A
syndrome is a set of
medical signs and
symptoms that are
correlated with each other and, often, with a particular
disease or disorder.
[1] The word derives from the
Greek σύνδρομον, meaning "concurrence".
[2] In some instances, a syndrome is so closely linked with a
pathogenesis or cause that
the words syndrome, disease, and disorder end up being used interchangeably for them. This is especially true of
inherited syndromes. For example,
Down syndrome,
Wolf–Hirschhorn syndrome, and
Andersen syndrome are disorders with known pathogeneses, so each is more than just a set of signs and symptoms, despite the syndrome nomenclature. In other instances, a syndrome is not specific to only one disease. For example,
toxic shock syndromecan be caused by various toxins; premotor syndrome can be caused by various brain lesions; and
premenstrual syndrome is not a disease but simply a set of symptoms.