What's the difference between a syndrome, a disorder, and a disease?

Is there a cure for a rare brain disorder called moyamoya syndrome/disease?

• A RARE BRAIN DISORDER CHARACTERIZED BY A PUFF IF SMOKE APPEARANCE OF THE ARTERIES & BLOOD VESSELS IN THE BRAIN DURING AN ANGIO OR ARTERIOGRAM. BTW, THIS IS HOW THE DISORDER IS DIANOSED. THE JAPANESE TERM MOYAMOYA MEANS 'PUFF OF SMOKE'. IT WAS BELIEVED THAT IT ONLY AFFECTED THE ASIAN POPULATION, BUT NOW THE DISEASE HAS NO PREFERENCE ON RACE, ANYONE IS AFFECTED. IT AFFECTS MAINLY INFANTS & CHILDREN, MORE ADULTS ARE BEING DIAGNOSED. THERE IS NO TREATMENT OPTIONS I AM AWARE OF OTHER THAN A CERTAIN BYPASS SURGERY DONE BY A SMALL HANDFUL OF QUAILFIED NEUROSURGEONS HERE IN THE U.S. NOT MANY DOCTORS ARE AWARE OF THIS DISORDER SO MANY PEOPLE ARE MISDIAGNOSED WITH SOMETHING ELSE, IF MOYA IS DIAGNOSED PROPER TREATMENT NEEDS TO BE ADMINISTERED & THATS WHERE THE PROBLEM BEGINS. MEDICADE WILL NOT COVER COSTS OF TREATMENT (SURGERY) SO TREATMENT OPTIONS REMAIN SLIM. IF ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY INFO, PLEASE SHARE, IT COULD MEAN LIFE OR DEATH TO SOMEONE LIKE ME WHO HAS NO WHERE ELSE TO TURN.

• Answer:

  Moya moya is not a disease in and of itself. It is the end product of any abnormality (usually occurred or present since birth or very early childhood) where the normal blood supply to the brain has been disturbed (i.e. a stroke). The appearance of small irregular blood vessels within the brain is the body's response to try and get blood to the brain the best way it can in the absence of normal arteries. The surgical treatment options available all try to provide alternative routes of blood delivery to the brain. These are collectively bypass procedures, or synangiosis procedure. Synangiosis can be done differently, but the the basic principle is to try and recruit outer blood vessels in the head (i.e. scalp blood vessels) to feed the brain. More detailed explanation and options can be provided by a neurosurgeon.