Category: P

Peeling skin syndrome is an extremely rare congenital condition characterized by continuous and spontaneous skin peeling. It has also been referred to as skin shedding, deciduous skin, idiopathic deciduous skin, familial continual skin peeling, and continual skin peeling syndrome. The termpeeling skin syndrome was first coined in 1982 by the researchers Levy and Goldsmith, who…

Parry Romberg or Romberg syndrome is characterized by hemifacial atrophy or atrophy of the soft tissues of one side of the face, usually the left side (National Organization for Rare Disorders, 1996). It is a rare, progressive disorder usually evident by the time the individual reaches age 20. The atrophy progresses over a period of…

Parental alienation syndrome (PAS) is a process label proposed by Gardner (1998) for describing how children in contested divorce situations can become hostile and distant from one of their parents. Parental alienation creates a singular, enmeshed relationship between a child and one parent. The fully alienated child does not wish to have any contact whatsoever…

PANDAS, or pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococci, has been used to describe a group of disorders in particular, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and tic disorder or Tourette syndrome (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000). PANDAS has been associated with Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS), as well as Sydenham chorea, a condition that results from rheumatic…

Pallister-Hall syndrome (PHS) is a rare disorder of brain development affecting the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. Associated anomalies of the face, respiratory tract, limbs, anus, and heart are also common.  

Pachydermoperiostosis (PDP) is a rare, heritable disorder that affects skin, skin derivatives (hair and sebaceous glands), and skeletal tissues. Originally described in 1868, the syndrome was more thoroughly delineated in 1935. A hereditary form of osteoarthropathy of unknown origin marked by thickening of the skin over the face and extremities. If associated with an underlying…

Primary hypersomnia is a disorder characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness or extremely long periods of nighttime sleep (greater than 10 hours) on a regular basis. In the recurrent form of this disorder known as Kleine-Levin syndrome, symptoms occur for at least three days at a time and reoccur several times per year for two or…

Primary hyperhidrosis is a genetic disorder of hyperactivity of the sweat glands. Sweating may occur in the hands and feet, face, underarms, groin area, and under the breasts. Patients with more severe hyperhidrosis may experience excessive sweating all over the body. More common than primary hyperhidrosis, secondary hyperhidrosis develops because of an underlying disorder.  

Postinfectious measles encephalitis is an autoimmune response characterized by inflammation and demyelination that is triggered by the measles virus. The measles virus is transmitted through respiratory droplets and is thought to have impacted civilizations as early as 4000 B.C. A young Danish physician, Peter L. Panum, however, is credited with much of the information that…

Postherpetic encephalitis, or herpes simplex encephalitis (HSVE), is caused by the herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) and is characterized by inflammation of the parenchyma and the surrounding meninges. The herpes simplex virus has a predilection for certain areas of the brain, specifically, the frontotemporal region. HSVE accounts for 10% of all cases of encephalitis and is…