Bma Illustrated Medical Dictionary

Diagnosis is through the identification

of whipworm eggs in the faeces. Treat-

ment is with anthelmintic drugs, such as

mebendazole. A heavy infestation may re-

quire more than 1 course of treatment.

whiteheadA very common type of skin

blemish (see milia).

white matterTissue in the nervous sys-

tem composed of nerve fibres (axons).

White matter makes up the bulk of the

cerebrum (the 2 large hemispheres of

the brain) and continues down into the

spinal cord; its main role is to transmit

nerve impulses. (See also grey matter.)

whitlowAn abscess on the fingertip or

toe, causing the finger to swell and be-

come extremely painful and sensitive to

pressure and touch. It most commonly

develops from acute paronychia. A whit-

low may be due to the virus that causes

WHITE MATTER

(see spinal injury). Characteristically, pain

and stiffness in the neck are much worse

24 hours after the injury.

Treatment may include immobiliza-

tion in an orthopaedic collar, analgesic

drugs, muscle-relaxant drugs, and phys-

iotherapy. It may take a few weeks before

full pain-free movement is possible.

Whipple’s diseaseA rare disorder, also

called intestinal lipodystrophy, that can

affect many organs. Symptoms include

steatorrhoeaas a result of malabsorption,

abdominal pain, joint pains, progressive

weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, anae-

mia, and fever. The heart, lungs, and

brain can also be affected. The condition

is most common in middle-aged men.

The cause is thought to be bacterial;

affected tissues are found to contain

macrophages (a type of scavenging cell)

containing rod-shaped bacteria. Treat-

ment is with antibiotic drugsfor at least

1 year. Dietary supplements are used to

correct nutritional deficiencies occur-

ring as a result of malabsorption.

Whipple’s operationA type of panc-

reatectomyin which the head of the

pancreas and the loop of the duodenum

are surgically removed.

whipworm infestationSmall, cylindrical

whip-like worms, 2.5–5 cm long, that live

in the human large intestine. Infestation

occurs worldwide but is most common

in the tropics. Light infestation causes no

symptoms; heavy infestation can cause

abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and, some-

times, anaemia, since asmall amount of

the host’s blood is consumed every day.

WHIPLASH INJURY

WHIPPLE’S DISEASE WHITLOW

W

Cervical

vertebra

Cervical

joint

Ligaments

BACKWARD FORCE (HYPEREXTENSION) FORWARD FORCE (FLEXION)

Ligaments

Grey

matter

Cerebrum

Brain stem

Cerebellum

White matter

SECTION THROUGH BRAIN

Spinal cord