Subklinische

Subclinical, sometimes rendered as subklinische in certain languages, is a medical term used to describe a disease process that is present but does not produce noticeable symptoms. It sits on a spectrum between health and clinically evident illness, and many subclinical conditions are detectable only through laboratory tests, imaging, or other objective measurements rather than patient-reported symptoms. The term helps distinguish early or mild disease states from fully manifest, symptomatic conditions.

Subclinical conditions can occur across various fields of medicine. Subclinical infections refer to infections in which the pathogen is present (and may be transmissible) but the host exhibits no overt signs. In chronic disease, examples include subclinical hypothyroidism, where laboratory tests show abnormal thyroid function without clear symptoms, and subclinical atherosclerosis, where arterial changes are detectable by imaging before cardiovascular events occur. Screening programs in public health specifically aim to identify such conditions early to prevent progression or spread.

Diagnosis relies on screening tests, routine laboratory work, and imaging studies rather than on symptoms. Management is individualized and may range from monitoring to early intervention, depending on the condition, patient risk factors, and potential benefits and harms of treatment. The concept of subclinical disease highlights that many conditions exist on a continuum from health to illness, rather than as a simple binary state.

Etymology and usage: the term derives from Latin sub- meaning under and clinicalis meaning of the clinical sciences. It is used across medical specialties, including internal medicine, infectious diseases, endocrinology, and cardiology.