Dr. Francis X Riedo MD

Petechiae are tiny dots that appear as red, brown, or purple in color beneath the skin. They are usually seen in clusters on the stomach, buttocks, arms, and legs. However, they may also appear inside the mouth or on the eyelids. Petechiae may indicate different conditions, which can range from...

What is Lyme disease?Lyme disease also called Lyme borreliosis is an inflammatory disorder in which the first symptoms that appear include rash, fever, headache, chills and then later arthritis, cardiac and neurological disorders. It is a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. ...

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) is a very serious disease, which is characterized by a fluid buildup and inflammation in the lungs. This lung infection is caused by the fungus Pneumocystis jiroveci. It is an opportunistic disease that usually infects immunosuppressed individuals, especially...

What is HIV?HIV is a virus that was discovered in the 1980s. It attacks a person's immune system, causing it to be too weak to fight outside infections. The HIV virus works by destroying white blood cells, called CD4 cells, in the immune system, and progresses through three stages, the last of which...

Meningitis occurs when the meninges, the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, get inflamed or irritated. Meningitis is an outcome of certain bacteria or viruses entering the body when our immune system is weak.These bacteria and viruses live in the nose, throat, or the...

Mononucleosis, nicknamed 'the kissing disease' is an infectious disease spread through saliva and physical contact. Aside from kissing someone with the Epstein-Barr virus, it can be passed through sharing straws, toothbrushes, or eating food from the same plate as an infected person. It is the...