Medical Specialties and Disease Overview

Cardiology

Cardiology focuses on diseases and disorders of the heart and blood vessels.

Aortic Aneurysm — abdominal and thoracic, Crawford classification, EVAR vs open repair
Arrhythmia — irregular heartbeats, SVT, ventricular tachycardia
Atrial Fibrillation — CHA₂DS₂-VASc scoring, rate vs rhythm control, ablation
Cardiomyopathy — dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive, arrhythmogenic
Cardiovascular Disease — atherosclerosis, risk factor management
Coronary Artery Disease — angina, myocardial infarction, revascularization
Endocarditis — infective endocarditis, Duke criteria, prophylaxis
Heart Failure — HFrEF, HFpEF, NYHA classification
Hypertension — primary and secondary, ACC/AHA staging
Myocarditis — viral, autoimmune, Dallas criteria
Peripheral Artery Disease — claudication, ABI, Fontaine/Rutherford staging
Stroke — ischemic, hemorrhagic, TIA, thrombolysis
Valvular Heart Disease — stenosis, regurgitation, ACC/AHA staging, TAVR

Dermatology

Dermatology addresses conditions affecting the skin, hair, and nails.

Acne — comedonal, inflammatory, isotretinoin
Eczema — atopic dermatitis, barrier dysfunction, biologics
Fungal Infections — dermatophytes, candidiasis, antifungal therapy
Psoriasis — plaque, guttate, biologic therapy
Rosacea — erythematotelangiectatic, papulopustular, phymatous

Endocrinology

Endocrinology deals with hormone-related disorders and metabolic conditions.

Addison's Disease — primary adrenal insufficiency, cortisol replacement
Cushing's Syndrome — hypercortisolism, dexamethasone suppression test
Diabetes Mellitus — Type 1, Type 2, insulin therapy, HbA1c targets
Diabetes Insipidus — central vs nephrogenic, water deprivation test, desmopressin
Hyperparathyroidism — primary/secondary/tertiary, calcium-PTH axis, calcimimetics
Metabolic Syndrome — ATP III/IDF criteria, insulin resistance, cardiovascular risk
Obesity — BMI classification, GLP-1 agonists, bariatric surgery
Pheochromocytoma — catecholamine excess, metanephrines, alpha-blockade, MEN2/VHL
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome — PCOS, Rotterdam criteria, hyperandrogenism
Thyroid Disorders — hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Graves', Hashimoto's

Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology focuses on the digestive system and related organs.

Celiac Disease — autoimmune gluten sensitivity, Marsh classification, tTG-IgA
Crohn's Disease — transmural inflammation, skip lesions, biologic therapy
Diverticulitis — diverticulosis, Hinchey classification, complicated vs uncomplicated
Gallbladder Disease — cholelithiasis, cholecystitis, Tokyo guidelines, HIDA scan
GERD — Barrett's esophagus, PPI therapy
Inflammatory Bowel Disease — Crohn's vs ulcerative colitis overview
Irritable Bowel Syndrome — Rome IV criteria, IBS subtypes, low-FODMAP diet
Pancreatitis — acute and chronic, Ranson criteria, Atlanta classification
Peptic Ulcer Disease — H. pylori, triple therapy, Forrest classification
Ulcerative Colitis — mucosal inflammation, aminosalicylates, colectomy

Hematology

Hematology studies diseases of the blood, bone marrow, and coagulation system.

Anemia — iron deficiency, B12/folate, hemolytic, aplastic
Deep Vein Thrombosis — Virchow's triad, anticoagulation, Wells score
DIC — consumptive coagulopathy, ISTH scoring
Hemochromatosis — iron overload, HFE mutations, phlebotomy
Hemophilia — factor VIII/IX deficiency, emicizumab, gene therapy
Polycythemia Vera — JAK2 V617F, myeloproliferative neoplasm, ruxolitinib
Sickle Cell Disease — HbS, vaso-occlusive crises, hydroxyurea
Thalassemia — alpha and beta, transfusion-dependent, iron chelation
Thrombocytopenia — ITP, HIT, TTP, platelet transfusion thresholds
Von Willebrand Disease — VWF subtypes, DDAVP, VWF replacement

Infectious Disease

Infectious disease focuses on illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.

Cellulitis — skin and soft tissue infection, empiric antibiotics
C. difficile Infection — toxin A/B, fidaxomicin, FMT, IDSA/SHEA guidelines
Hepatitis — viral hepatitis overview
Hepatitis B — HBV serologic markers, tenofovir
Hepatitis C — direct-acting antivirals, SVR, cure
HIV/AIDS — CD4 staging, ART regimens, PrEP, opportunistic infections
Lyme Disease — Borrelia burgdorferi, erythema migrans, doxycycline
Malaria — Plasmodium species, artemisinin-based therapy
Meningitis — bacterial and viral, CSF analysis, empiric antibiotics
Sepsis — Sepsis-3 criteria, SOFA/qSOFA, Surviving Sepsis Campaign
Tuberculosis — RIPE therapy, latent TB management

Nephrology & Hepatology

This specialty addresses diseases of the kidneys and liver.

Acute Kidney Injury — KDIGO staging, prerenal/intrinsic/postrenal, dialysis indications
Cirrhosis — Child-Pugh/MELD scoring, portal hypertension, transplant
Glomerulonephritis — nephritic vs nephrotic, IgA nephropathy, ANCA vasculitis
Kidney Disease — CKD stages, GFR estimation, renal replacement therapy
Liver Disease — hepatic disorders, liver function tests
Nephrotic Syndrome — proteinuria, minimal change, FSGS, membranous nephropathy
NAFLD/NASH — fatty liver, FIB-4 score, resmetirom

Neurology

Neurology focuses on disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system.

Alzheimer's Disease — amyloid plaques, tau tangles, cholinesterase inhibitors
Epilepsy — seizure classification, antiepileptic drugs
Multiple Sclerosis — demyelination, McDonald criteria, DMTs
Parkinson's Disease — dopamine depletion, levodopa, DBS

Oncology

Oncology is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Cancer — overview, staging, prevention, screening
Leukemia — ALL, AML, CLL, CML, chemotherapy
Lymphoma — Hodgkin, non-Hodgkin, Ann Arbor staging
Metastatic Cancers — spread patterns, systemic therapy
Multiple Myeloma — plasma cell neoplasm, CRAB criteria
Sarcoma — bone and soft tissue tumors

Pain & Allergy

This field focuses on chronic pain conditions and immune-mediated allergic disorders.

Allergies — IgE-mediated, anaphylaxis, immunotherapy
Chronic Pain — nociceptive, neuropathic, multimodal management
Food Intolerance — lactose, histamine, elimination diets
Migraine — aura, triptans, CGRP antagonists, prevention

Psychiatry

Psychiatry addresses mental health disorders and behavioral conditions.

ADHD — attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, stimulant therapy
Anxiety — GAD, panic disorder, SSRIs, CBT
Autism — autism spectrum disorder, early intervention
Bipolar Disorder — mania, depression, mood stabilizers
Dementia — cognitive decline, vascular, Lewy body
Depression — major depressive disorder, SSRIs, psychotherapy
Schizophrenia — psychosis, antipsychotics, negative symptoms

Pulmonology

Pulmonology focuses on diseases of the lungs and respiratory system.

ARDS — Berlin criteria, lung-protective ventilation, prone positioning
Asthma — airway hyperresponsiveness, GINA stepwise therapy
COPD — GOLD classification, bronchodilators, exacerbations
Cystic Fibrosis — CFTR mutations, modulators, pancreatic insufficiency
Influenza — seasonal flu, antiviral therapy
Interstitial Lung Disease — IPF, antifibrotic therapy, HRCT patterns
Obstructive Sleep Apnea — AHI scoring, CPAP
Pleural Effusion — Light's criteria, thoracentesis
Pneumonia — CAP, HAP, VAP, empiric antibiotics
Pulmonary Embolism — Wells criteria, CT angiography, anticoagulation
Pulmonary Hypertension — WHO groups I-V, right heart catheterization
Sarcoidosis — non-caseating granulomas, bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy

Reproductive Medicine

Reproductive medicine deals with reproductive health, fertility, and pregnancy-related conditions.

Endometriosis — ectopic endometrial tissue, dysmenorrhea, laparoscopy
Gestational Diabetes — IADPSG criteria, glucose screening, insulin management
Infertility — male and female factors, IVF, assisted reproduction
Ovarian Cysts — functional vs pathological, IOTA criteria, O-RADS
Preeclampsia — hypertensive pregnancy disorder, HELLP, magnesium sulfate
Uterine Fibroids — FIGO classification, UAE, myomectomy

Rheumatology

Rheumatology focuses on autoimmune and inflammatory diseases affecting joints and connective tissues.

Arthritis — osteoarthritis, rheumatoid, DMARDs
Lupus — SLE, ANA, multi-organ involvement
Osteoporosis — DEXA scanning, bisphosphonates, fracture risk

Urology

Urology focuses on diseases of the urinary tract and the male reproductive system.

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia — IPSS scoring, alpha-blockers, 5-ARIs, TURP
Bladder Cancer — urothelial carcinoma, TNM staging, BCG immunotherapy
Erectile Dysfunction — PDE5 inhibitors, vascular and neurogenic causes
Interstitial Cystitis — bladder pain syndrome, Hunner lesions
Kidney Stones — calcium oxalate, uric acid, struvite, cystine
Prostate Conditions — prostatitis, prostate cancer screening, PSA
Urinary Tract Infections — cystitis, pyelonephritis, recurrent UTIs

Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)

ENT covers conditions affecting the ears, nose, throat, and related structures.

Sinusitis — acute and chronic, bacterial vs viral
Tinnitus — ringing in the ears, management strategies

Ophthalmology

Ophthalmology addresses diseases and conditions of the eye and visual system.

Cataracts — lens opacity, phacoemulsification, IOL implantation
Glaucoma — intraocular pressure, optic nerve damage
Macular Degeneration — AMD, anti-VEGF therapy

Symptoms

Common symptoms that point to underlying disease — descriptions, causes, evaluation, and research.

Abdominal Pain or Discomfort — visceral, parietal, and referred pain by region
Dark Urine — bilirubin, blood, myoglobin, and other causes
Fatigue — acute, subacute, and chronic exhaustion
Jaundice — pre-hepatic, hepatic, and obstructive yellowing
Joint Pain — mechanical, inflammatory, crystal, and infectious arthritis
Loss of Appetite — anorexia, cachexia, and the cytokine link
Nausea and Vomiting — the vomiting reflex and antiemetic targets
Pale Stool — acholic stool and biliary obstruction