This list includes 26 Diseases that start with W, from “Waardenburg syndrome” to “Wyburn‑Mason syndrome”. It covers genetic, infectious, vascular, and autoimmune conditions and serves for quick lookups and starting points for deeper research.
Diseases that start with W are medical conditions whose commonly used names begin with the letter W. Many are eponymous, named after physicians or locations, such as Waardenburg syndrome, which links pigmentation differences with hearing loss.
Below you’ll find the table with columns: Disease, Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, and Notes.
Disease: The official condition name, helping you quickly identify the disorder and jump to detailed information or further reading.
Symptoms: Short list of the most common signs and complaints, so you can recognize typical presentations and compare possibilities.
Causes: Primary cause and key risk factors or mechanisms, giving you a quick sense of why the disease occurs.
Treatments: First-line or usual options and referral advice, so you know common management steps and when to seek specialist care.
Notes: Brief extra details, epidemiology, variants, or referral resources that help you decide next steps or deeper reading.
Diseases that start with W
| Name | Synonyms | Causes | Treatments | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waldenström macroglobulinemia | Waldenström’s macroglobulinemia; lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma | Monoclonal IgM B‑cell malignancy; older age risk | Plasmapheresis for hyperviscosity, rituximab, chemo; hematology referral | Fatigue, bleeding, visual disturbances from hyperviscosity; indolent but chronic B‑cell cancer (PubMed) |
| Waardenburg syndrome | Pigmentary deafness syndrome | Genetic neural crest development mutations (PAX3, MITF) | Hearing aids/cochlear implants, genetic counseling, ENT/dermatology referral | Congenital patchy depigmentation, white forelock, sensorineural hearing loss; nonprogressive, lifelong (PubMed) |
| Walker‑Warburg syndrome | Walker‑Warburg congenital muscular dystrophy | Autosomal recessive dystroglycanopathy affecting brain, muscle | Supportive care, multidisciplinary palliative management; neurology referral | Severe hypotonia, developmental delay, eye abnormalities; typically fatal in infancy (PubMed) |
| Waterhouse‑Friderichsen syndrome | Adrenal hemorrhage syndrome | Fulminant meningococcemia causing adrenal hemorrhage, DIC | Emergency antibiotics, shock resuscitation, corticosteroids, ICU care | Rapid fever, petechial rash, shock and acute adrenal failure; life‑threatening emergency (CDC) |
| West Nile virus infection | West Nile fever; West Nile encephalitis | Mosquito‑borne flavivirus infection | Supportive care; hospitalization and neurocritical care for severe cases | Fever, headache, muscle weakness; can progress to encephalitis or paralysis in some (CDC) |
| West syndrome | Infantile spasms | Diverse causes (structural/genetic); early‑onset epileptic encephalopathy | ACTH or vigabatrin, antiepileptics; pediatric neurology referral | Infant spasms, developmental regression, chaotic EEG (hypsarrhythmia); often severe neurodevelopmental outcome (PubMed) |
| Whooping cough | Pertussis | Bordetella pertussis respiratory infection, droplet spread | Macrolide antibiotics, supportive care; vaccination for prevention | Prolonged paroxysmal cough, inspiratory “whoop”, vomiting; dangerous in infants (CDC) |
| Wiskott‑Aldrich syndrome | Wiskott‑Aldrich | X‑linked WAS gene mutation causing immune defect and thrombocytopenia | Hematopoietic stem cell transplant, IVIG, consider splenectomy; immunology referral | Eczema, recurrent infections, bleeding from low platelets; severe immunodeficiency (PubMed) |
| Wolff‑Parkinson‑White syndrome | WPW syndrome | Congenital accessory AV pathway causing reentrant tachycardia | Electrophysiology study and catheter ablation; cardiology referral | Palpitations, rapid heart rate, possible syncope; risk of tachyarrhythmia (ICD) |
| Wernicke encephalopathy | Wernicke’s encephalopathy | Thiamine (B1) deficiency, often due to alcoholism or malnutrition | Urgent IV thiamine, treat underlying cause; neurology referral | Confusion, ataxia, ophthalmoplegia; acute neuro emergency treatable with thiamine (PubMed) |
| Wernicke‑Korsakoff syndrome | Korsakoff psychosis with Wernicke component | Chronic thiamine deficiency, commonly alcohol‑related | Thiamine replacement, neurorehabilitation, addiction services | Acute Wernicke signs plus chronic severe memory loss and confabulation; often permanent (PubMed) |
| Wilson disease | Wilson’s disease; hepatolenticular degeneration | ATP7B mutation leading to copper accumulation in liver and brain | Copper chelation (penicillamine), zinc, possible liver transplant; hepatology referral | Hepatic dysfunction, tremor/dystonia, psychiatric changes; progressive if untreated (PubMed) |
| Whipple disease | Whipple’s disease | Tropheryma whipplei systemic infection | Prolonged antibiotics (ceftriaxone then TMP‑SMX); infectious disease referral | Weight loss, chronic diarrhea, arthralgia, malabsorption; multisystem chronic infection (PubMed) |
| Warts | Cutaneous warts; verruca | Human papillomavirus infection of skin | Cryotherapy, topical salicylic acid, dermatology treatments | Raised rough skin lesions, sometimes painful (plantar warts); often self‑limited (CDC) |
| White piedra | White piedra | Superficial hair infection by Trichosporon species (fungus) | Topical antifungals, shaving affected hair; oral azoles if needed | Soft nodules on hair shafts, itching, hair breakage; benign superficial fungal infection (PubMed) |
| White sponge nevus | Cannon disease | Autosomal dominant keratin gene mutations affecting mucosa | No cure; symptomatic oral care, dermatology/ENT follow‑up | White spongy oral mucosal patches, usually painless, lifelong benign condition (PubMed) |
| Wilms tumor | Nephroblastoma | Embryonal kidney tumor; WT1 and other mutations in some | Surgical resection, chemotherapy, radiotherapy; pediatric oncology referral | Abdominal mass, pain, hematuria in children; high cure rates with treatment (WHO/ICD) |
| Wandering spleen | Splenic ptosis | Lax or absent splenic ligaments leading to a mobile spleen | Surgical splenopexy or splenectomy; surgical referral | Intermittent abdominal pain, palpable mobile mass, risk of torsion and infarction (PubMed) |
| Wunderlich syndrome | Spontaneous renal hemorrhage | Spontaneous perirenal hemorrhage from tumor or vascular lesion | Stabilize, embolization or surgery; urology referral | Sudden flank pain, hematuria, possible shock; can be life‑threatening (PubMed) |
| Wolman disease | Infantile lysosomal acid lipase deficiency | LIPA gene deficiency causing lipid accumulation | Supportive care, enzyme replacement therapy, metabolic/genetics referral | Failure to thrive, hepatosplenomegaly, severe infantile course, often fatal without treatment (PubMed) |
| Warburg micro syndrome | Warburg micro syndrome | Autosomal recessive genetic mutations affecting brain and eye | Supportive care, neurology and ophthalmology referral | Microcephaly, congenital cataracts, severe developmental delay; lifelong severe disability (PubMed) |
| Wells syndrome | Eosinophilic cellulitis | Idiopathic eosinophilic dermal reaction; possible triggers | Topical or systemic corticosteroids; dermatology referral | Itchy red plaques, blistering, recurrent episodes; often relapsing but benign (PubMed) |
| Warfarin‑induced skin necrosis | Warfarin necrosis | Prothrombotic state from rapid warfarin initiation causing skin thrombosis | Stop warfarin, vitamin K, heparin, surgical debridement if needed | Painful purpura progressing to skin necrosis days after warfarin start (PubMed) |
| White coat hypertension | Office hypertension | Anxiety‑related transient BP elevation in clinical settings | Ambulatory/home BP monitoring, lifestyle change, primary care follow‑up | High clinic readings but normal home BP; usually benign but monitor cardiovascular risk (AHA/ICD) |
| Wagner syndrome | Wagner vitreoretinopathy | Autosomal dominant extracellular matrix gene mutation affecting retina | Ophthalmology monitoring, vision support, surgical care if needed | Progressive vision loss, myopia, retinal detachment risk; chronic ocular disease (PubMed) |
| Wyburn‑Mason syndrome | Racemose hemangiomatosis | Congenital arteriovenous malformations of brain and retina | Neurosurgical or interventional radiology management; multidisciplinary care | Visual deficits, seizures, neurologic signs from AVMs; congenital and rare (PubMed) |
Descriptions
Waldenström macroglobulinemia
Waardenburg syndrome
Walker‑Warburg syndrome
Waterhouse‑Friderichsen syndrome
West Nile virus infection
West syndrome
Whooping cough
Wiskott‑Aldrich syndrome
Wolff‑Parkinson‑White syndrome
Wernicke encephalopathy
Wernicke‑Korsakoff syndrome
Wilson disease
Whipple disease
Warts
White piedra
White sponge nevus
Wilms tumor
Wandering spleen
Wunderlich syndrome
Wolman disease
Warburg micro syndrome
Wells syndrome
Warfarin‑induced skin necrosis
White coat hypertension
Wagner syndrome
Wyburn‑Mason syndrome