hepatitis delta
- noun
- /ˌhɛpəˈtaɪtɪs ˈdɛltə/
- Specialized
- The patient was diagnosed with hepatitis delta after testing positive for both hepatitis B and D viruses.
Examples
-
Chronic infection with hepatitis delta can lead to liver failure more rapidly than other forms of hepatitis.
-
Treatment options for hepatitis delta are limited, making prevention especially important.
-
Patients with hepatitis delta often experience severe symptoms.
-
What are the symptoms of hepatitis delta?
-
Chronic infection with hepatitis delta can lead to liver failure more rapidly than other forms of hepatitis.
-
The patient was diagnosed with hepatitis delta after testing positive for both hepatitis B and D viruses.
-
Treatment options for hepatitis delta are limited, making prevention especially important.
Synonyms
An illness when a virus infects the liver
A severe liver infection caused by the hepatitis D virus that often happens with hepatitis B
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound clearly names a subtype: a B1 learner who knows 'hepatitis' (liver inflammation) and 'delta' as a label/variant would likely infer this refers to a particular type of hepatitis. However, the clinical specifics — that it is caused by the hepatitis D virus and typically involves hepatitis B coinfection and greater severity — are specialized medical knowledge not predictable from the constituents, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Hepatitis delta may come from the virus called hepatitis D, with delta standing for the Greek letter 'D'. This small virus only shows up in people who already have hepatitis B and makes the liver illness worse, so hepatitis delta refers to the extra, often more severe, form of hepatitis.