Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

phytanic acid storage disease
See 
Refsum
disease.
phytochemical
A plant compound that is thought
to have health-protecting qualities. Also known as
phytonutrient.
phytonutrient
See 
phytochemical.
pia mater
One of the meninges, the delicate
innermost membrane that envelopes the brain and
spinal cord. Known informally as the pia. See also
meninges.
pianist’s cramp
A dystonia that affects the mus-
cles of the hand and sometimes the forearm, and
that only occurs when one plays the piano or
another keyboard instrument. Similar focal dysto-
nias have also been called writer’s cramp, typist’s
cramp, musician’s cramp, and golfer’s cramp.
pica
A craving for something that is not normally
regarded as nutritive, such as dirt, clay, paper, or
chalk. Pica is a classic clue to iron deficiency in
children, and it may also occur with zinc deficiency.
Pica is also seen as a symptom in several neurobio-
logical disorders, including autism and Tourette’s
syndrome, and it is sometimes seen during
pregnancy.
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pica
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Pick disease
A form of dementia that is charac-
terized by a slowly progressive deterioration of
social skills and changes in personality, along with
impairment of intellect, memory, and language. The
common symptoms include loss of memory, lack of
spontaneity, difficulty in thinking or concentrating,
and disturbances of speech. Other symptoms can
include gradual emotional dullness, loss of moral
judgment, and progressive dementia. The age of
onset may range from 20 to 80 but is often between
40 and 60. Pick disease is of unknown origin. The
course ranges in duration from less than 2 years to
more than 10 years. There is no treatment. Death is
usually caused by infection that overwhelms the
emaciated body. See also 
dementia.
Also known as
frontotemporal dementia.