new term: dermatologic system

[mcourtot]

In the guidelines I am interested in, physicians mention the respiratory system (UBERON_0001004), the cardiovascular system (0004535) etc as those systems that can be affected for example in the case of anaphylaxis. They also mention the "dermatologic or mucosal" system, for which I can't find an UBERON term. They include things such as rashes, angioedema, prickle sensation and red and itchy eyes in things affecting the dermatologic or mucosal system. I am not sure how to define this appropriately, and was wondering if you would be able to define/add this to UBERON? Melanie

[cmungall]

We already have http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/UBERON_0002416 (integumental system), which is the skin plus various associated structures. It's not clear if the FMA class of the same name is precisely a taxonomic equivalent (they include a couple of glands, and in FMA hair counts as part of the skin directly).

I'm not sure what the mucosal system as a unit would include - it's not a term that is any AOs I know of. I suspect this would be more restricted than the mereological sum of all mucosae in a body.

If you want this in the short term we can add something with a loose definition subject to change. We need to do a review of the integumentary system and its precursors at some time, and we can add then.

If this is intended purely for human/medical use then you might also want to consider adding to FMA

[mcourtot]

For now, I need something to cover for sking (rashes etc) and the eye mucosa (red and itchy eyes). I didn't find any mucosal system either, and as you mention just adding all mucosa as parts to create one seems odd. I was hoping maybe somebody with more anatomical/medical knowledge in your group would be able to help. I would love to add something with a loose definition as it would make things way easier for me - so if that works for you that'd be great. I was wondering about FMA or not FMA, and thought others may need similar terms in animal, so submitting to uberon (which would encompass human and others) seemed like the right thing to do.

[cmungall]

After consulting with Peter Robinson, I think a grouping term for skin + mucosa would be better. See for example: http://accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=5195325

Note that skin in vertebrates is just epidermis+dermis, whereas integumental system is broader.

[mcourtot]

Skin may not work in my case, as I have for example angioedema (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angioedema), which they define as "the rapid swelling (edema) of the dermis, subcutaneous tissue mucosa and submucosal tissues." - so I would need to include hypodermis in addition to skin and mucosa.

[cmungall]

So the mereological sum of mucosa+submucosa + integumentary system (epidermis, dermis, hypodermis plus associated adnexa)?

[mcourtot]

(sorry for dropping the ball on this) When I read the case definitions, I am thinking that the mereological sum may be lacking the idea of connectivity between different parts of the system. There seems to be a idea that the different parts are somehow interconnected when they talk about systems, so I am worried that just listing them may sound more like different compartments.

As an example, here is how FMA defines two other systems I am looking at:

Respiratory system: Organ system which consists of structures involved in respiration. [..] Cardiovascular system: Organ system which consists of the heart, the systemic and pulmonary arterial and venous system, [...]

On 2012-09-04, at 5:08 PM, Chris Mungall wrote:

So the mereological sum of mucosa+submucosa + integumentary system (epidermis, dermis, hypodermis plus associated adnexa)?

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[cmungall]

Do you want to suggest a definition then? Following the FMA style, and including the structures above?

[mcourtot]

Well I'd go for "organ system" a la FMA: "organ system which consists of the mucosa, submucosa and integumentary system". Maybe we could ask Peter if this makes sense to him?

While this provide a fix, I don't have a definition for organ system (nor did I find a satisfactory one)

On 2012-09-17, at 2:58 PM, Chris Mungall wrote:

Do you want to suggest a definition then? Following the FMA style, and including the structures above?

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