Society and culture
"Crazy cat-lady"
"Crazy cat-lady syndrome" is a term coined by news organizations to describe scientific findings that link the parasite Toxoplasma gondii to several mental disorders and behavioral problems. The suspected correlation between cat ownership in childhood and later development of schizophrenia suggested that further studies were needed to determine a risk factor for children; however, later studies showed that T. gondii was not a causative factor in later psychoses. Researchers also found that cat ownership does not strongly increase the risk of a T. gondii infection in pregnant women.The term crazy cat-lady syndrome draws on both stereotype and popular cultural reference. It was originated as instances of the aforementioned afflictions were noted amongst the populace. A cat lady is a cultural stereotype of a woman who compulsively hoards and dotes upon cats. The biologist Jaroslav Flegr is a proponent of the theory that toxoplasmosis affects human behaviour. Notable cases
Tennis player Arthur Ashe developed neurological problems from toxoplasmosis (and was later found to be HIV-positive). Actor Merritt Butrick was HIV-positive and died from toxoplasmosis as a result of his already-weakened immune system. Pedro Zamora, reality television personality and HIV/AIDS activist, was diagnosed with toxoplasmosis as a result of his immune system being weakened by HIV. Prince François, Count of Clermont, pretender to the throne of France had congenital toxoplasmosis; his disability caused him to be overlooked in the line of succession. Actress Leslie Ash contracted toxoplasmosis in the second month of pregnancy.
Treatment
The only effective treatments for lipomas caused by familial multiple lipomatosis are liposuction or surgical removal. Steroid injections may also be used to shrink the tumors by causing local fat atrophy. Patients with the condition often seek removal when the lipomas are large, disfiguring, or cause pain. This may be done by a dermatologist or other surgeon. In the majority of cases where one to a few subcutaneous lipomas are being excised, the procedure is done under local anaesthetic and the patient can resume most normal activities immediately afterward. Over-the-counter pain medications are generally sufficient in the following days and long-term scarring is minimal. Regrowth is rare because lipomas are usually well-encapsulated and are therefore removed entirely although more new lipomas may start to grow in the same area.Therapeutic treatments that are recommended for adipose tissue disorders include improving lymphatic flow through exercise and massage, following an anti-inflammatory diet, and reducing non-disordered fat tissue when necessary. Weight loss has not been shown to eliminate lipomas but may help reduce overall inflammation and influence hormone levels. While there is no total cure for FML to stop the growth of new lipomas, most of the growths can remain untreated and rarely cause medical complications.