multietiology

Multietiology is the attribute of a condition or disease to have multiple etiologies, that is, more than one cause or origin contributing to its development or presentation. The term emphasizes etiologic heterogeneity across cases or within a single case, and is used in medical, epidemiological, and cognitive contexts to describe conditions that cannot be attributed to a single factor.

In practice, multietiology encompasses genetic, environmental, infectious, nutritional, immunological, and social factors, among others. It acknowledges that different patients may develop the same clinical syndrome from different causal pathways and that some cases involve several coexisting etiologies.

Examples include pneumonia caused by different pathogens (bacterial, viral, or fungal) or by a combination of pathogens in a given episode; cardiovascular disease arising from a mix of dyslipidemia, hypertension, smoking, and insulin resistance; and neurodegenerative or psychiatric conditions often involving gene–environment interactions and life-history factors.

Implications for research and practice include challenges in establishing causal attribution, variability in response to treatment, and the need for comprehensive risk assessment and personalized strategies that address multiple causal pathways.

Related concepts include etiologic heterogeneity, multifactorial inheritance, and gene–environment interaction.