Arachnoiditis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

An inflammatory condition affecting the arachnoid membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord, causing pain and neurological symptoms; a chronic disorder involving persistent inflammation and scarring of this protective layer; a medical ailment characterized by inflammation in the middle layer of the meninges leading to nerve irritation
A disease marked by inflammation of the arachnoid mater that leads to severe pain and possible nerve damage; a persistent inflammatory disorder of the meninges causing fibrosis and neurological dysfunction; a condition involving chronic irritation and inflammation of the arachnoid membrane around the central nervous system
A neurological disorder resulting from inflammation of the arachnoid layer that causes discomfort and nerve impairment; chronic inflammation and adhesion in the meninges causing persistent symptoms; a pathological state featuring inflammation in the spinal arachnoid causing pain and functional disturbance

Etymology: Arachnoiditis is a medical coinage built from "arachnoid", the thin membrane wrapping the brain and spinal cord, and the suffix "-itis", which marks inflammation. The "arachnoid" part is itself a learned formation: it comes from Ancient Greek "arachnoeidēs", meaning "cobweb-like" or "resembling a spider's web", from "arachnē", spider. Anatomists gave the membrane this name because its fine, web-like delicacy looked to them like gossamer. The suffix has a longer pedigree than the disease it now names. Greek "-itis" was used to form adjectives and nouns linked to the feminine idea of "-itis" (as in "nephritis" for kidney inflammation), and from there it passed into New Latin as a standard tag for disease names, where English took it over as "-itis". Medical writers could thus attach it to almost any organ, and "arachnoiditis" follows that pattern exactly: inflammation of the arachnoid membrane, specifically in the spine.

Synonyms: spinal inflammation, arachnoid inflammation, meningeal inflammation