Syndromer

Syndromer are groups of medical signs and symptoms that occur together and are characteristic of a particular abnormality, condition, or disease. A syndrome is defined by a pattern of findings rather than by a single identifiable cause, and it may have multiple underlying etiologies. The term derives from Greek syn, meaning together, and dromē, meaning running, conveying the sense of features that tend to run together in a predictable way.

Syndromes can be congenital, developing before birth, or acquired later in life. They may be described descriptively by the combination of features (clinical syndrome) or named after discoverers or characteristic features (eponymous syndromes). Common categories include genetic syndromes (for example Down syndrome, Turner syndrome), metabolic or endocrine syndromes (metabolic syndrome), infectious or toxin-related syndromes, neurologic or psychiatric syndromes (Tourette syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), and organ-specific syndromes (carpal tunnel syndrome).

Diagnosis typically relies on recognizing the characteristic cluster of signs and symptoms and, when relevant, genetic or laboratory testing to confirm an underlying cause. Treatment focuses on managing symptoms and addressing any underlying disease where possible. Because many syndromes share features with other conditions, accurate diagnosis may require multidisciplinary evaluation.