthopedic, or neuro-psychiatric conditions including other gait abnormalities.

Two classifications of idiopathic toe walking have been established. The Alvarez's classification identifies the severity of the dysfunction based upon kinematics and ankle rockers. The Pomarino classification identifies the toe walking according to the individual's specific characteristics and characterizes them into three types based on the signs presented.

Diagnosis includes a spin test, walking, heel walking, dorsiflexion range of motion, and lumbar lordosis. Some treatment options include serial casting and surgery for ankle motion.

Whilst witnessing procedures involving needles it is possible for the phobic present to suffer the symptoms of a needle phobic attack without actually being injected. Prompted by the sight of the injection the phobic may exhibit the normal symptoms of vasovagal syncope and fainting or collapse is common. While the cause of this is not known, it may be due to the phobic imagining the procedure being performed on themselves. Recent neuroscience research shows that feeling a pin prick sensation and watching someone else's hand get pricked by a pin activate the same part of the brain.