Druvith/medqa1 huggingface dataset:
Question:  What is (are) Asperger syndrome ?
Answer: Asperger syndrome is a disorder on the autism spectrum, which is a group of conditions characterized by impaired communication and social interaction. Asperger syndrome is on the mild, or "high-functioning," end of the autism spectrum. Many affected individuals learn to compensate for their differences and live independent and successful lives. However, the behavioral challenges associated with this condition often lead to social isolation and difficulties at school, at work, and in personal relationships.  People with Asperger syndrome have average or above-average intelligence. In contrast to people with other disorders on the autism spectrum, they are not delayed in their language development. However, their ability to carry on a conversation is often impaired by a tendency to take idioms or humorous statements literally and an inability to read non-verbal cues such as body language to understand what others are feeling. They may speak in a monotone voice, have unusual mannerisms, or choose unusual topics of conversation.  Individuals with Asperger syndrome tend to develop an intense interest in a particular subject. This interest may be a traditional hobby or academic discipline, and many people with Asperger syndrome develop advanced abilities in fields such as music, science, mathematics, or computer programming. However, they might also focus on an unusual interest such as bus routes or a particular type of household appliance. Often they are able to remember enormous amounts of detail on their subject of interest. They may want to share this large amount of information with others and may resist diversion to other topics.  People with Asperger syndrome tend to be rigid about their established routines and may strongly resist disruptions such as changes in schedule. They may also have difficulty tolerating sensory stimuli such as noise or lights.  Other features of Asperger syndrome may include mild impairment of motor skills. For example, basic skills such as crawling and walking may be somewhat delayed. Affected individuals may also have coordination problems that impair their ability to engage in such activities as playing ball games or riding a bicycle. This physical clumsiness may lead to further social isolation of children with Asperger syndrome.  Signs and symptoms of Asperger syndrome may become apparent by the age of 3, when most children begin to develop social skills such as learning to play with others. Some affected children may come to medical attention due to delayed motor skills. In most cases, children with Asperger syndrome are diagnosed during the elementary school years, as their social behavior continues to diverge from the typical developmental path. Difficulties with social skills generally continue into adulthood, and affected individuals are at increased risk of other behavioral or psychiatric disorders such as attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Question:  How many people are affected by Asperger syndrome ?
Answer: The prevalence of Asperger syndrome is not well established. Estimates range from 1 in 250 to 1 in 5,000 children. Three to four times as many males are affected than females.  Because of changes in the way developmental disorders are classified, Asperger syndrome was not often diagnosed in adults until recently, and the prevalence is often perceived to be rising as more people are recognized to have features of the condition. Many mildly affected individuals likely continue to be undiagnosed.
Question:  What are the genetic changes related to Asperger syndrome ?
Answer: While genetic factors are believed to contribute to the development of Asperger syndrome, no related genes have been confirmed. It is unclear whether certain gene variations that are being studied in other autism spectrum disorders will play a role in Asperger syndrome. It appears likely that a combination of genetic variations and environmental factors influence the development of this complex condition.  Asperger syndrome is a disorder of brain development. Researchers have identified differences in the structure and function of specific regions of the brain between children with Asperger syndrome and unaffected children. These differences likely arise during development before birth, when cells in the brain are migrating to their proper places.  The differences in brain development that occur in Asperger syndrome appear to affect areas of the brain involved in thought, behavior, and emotions, such as the prefrontal cortex, the amygdala, and the fusiform face area. In particular, cognitive functions called theory of mind, central coherence, and executive function are affected.  Theory of mind is the ability to understand that other people have their own ideas, emotions, and perceptions, and to empathize with them. It is related to the proper functioning of a brain mechanism called the mirror neuron system, which is normally active both when certain actions are performed and when others are observed performing the same actions. Researchers believe that the mirror neuron system is impaired in people with Asperger syndrome.  Central coherence is the ability to integrate individual perceptions into a larger context, commonly known as "seeing the big picture." For example, a person with Asperger syndrome may be able to describe individual trees in great detail without recognizing that they are part of a forest.  Executive function is the ability to plan and implement actions and develop problem-solving strategies. This function includes skills such as impulse control, self-monitoring, focusing attention appropriately, and cognitive flexibility. People with deficits in these skills may have difficulty in some activities of daily living and in social interactions.  The differences in cognitive functioning observed in people with Asperger syndrome are believed to give rise to the behavioral patterns characteristic of this condition.
Question:  Is Asperger syndrome inherited ?
Answer: Autism spectrum disorders including Asperger syndrome have a tendency to run in families, but the inheritance pattern is unknown.
Question:  What are the treatments for Asperger syndrome ?
Answer: These resources address the diagnosis or management of Asperger syndrome:  - Genetic Testing Registry: Asperger syndrome 1  - Genetic Testing Registry: Asperger syndrome 2  - Genetic Testing Registry: Asperger syndrome 3  - Genetic Testing Registry: Asperger syndrome 4  - Genetic Testing Registry: Asperger syndrome X-linked 1  - Genetic Testing Registry: Asperger syndrome X-linked 2  - Genetic Testing Registry: Asperger's disorder  - MedlinePlus Encyclopedia: Asperger Syndrome  - National Institute of Mental Health: How is ASD treated?   These resources from MedlinePlus offer information about the diagnosis and management of various health conditions:  - Diagnostic Tests  - Drug Therapy  - Surgery and Rehabilitation  - Genetic Counseling   - Palliative Care
Question:  What is (are) retroperitoneal fibrosis ?
Answer: Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a disorder in which inflammation and extensive scar tissue (fibrosis) occur in the back of the abdominal cavity, behind (retro-) the membrane that surrounds the organs of the digestive system (the peritoneum). This area is known as the retroperitoneal space. Retroperitoneal fibrosis can occur at any age but appears most frequently between the ages of 40 and 60.  The inflamed tissue characteristic of retroperitoneal fibrosis typically causes gradually increasing pain in the lower abdomen, back, or side. Other symptoms arise from blockage of blood flow to and from various parts of the lower body, due to the development of scar tissue around blood vessels. The fibrosis usually develops first around the aorta, which is the large blood vessel that distributes blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Additional blood vessels including the inferior vena cava, which returns blood from the lower part of the body to the heart, may also be involved. Obstruction of blood flow to and from the legs can result in pain, changes in color, and swelling in these limbs. Impairment of blood flow in the intestines may lead to death (necrosis) of intestinal tissue, severe pain, and excessive bleeding (hemorrhage). In men, reduced blood flow back toward the heart (venous flow) may cause swelling of the scrotum.  Because the kidneys are located in the retroperitoneal space, retroperitoneal fibrosis may result in blockage of the ureters, which are tubes that carry urine from each kidney to the bladder. Such blockages can lead to decreased or absent urine flow and kidney failure. When the kidneys fail, toxic substances build up in the blood and tissues, leading to nausea, vomiting, weight loss, itching, a low number of red blood cells (anemia), and changes in brain function.
Question:  How many people are affected by retroperitoneal fibrosis ?
Answer: Retroperitoneal fibrosis occurs in 1 in 200,000 to 500,000 people per year. The disorder occurs approximately twice as often in men as it does in women, but the reason for this difference is unclear.
Question:  What are the genetic changes related to retroperitoneal fibrosis ?
Answer: No genes associated with retroperitoneal fibrosis have been identified.  Retroperitoneal fibrosis occasionally occurs with autoimmune disorders, which result when the immune system malfunctions and attacks the body's own organs and tissues. Researchers suggest that the immune system may be involved in the development of retroperitoneal fibrosis. They propose that the immune system may be reacting abnormally to blood vessels damaged by fatty buildup (atherosclerosis) or to certain drugs, infections, or trauma. In many cases, the reason for the abnormal immune system reaction is unknown. Such cases are described as idiopathic.
Question:  Is retroperitoneal fibrosis inherited ?
Answer: Most cases of retroperitoneal fibrosis are sporadic, which means that they occur in people with no apparent history of the disorder in their family. In rare cases, the condition has been reported to occur in a few members of the same family, but the inheritance pattern is unknown.
Question:  What are the treatments for retroperitoneal fibrosis ?
Answer: These resources address the diagnosis or management of retroperitoneal fibrosis:  - Johns Hopkins Medicine   These resources from MedlinePlus offer information about the diagnosis and management of various health conditions:  - Diagnostic Tests  - Drug Therapy  - Surgery and Rehabilitation  - Genetic Counseling   - Palliative Care
Question:  What is (are) Legg-Calv-Perthes disease ?
Answer: Legg-Calv-Perthes disease is a bone disorder that affects the hips. Usually, only one hip is involved, but in about 10 percent of cases, both hips are affected. Legg-Calv-Perthes disease begins in childhood, typically between ages 4 and 8, and affects boys more frequently than girls.  In this condition, the upper end of the thigh bone, known as the femoral head, breaks down. As a result, the femoral head is no longer round and does not move easily in the hip socket, which leads to hip pain, limping, and restricted leg movement. The bone eventually begins to heal itself through a normal process called bone remodeling, by which old bone is removed and new bone is created to replace it. This cycle of breakdown and healing can recur multiple times. Affected individuals are often shorter than their peers due to the bone abnormalities. Many people with Legg-Calv-Perthes disease go on to develop a painful joint disorder called osteoarthritis in the hips at an early age.
Question:  How many people are affected by Legg-Calv-Perthes disease ?
Answer: The incidence of Legg-Calv-Perthes disease varies by population. The condition is most common in white populations, in which it affects an estimated 1 to 3 in 20,000 children under age 15.
Question:  What are the genetic changes related to Legg-Calv-Perthes disease ?
Answer: Legg-Calv-Perthes disease is usually not caused by genetic factors. The cause in these cases is unknown. In a small percentage of cases, mutations in the COL2A1 gene cause the bone abnormalities characteristic of Legg-Calv-Perthes disease. The COL2A1 gene provides instructions for making a protein that forms type II collagen. This type of collagen is found mostly in cartilage, a tough but flexible tissue that makes up much of the skeleton during early development. Most cartilage is later converted to bone, except for the cartilage that continues to cover and protect the ends of bones and is present in the nose and external ears. Type II collagen is essential for the normal development of bones and other connective tissues that form the body's supportive framework.  COL2A1 gene mutations involved in Legg-Calv-Perthes disease lead to production of an altered protein; collagen that contains this protein may be less stable than normal. Researchers speculate that the breakdown of bone characteristic of Legg-Calv-Perthes disease is caused by impaired blood flow to the femoral head, which leads to death of the bone tissue (osteonecrosis); however it is unclear how abnormal type II collagen is involved in this process or why the hips are specifically affected.
Question:  Is Legg-Calv-Perthes disease inherited ?
Answer: When associated with COL2A1 gene mutations, the condition is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which means one copy of the altered COL2A1 gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the disorder.  Most COL2A1-associated cases result from new mutations in the gene and occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family. These cases are referred to as sporadic. In other cases, the condition is passed through families. In these cases, referred to as familial, an affected person inherits the mutation from one affected parent.
Question:  What are the treatments for Legg-Calv-Perthes disease ?
Answer: These resources address the diagnosis or management of Legg-Calv-Perthes disease:  - National Osteonecrosis Foundation  - Seattle Children's Hospital   These resources from MedlinePlus offer information about the diagnosis and management of various health conditions:  - Diagnostic Tests  - Drug Therapy  - Surgery and Rehabilitation  - Genetic Counseling   - Palliative Care
Question:  What is (are) Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome ?
Answer: Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome is a condition that affects many parts of the body. It is classified as an overgrowth syndrome, which means that affected infants are considerably larger than normal (macrosomia) and tend to be taller than their peers during childhood. Growth begins to slow by about age 8, and adults with this condition are not unusually tall. In some children with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, specific parts of the body on one side or the other may grow abnormally large, leading to an asymmetric or uneven appearance. This unusual growth pattern, which is known as hemihyperplasia, usually becomes less apparent over time.  The signs and symptoms of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome vary among affected individuals. Some children with this condition are born with an opening in the wall of the abdomen (an omphalocele) that allows the abdominal organs to protrude through the belly-button. Other abdominal wall defects, such as a soft out-pouching around the belly-button (an umbilical hernia), are also common. Some infants with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome have an abnormally large tongue (macroglossia), which may interfere with breathing, swallowing, and speaking. Other major features of this condition include abnormally large abdominal organs (visceromegaly), creases or pits in the skin near the ears, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) in infancy, and kidney abnormalities.  Children with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome are at an increased risk of developing several types of cancerous and noncancerous tumors, particularly a form of kidney cancer called Wilms tumor and a form of liver cancer called hepatoblastoma. Tumors develop in about 10 percent of people with this condition and almost always appear in childhood.  Most children and adults with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome do not have serious medical problems associated with the condition. Their life expectancy is usually normal.
Question:  How many people are affected by Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome ?
Answer: Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome affects an estimated 1 in 13,700 newborns worldwide. The condition may actually be more common than this estimate because some people with mild symptoms are never diagnosed.
Question:  What are the genetic changes related to Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome ?
Answer: The genetic causes of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome are complex. The condition usually results from the abnormal regulation of genes in a particular region of chromosome 11. People normally inherit one copy of this chromosome from each parent. For most genes on chromosome 11, both copies of the gene are expressed, or "turned on," in cells. For some genes, however, only the copy inherited from a person's father (the paternally inherited copy) is expressed. For other genes, only the copy inherited from a person's mother (the maternally inherited copy) is expressed. These parent-specific differences in gene expression are caused by a phenomenon called genomic imprinting. Abnormalities involving genes on chromosome 11 that undergo genomic imprinting are responsible for most cases of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.  At least half of all cases result from changes in a process called methylation. Methylation is a chemical reaction that attaches small molecules called methyl groups to certain segments of DNA. In genes that undergo genomic imprinting, methylation is one way that a gene's parent of origin is marked during the formation of egg and sperm cells. Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome is often associated with changes in regions of DNA on chromosome 11 called imprinting centers (ICs). ICs control the methylation of several genes that are involved in normal growth, including the CDKN1C, H19, IGF2, and KCNQ1OT1 genes. Abnormal methylation disrupts the regulation of these genes, which leads to overgrowth and the other characteristic features of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.  About twenty percent of cases of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome are caused by a genetic change known as paternal uniparental disomy (UPD). Paternal UPD causes people to have two active copies of paternally inherited genes rather than one active copy from the father and one inactive copy from the mother. People with paternal UPD are also missing genes that are active only on the maternally inherited copy of the chromosome. In Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, paternal UPD usually occurs early in embryonic development and affects only some of the body's cells. This phenomenon is called mosaicism. Mosaic paternal UPD leads to an imbalance in active paternal and maternal genes on chromosome 11, which underlies the signs and symptoms of the disorder.  Less commonly, mutations in the CDKN1C gene cause Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome. This gene provides instructions for making a protein that helps control growth before birth. Mutations in the CDKN1C gene prevent this protein from restraining growth, which leads to the abnormalities characteristic of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.  About 1 percent of all people with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome have a chromosomal abnormality such as a rearrangement (translocation), abnormal copying (duplication), or loss (deletion) of genetic material from chromosome 11. Like the other genetic changes responsible for Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, these abnormalities disrupt the normal regulation of certain genes on this chromosome.
Question:  Is Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome inherited ?
Answer: In about 85 percent of cases of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, only one person in a family has been diagnosed with the condition. However, parents of one child with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome may be at risk of having other children with the disorder. This risk depends on the genetic cause of the condition.  Another 10 to 15 percent of people with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome are part of families with more than one affected family member. In most of these families, the condition appears to have an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance. Autosomal dominant inheritance means that one copy of an altered gene in each cell is typically sufficient to cause the disorder. In most of these cases, individuals with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome inherit the genetic change from their mothers. Occasionally, a person who inherits the altered gene will not have any of the characteristic signs and symptoms of the condition.  Rarely, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome results from changes in the structure of chromosome 11. Some of these chromosomal abnormalities are inherited from a parent, while others occur as random events during the formation of reproductive cells (eggs and sperm) or in the earliest stages of development before birth.
Question:  What are the treatments for Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome ?
Answer: These resources address the diagnosis or management of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome:  - Gene Review: Gene Review: Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome  - Genetic Testing Registry: Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome  - MedlinePlus Encyclopedia: Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome  - MedlinePlus Encyclopedia: Macroglossia  - MedlinePlus Encyclopedia: Omphalocele   These resources from MedlinePlus offer information about the diagnosis and management of various health conditions:  - Diagnostic Tests  - Drug Therapy  - Surgery and Rehabilitation  - Genetic Counseling   - Palliative Care
Question:  What is (are) ataxia with oculomotor apraxia ?
Answer: Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia is a condition characterized by progressive problems with movement. The hallmark of this condition is difficulty coordinating movements (ataxia), which is often the first symptom. Most affected people also have oculomotor apraxia, which makes it difficult to move their eyes side-to-side. People with oculomotor apraxia have to turn their head to see things in their side (peripheral) vision.  There are multiple types of ataxia with oculomotor apraxia. The types are very similar but are caused by mutations in different genes. The two most common types (types 1 and 2) share features, in addition to ataxia and oculomotor apraxia, that include involuntary jerking movements (chorea), muscle twitches (myoclonus), and disturbances in nerve function (neuropathy). In type 1, ataxia beings around age 4; in type 2, ataxia begins around age 15. Chorea and myoclonus tend to disappear gradually in type 1; these movement problems persist throughout life in type 2. Individuals with type 1 often develop wasting (atrophy) in their hands and feet, which further impairs movement. Nearly all individuals with ataxia with oculomotor apraxia develop neuropathy, which leads to absent reflexes and weakness. Neuropathy causes many individuals with this condition to require wheelchair assistance, typically 10 to 15 years after the start of movement problems. Intelligence is usually not affected by this condition, but some people have intellectual disability.  People with ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 1 tend to have decreased amounts of a protein called albumin, which transports molecules in the blood. This decrease in albumin likely causes an increase in the amount of cholesterol circulating in the bloodstream. Increased cholesterol levels may raise a person's risk of developing heart disease. People with ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 have increased blood cholesterol, but they have normal albumin levels. Individuals with type 2 tend to have high amounts of a protein called alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in their blood. (An increase in the level of this protein is normally seen in the bloodstream of pregnant women.) Affected individuals may also have high amounts of a protein called creatine phosphokinase (CPK) in their blood. This protein is found mainly in muscle tissue. The effect of abnormally high levels of AFP or CPK in people with ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 is unknown.