Pathogenesis (from the Greek pathos = suffering/pain and genesis = development), also abbreviated to "genesis", describes the development of physical and mental illnesses. While aetiology examines the cause of a disease, pathogenesis deals with the biological, biochemical and physiological processes that take place in an organism and ultimately lead to the symptoms or the disease. It is essential for understanding disease processes and helps to develop targeted therapies.
Pathogenesis
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Important aspects of pathogenesis:
- Temporal sequence of events - from the impact of the cause of the disease (e.g. an infection or a tumor process) to the onset of symptoms.
- Mechanisms that drive a disease, e.g. inflammatory reactions, consequences of heart failure, cell damage, immune responses
- Changes in the diseased organism: pathogenesis includes structural (e.g. tissue damage) and functional (e.g. organ dysfunction) changes in the organism.
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Pathogenesis is to be distinguished conceptually from etiology, which refers to the study of causes. Aetiology plays a central role in medicine, as a causal understanding of the causes of disease is essential for diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Both terms are often combined to form the comprehensive term "aetiopathogenesis".