Malacia
Malacia is abnormal softening of a biological tissue, most often cartilage. The word is derived from Greek μαλακός, malakos = soft. Usually the combining form -malacia suffixed to another combining form that denotes the affected tissue assigns a more specific name to each such disorder, as follows:
- Osteomalacia, a bone disorder from vitamin D deficiency
- Chondromalacia, softening of cartilage
- * Chondromalacia patellae, a disorder of cartilage under the kneecap
- * Bronchomalacia, a disorder of the bronchial tubes' cartilage
- * Laryngomalacia, a disorder of the larynx's cartilage
- * Tracheomalacia, a disorder of the trachea's cartilage
- Keratomalacia, an eye disorder from vitamin A deficiency
- Myelomalacia, a disorder of the spinal cord
- Cerebral softening, localized softening of brain tissue