# Rules of style in medical writing **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 14, 2000, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-style-in-medical-writing/33210 "2000-09-14T18:01:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-style-in-medical-writing/33210/1 "2000-09-14T18:01:37Z")
I’m at work, don’t have my style books. What’s the consensus re: capitalization of medical terms, specifically diseases? Down syndrome dermatitis herpetiformis Celiac disease diabetes All capitalized? Just the proper names like Down? If the S in Down Syndrome were to be capitalized, what about the D in Celiac disease? Is Constipation capitalized? Nausea? This is for a PowerPoint presentation to be given to Gastroenterologists. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-style-in-medical-writing/33210/2 "2000-09-14T18:14:04Z")
Only proper nouns are capitalized, just like the real world. Inidentally, it is Down’s syndrome, not Down syndrome. Hence: celiac disesse. In the same vein, generic (or chemical) names of drugs are not capitalized, while the product name is. A tougher q. is whether the disease’s name gets an apostrophe and an “s” at the end. It is Alzheimer’s disease, since it is named after the discoverer. But it is Wenckebach periodicity when it is named after the person who had it (I think). ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-style-in-medical-writing/33210/3 "2000-09-14T18:21:59Z")
Actually, incidentally, it is _Down syndrome,_ without the apostrophe-s. And does your post, barbiu8, reflect your opinion, or are these rules of style that you’re familiar with from a reliable source? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-style-in-medical-writing/33210/4 "2000-09-14T18:24:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lissener \* > **[Actually, incidentally, it is _Down syndrome,_ without the apostrophe-s.](http://ndss.broaddaylight.com//ndss/fetch.pl?CompanyID=552&ContentID=82&FaqID=68&word=name&faq_template=http://ndss.broaddaylight.com//ndss/searchfaq.shtm&topic=17&back_refr=http://ndss.broaddaylight.com//ndss/&topicname=Miscellaneous)** ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-style-in-medical-writing/33210/5 "2000-09-14T18:25:59Z")
The Merck Manual gives Down’s syndrome. Dorland’s Illustrated Medical Dictionary gives: Down’s disease, syndrome. You can check any other medical book, and I believe they all give Down’s syndrome. why do you think it’s Down syndfome? anyway, this is on the office computer, and I’m going home now. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-style-in-medical-writing/33210/6 "2000-09-14T18:31:38Z")
Sorry, link is broken (yay! CGI!). From the National Down Syndrome Society’s web page: > [@](#): > > **Question:** > > _What is the correct spelling of Down syndrome?_ > > **Answer:** > > The National Down Syndrome Society uses the preferred spelling, Down syndrome, rather than Down’s syndrome. While Down syndrome is listed in many dictionaries with both popular spellings (with or without an apostrophe s), the preferred usage in the United States is Down syndrome. This is because an ‘apostrophe s’ connotes ownership or possession. Down syndrome is named for the English physician John Langdon Down, who characterized, but did not have the condition. > > Both the National Institutes of Health and the American Medical Association, as well as many medical dictionaries and encyclopedias prefer Down syndrome rather than Down’s syndrome. > Several other syndromes named after individuals also do not use an ‘apostrophe s.’ These include Turner syndrome, Rett syndrome and Gullian-Barre syndrome. . . . ---
**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-style-in-medical-writing/33210/7 "2000-09-14T21:35:10Z")
I have friends who have a daughter with DS. They are rather adamant that it is “ **Down** syndrome”. Tinker ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2000, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-style-in-medical-writing/33210/8 "2000-09-14T21:59:00Z")
My Merck manual says Down, not Down’s. So does the on-line version. Maybe barbitu8 has a different edition, though. As for the OP: yes, there are specific rules about when to cap and when not to, but I’m not sure enough to say (I think you have it right - when it’s a proper name, you capitalize the word signifying the person the disease is named after but not the word “disease” or “syndrome.”) I am fairly certain that things like constipation or diabetes are not capitalized, however. I guess I’m not much help. ---
**Author:** ![Catfood\_Purrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Catfood\_Purrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catfood_Purrito)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-style-in-medical-writing/33210/9 "2000-09-15T03:47:14Z")
I’m a medical secretary (well, just a transcriptionist at the moment, formerly a secretary, soon to be a secretary again), so hopefully, I would know these things… You only capitalize if it’s a proper name, and “disease” is not capitalized. Oddly enough, I have no idea why, but I always have to stop myself from capitalizing the “h” in hepatitis A, B, and C. Never when I type just “hepatitis,” though. It gets annoying, since I type “hepatitis” approx. 4 billion times a day. Ah well, the Hepatobiliary Clinic beats the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinic any day. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2000, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-style-in-medical-writing/33210/10 "2000-09-15T21:00:03Z")
I misspoke on the 's in Down syndrome. My books here in the office are at least 10 years old. I recall now that some time ago, the 's was dropped for the reason I stated in my prior post, although I think I had it reversed. However, I did give you the proper capitalization rules: the same as usual. That wasn’t just my opinion. I work with a lot of medical in my work, although I’m not in any way associated with the medical profession, and have a ton of medical books - unfortunately, all of them old. I do have more recent references in the office computer, but I was in a hurry to go home yesterday and did not bother to check the latest.