Apoplexy () refers to the rupture of an internal organ and the associated symptoms. Informally or metaphorically, the term ''apoplexy'' is associated with being furious, especially as "apoplectic". Historically, it described what is now known as a
hemorrhagic stroke, typically involving a ruptured blood vessel in the brain; modern medicine typically specifies the anatomical location of the bleeding, such as cerebral apoplexy,
ovarian apoplexy, or
pituitary
The pituitary gland or hypophysis is an endocrine gland in vertebrates. In humans, the pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain, protruding off the bottom of the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland and the hypothalamus control much of th ...
apoplexy.
Historical meaning
From the late 14th to the late 19th century, the diagnosis ''apoplexy'' referred to any sudden death that began with abrupt loss of consciousness, especially when the victim died within seconds after losing consciousness. The word ''apoplexy'' was sometimes used to refer to the symptom of sudden loss of consciousness immediately preceding death.
Strokes, ruptured
aortic aneurysms, and even
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
s were referred to as apoplexy in the past, because before the advent of
biomedical science, the ability to differentiate abnormal conditions and diseased states was limited. Although
physiology
Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...
, as a medical field, dates back at least to the time of
Hippocrates
Hippocrates of Kos (; ; ), also known as Hippocrates II, was a Greek physician and philosopher of the Classical Greece, classical period who is considered one of the most outstanding figures in the history of medicine. He is traditionally referr ...
, until the late 19th century, physicians often had inadequate or inaccurate understandings of many of the human body's normal functions and abnormal presentations. Hence, identifying a specific cause of a symptom or of death often proved difficult or impossible.
Hemorrhage
To specify the site of bleeding, the term "apoplexy" is often accompanied by a descriptive
adjective
An adjective (abbreviations, abbreviated ) is a word that describes or defines a noun or noun phrase. Its semantic role is to change information given by the noun.
Traditionally, adjectives are considered one of the main part of speech, parts of ...
. For instance, bleeding within the
pituitary gland
The pituitary gland or hypophysis is an endocrine gland in vertebrates. In humans, the pituitary gland is located at the base of the human brain, brain, protruding off the bottom of the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland and the hypothalamus contr ...
is termed "pituitary apoplexy", and bleeding within the
adrenal glands
The adrenal glands (also known as suprarenal glands) are endocrine glands that produce a variety of hormones including adrenaline and the steroids aldosterone and cortisol. They are found above the kidneys. Each gland has an outer cortex which ...
is referred to as "adrenal apoplexy".
Apoplexy also includes
hemorrhaging within the gland and accompanying
neurological
Neurology (from , "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the nervous system, which comprises the brain, the s ...
problems, such as confusion, headache, and impairment of consciousness.
See also
*
Transient ischemic attack
References
External links
*
* {{wikisource inline, list=
** {{cite journal , last=Black , first=James Rush , date=6 April 1875 , title=
Apoplexy
Apoplexy () refers to the rupture of an internal organ and the associated symptoms. Informally or metaphorically, the term ''apoplexy'' is associated with being furious, especially as "apoplectic". Historically, it described what is now known as a ...
, journal=Popular Science Monthly , volume=6
** {{cite EB1911 , last=Mott , first=Frederick Walker , wstitle=Apoplexy , volume=2 , pages=195–196 , noicon=x , short=x
Pathology
Causes of death
Bleeding
Obsolete medical terms
es:Apoplejía
it:Apoplessia