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See also Anatomical Structure Naming Conventions section Naming Convention for Digits of Hand and Foot and Laterality section Laterality

Right, left disorder concepts

When creating a lateralized disorder concept, two concepts should be created: 

  1. concept for the left side
  2. concept for the right side

Descriptions

    • FSN: <morphologic abnormality> of right/left <body structure> (disorder)
    • PT: Right/left <disorder>

For example,  1089071000119109 | Inflammation of left mastoid (disorder)|

    • FSN: Inflammation of left mastoid (disorder)
    • PT: Left mastoiditis


Figure 1: Stated view of Inflammation of left mastoid (disorder)

When creating a lateralized disorder concept, if a non-lateralized parent does not exist, then it should be created as well.  In other words, do not just create the right and left versions, but also create a concept to represent the laterality-agnostic parent. 

For example,

When creating Inflammation of left mastoid and Inflammation of right mastoid, also ensure a concept for Inflammation of mastoid exists. 

Where the disorder is left/right of a specific anatomical site, and the preferred term naming pattern of Right/left <disorder> causes a combination that does not sound like natural flowing English, the guidance above can be circumvented.  See the section Naming Convention for Digits of Hand and Foot and Laterality section Laterality.

For example,

Left interphalangeal thumb joint open traumatic dislocation should follow naming guidance of Open traumatic dislocation of interphalangeal joint of left thumb.

Left abscess of foot is an incorrect term; instead, this should read Abscess of left foot.  

Unilateral

With the addition of lateralized content in the International Release, the need for unspecified unilateral concepts is removed, as well as potentially dangerous, if used directly in a patient record.  Unilateral concepts are not accepted.


Bilateral disorder concepts

Where the bilateral disorder description causes a combination that does not sound like natural flowing English, the guidance below can be circumvented. 

When the body structure and the morphologic abnormality are combined into one word, the following naming pattern applies:

FSN: <Morphologic abnormality> of bilateral <body structure> (disorder)

PT:  Bilateral <disorder>

SYN: <Disorder> of bilateral <body structure>

SYN: <Disorder> of both <body structure>

For example,  1084011000119100 | Inflammation of bilateral mastoids (disorder)|

      • FSN: Inflammation of bilateral mastoids (disorder)
      • PT:  Bilateral mastoiditis
      • SYN:  Inflammation of bilateral mastoids
      • SYN:  Inflammation of both mastoids

When the body structure and morphologic abnormality are separate, the following naming pattern applies:

FSN: <Morphologic abnormality> of bilateral <body structure> (disorder)

PT:  <Morphologic abnormality> of bilateral <body structure>

SYN: <Morphologic abnormality> of both <body structure>

Note the PT of Bilateral <disorder> is not required. Bilateral is to describe the body site, not the morphologic abnormality.

For example,  15725081000119100 | Effusion of joint of bilateral feet (disorder)|

      • FSN:  Effusion of joint of bilateral feet (disorder)
      • PT:  Effusion of joint of bilateral feet
      • SYN: Effusion of joint of both feet

Also note that joint is singular.  This is to denote that the joint may be singular on each side of the body; the plurality of feet will represent the laterality.  Using joints as plural may incorrectly reflect that there are multiple joints affected in both feet. 

Do not use both to describe disorders of the eyelids unless the concept's means both upper eyelids or both lower eyelids, only then can that synonym be included for bilateral eyelid disorder concepts. 


Modeling of bilateral disorders

Bilateral disorders should be modeled using two relationship groups, one for each lateralized body structure.

Figure 2: Stated view of Inflammation of bilateral mastoids (disorder) with a role group for each side


Structure, Structure of

Lateralized disorder concepts should not include the words structure or structure of.

For example, 

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