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Glite Dictionary
alkaptonuria

alkaptonuria

9.9
A rare inherited disease that makes urine dark and can damage joints and tissues
  • noun
  • /ˌæl.kæpˈtoʊ.nʊr.i.ə/
  • Specialized
: alcaptonuria
  • Doctors diagnosed her with alkaptonuria after noticing her urine turned dark upon standing.

Examples

  • People with alkaptonuria may develop joint problems due to ochronosis.

  • Because alkaptonuria is genetic, family members were also tested for the disorder.

  • Patients with alkaptonuria often experience joint pain.

  • The alkaptonuria diagnosis was confirmed after testing.

  • Doctors diagnosed her with alkaptonuria after noticing that her urine turned dark upon standing.

  • Because alkaptonuria is inherited, family members were also tested for the same metabolic disorder.

  • People with alkaptonuria can develop joint issues due to the darkening of connective tissues.

Synonyms

alcaptonuria
vsalkaptonuria
  • Specialized
9.9

An inherited condition that makes urine dark and parts of the body turn dark

uses a name focusing on a urine pigment rather than the chemical name

Surface Forms

alkaptonuria singular
alkaptonurias plural

Morphology

alkaptonuria = alkapton (opaque) = alkapton + uria

Formed from a technical chemical name plus the medical suffix '-uria' ('urine'); this composition is not predictable to average learners unfamiliar with medical terminology.

Etymology

Alkaptonuria comes from the name of a dark substance, alkapton, found in patients' urine and the medical ending -uria, which means 'urine'. So the name tells you the main sign of the disease: dark urine and darkened tissues.