Reye's syndrome

[rahyz, reyz]

noun

Pathology.

1. an uncommon, severe disorder occurring primarily in children after a viral illness, as influenza or chickenpox, and associated with aspirin usage, involving swelling of the brain and liver and affecting other organs: symptoms include fever, projectile vomiting, confusion, and, sometimes, respiratory arrest.

Reye's syndrome

/ reɪz, raɪz /

noun

1. a rare metabolic disease in children that can be fatal, involving damage to the brain, liver, and kidneys

Reye's syndrome

1. A rare, acute encephalopathy characterized by fever, vomiting, fatty infiltration of the liver, disorientation, and coma, occurring mainly in children and usually following a viral infection, such as chickenpox or influenza.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Reye's syndrome¹

After Ralph Douglas Kenneth Reye (1912–78), Australian pediatrician, who co-wrote a description of the syndrome in 1963

Word History and Origins

Origin of Reye's syndrome¹

C20: named after R. D. K. Reye (1912–78) Australian paediatrician