ABSTRACT
The term in›ammation is derived from the Latin word in›ammare meaning “to set on œre.” Inammation is usually indicated by adding the sufœx -itis to the organ where inammation is induced (Table 12.1), as in cervicitis (inammation of the cervix) or bronchitis (inammation of the bronchi of the lung). Some conditions, such as inammatory bowel disease and prostate inammatory atrophy, do not follow this convention. A variety of inducers of inammation have been reported, some of which are listed in Table 12.1. Inammation is a part of the host defense system that counteracts insults incurred by internal or external stimuli. The clinical and fundamental signs of inammation include redness, swelling, heat, pain, and loss of function. Roman physician Cornelius Celsus (ca. 30 BCE-38 CE) was the œrst to describe the œrst four signs of inammation, while loss of function was added by German physician Rudolf Virchow in 1870 [1].
