[Principles for classification of diseases of a biogeochemical nature]

The principles of working classification of human pathology associated with excess, deficiency and dysbalance of trace elements are presented on the basis of many-year analysis of the literature and own experimental and clinico-morphological observations. According to the most important variants of human contact with the environment abnormal with regard to the content of trace elements, the following types of diseases are distinguished: (1) natural, (2) technogenic, and (3) iatrogenic. In their turn, technogenic diseases are subdivided into industrial, neighbouring, transgressive. Among these diseases, monomicroelementoses and polymicroelementoses should be distinguished. The former include fluorosis, arsenosis, berilliosis, cadmium nephropathy, cobalt myocardiopathy, etc., the latter anemias of biogeochemical nature, endemic goiter, tooth caries, urolithiasis, selenium-deficient myocardiopathy, and others.