Lafora's disease

9.9

A rare inherited epilepsy that causes seizures, muscle spasms, and gradual loss of thinking ability

noun
/ləˈfɔːrəz dɪˈziːz/

Specialized

: enfermedad de Lafora

The doctor suspected Lafora's disease after the patient began experiencing frequent seizures and cognitive decline.

Examples

Families affected by Lafora's disease often seek genetic counseling.
Early diagnosis of Lafora's disease is crucial for managing its progressive symptoms.
Many people are unaware of Lafora's disease.
Is Lafora's disease hereditary?
Early diagnosis of Lafora's disease is crucial for managing its progressive symptoms.
The doctor suspected Lafora's disease after the patient began experiencing frequent seizures and cognitive decline.
Families affected by Lafora's disease often seek genetic counseling.

Surface Forms

Lafora's disease singular

Lafora's diseases plural

Morphology

Lafora's + disease

This is an eponymic phrase: a proper name + 'disease'. A B1 learner who knows 'disease' will correctly infer that it refers to a medical condition, but the possessive proper name 'Lafora's' does not convey the specific features (epilepsy, inheritance, symptoms). Because only the general category (a disease) is recoverable from the parts while the detailed meaning is unpredictable, it is partially transparent.

Etymology

Lafora's disease is named after Dr. Gonzalo Lafora, the doctor who first described the condition more than a century ago. Because his name became attached to the illness, Lafora's disease now refers to a rare condition that runs in families and causes repeated seizures and problems with memory and thinking.