Articles on conditions that affect multiple systems

Last revised by Frank Gaillard on 18 Sep 2019

Articles pertaining conditions that affect multiple systems can often be a challenge to write, and need to be split into a number of parts:

  1. a general overview of the condition with links to
  2. individual system articles

Syntax and structure

Title

The standard title syntax for system specific articles should be:

  • [CONDITION] ([SYSTEM] manifestations)

In other words...

  • condition A
    • condition A (CNS manifestations)
    • condition A (respiratory manifestations)
    • condition A (gastrointestinal manifestations)

In some cases this will not be possible, as particular conditions may have more or less specific manifestations. Alternatives include:

  • condition B
    • condition B (hepatic manifestations)
    • condition B (ocular manifestations)
    • condition B (extraintestinal manifestations)

Additionally, some conditions have accepted specific terminology for some systems. An example of this is neurosarcoidosis rather than CNS manifestations of sarcoidosis. 

Body

When linking to system specific articles from within the body of an article (such as under the 'See also' subheading), the standard syntax should be:

  • [SYSTEM] manifestations of [CONDITION]

In other words...

  • condition C
    • CNS manifestations of condition C
    • respiratory manifestations of condition C
    • gastrointestinal manifestations of condition C

Content of individual articles

Introduction

Each individual article should start with a couple of sentences, which frames the topic and refers back to the general articles, e.g:

[SYSTEM] manifestations of [CONDITION] are common, and a source of significant morbidity. For a general discussion of [CONDITION], and for links to other system specific manifestations, please refer to [link to CONDITION article].

In other words, something like:

Cerebral manifestations of sickle cell disease contribute significantly to the overall morbidity of the disease. For a general discussion of sickle cell disease, and for links to other system specific manifestations, please refer to sickle cell disease.

Body

The body of the article, usually, should have the same headings as a standard article, although in most instances epidemiology and pathology will be the same for all systems (not always the case) and can therefore be omitted. 

End

And, at the end of the article, links to the other articles pertaining to this conditions, preceded by the subheading 'See also', e.g:

This is not required if this content is already clearly identified in a snippet.

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