Rare diseases

Minority diseases, also called rare diseases, are those that affect between 5% and 7% of the population. They are very varied, affecting different parts of the body with a wide range of symptoms that change both between diseases and within the same disease. It is estimated that some 30 million people in the EU, 3 million in Spain, and around 350,000 in Catalonia suffer from one.

Malalties minoritàries
Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 17.12.2021, 10:03
Modification date: 18.01.2024, 13:27
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Conjunctivitis

This is an inflammation or infection of the conjunctiva, the transparent membrane that covers the eyelid and the white part of the eyeball. When small blood vessels of the conjunctiva become inflamed, they become more visible, so this layer turns red. The most common cause is a viral or bacterial infection, a reaction to an allergen or an irritant. This is a very common condition in the general population.

Conjuntivitis Malaltia
Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 15.11.2023, 15:57
Modification date: 15.11.2023, 16:12
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Miguel Ángel Zapata Victori

Miguel Ángel Zapata Victori

Ophthalmology, General Hospital

Miguel Ángel Zapata Victori

Miguel Ángel Zapata Victori

Ophthalmology, General Hospital

Sjögren's Syndrome

Sjögren's Syndrome is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease, the cause of which is unknown. Its main symptoms are a dry mouth (xerostomia) and dry eyes (xerophthalmia). In this disease, the cells making up our defence system (immune system) attack parts of the body itself, such as the glands that keep the eyes and mouth moist, and glands in other parts of the body, altering their function. Symptoms in other organs, such as the lungs, joints or nervous system, may also occur.

Sindrome Sjogren
Authorship: Helena Borrell Paños
Creation date: 04.04.2022, 13:37
Modification date: 01.12.2022, 11:23
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Eric Kirkegaard Biosca

Eric Kirkegaard Biosca

Ophthalmology, General Hospital

Spondyloarthritis

Spondyloarthritis is the name of a group of diseases whose common element is inflammation of the axial skeleton (especially the spine), although it can also affect the peripheral joints (hands, feet, knees, etc.). The following diseases are included in this group: axial spondyloarthritis (or ankylosing spondylitis, in its more advanced stage), psoriatic arthritis, arthritis related to inflammatory intestinal disease, reactive arthritis, and a subgroup of juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Creation date: 14.03.2022, 08:38
Modification date: 01.12.2022, 11:21
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Complex ocular surface reconstruction

Patients have very serious damage to the ocular surface (the cornea, conjunctiva and eyelids) generally caused by chemical burns or an inflammatory disease of the ocular surface such as cicatricial pemphigoid or Lyell’s syndrome.

Reconstrucció complexa de la superfície ocular a Vall d'Hebron
Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 17.12.2021, 10:03
Modification date: 05.01.2023, 12:23
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Cornea transplant

There are multiple reasons why a cornea might be damaged. When this happens, a cornea transplant is performed which involves changing that part of the affected eye for another healthy one from a donor.

The main pathologies that can lead to a cornea transplant are: keratocon, scars and ulcers, corneal dystrophies (especially Fuchs’ dystrophy) and decompensation from previous surgeries and treatments. 

Trasplantament de còrnia a Vall d'Hebron
Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 17.12.2021, 10:03
Modification date: 30.01.2022, 21:59
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Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery

Oculoplastic and orbital surgery is a sub-specialism that treats the pathology related to the eye attachments, with four main fields of interest: orbital pathology, tear duct anomalies, anophthalmic cavity pathology and eyelid disorders.

Authorship: Vall d'Hebron
Creation date: 17.12.2021, 10:03
Modification date: 28.02.2022, 13:07
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