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Applicable to all MLA exams and assessments taken from September 2026 onwards. 
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Appendix A Conditions categorised by body system

Conditions have been categorised by body systems to help candidates better understand relationships between conditions and engage with the material more effectively.

This categorisation is intended as a practical guide and should be interpreted with common sense. Please note the following:

  • Each condition appears once within each category. However, this does not exclude it from being assessed in the context of other body systems. Eg burns are listed under skin and soft tissue, but may also be assessed in the context of child health.
  • Candidates should also note that this categorisation does not reflect the specialities typically involved in managing the conditions listed. For instance, necrotising fasciitis affects the skin and would typically be treated by surgeons or intensivists, rather than dermatologists.

Our approach is to provide general guidance and support to candidates, rather than rigid classifications.

Blood and lymph

  • Abnormal blood film
  • Anaemia
  • Coagulation disorders (including haemophilia, Von Willebrand disease, and thrombophilia, and secondary to illness or medication)
  • Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
  • Haemoglobinopathies
  • Hyposplenism/Splenectomy
  • Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
  • Leukaemia
  • Lymphoma
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Myeloproliferative disorders
  • Neutropenia (including neutropenic sepsis)
  • Pancytopenia
  • Platelet disorders (including thrombocytosis, thrombocytopaenia)
  • Polycythaemia
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Transfusion reactions

Skin and soft tissue

  • Acne vulgaris
  • Atopic dermatitis/Eczema
  • Benign skin lesion (including melanocytic naevi, epidermal cyst, dermatofibroma, seborrheic keratosis, actinic keratosis)
  • Burns
  • Cellulitis
  • Contact dermatitis
  • Cutaneous fungal infection
  • Cutaneous warts
  • Erythema nodosum
  • Folliculitis and Hidradenitis suppurativa
  • Haemangioma
  • Impetigo
  • Lichen planus
  • Lipoma
  • Malignant/Pre-malignant skin lesions (including Bowen disease, malignant melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma)
  • Necrotising fasciitis
  • Pressure sores
  • Psoriasis
  • Rosacea
  • Scabies
  • Skin manifestations of systemic disease (including acanthosis nigricans, livedo reticularis, and petechiae / purpura)
  • Skin ulcers (including arterial, venous, and neuropathic ulcers)
  • Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN)
  • Urticaria

Eye

  • Acute glaucoma
  • Benign eyelid disorders (including blepharitis, ectropion/entropion, chalazion, hordeolum)
  • Cataracts
  • Central retinal arterial occlusion
  • Central retinal vein occlusion
  • Chronic glaucoma
  • Conjunctivitis
  • Corneal ulcer/abrasion
  • Hypertensive retinopathy
  • Infective keratitis
  • Inflammatory conditions of the eye (including scleritis, episcleritis, uveitis)
  • Macular degeneration
  • Optic neuritis
  • Papilloedema
  • Periorbital and orbital cellulitis
  • Retinal detachment
  • Subconjunctival haemorrhage
  • Visual field defects

Endocrine and metabolic

  • Acromegaly
  • Adrenal insufficiency (including primary and secondary)
  • Arginine vasopressin deficiency/resistance (diabetes insipidus)
  • Cushing syndrome
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)
  • Diabetic nephropathy
  • Diabetic neuropathy
  • Diabetic retinopathy
  • Graves disease (including thyroid eye disease)
  • Haemochromatosis
  • Hyperlipidaemia
  • Hyperosmolar hyperglycaemic state (HHS)
  • Hyperparathyroidism/Hypoparathyroidism
  • Hyperprolactinaemia
  • Hyperthyroidism/Thyrotoxicosis
  • Hypoglycaemia
  • Hypopituitarism
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Metabolic syndrome
  • Phaeochromocytoma
  • Pituitary tumours
  • Prediabetes
  • Primary aldosteronism
  • Refeeding syndrome
  • Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH)

Heart and vasculature

  • Acute coronary syndromes
  • Aneurysms, ischaemic limb and occlusions
  • Aortic aneurysm
  • Aortic dissection
  • Aortic valve disease
  • Arterial thrombosis/Embolism
  • Bradyarrhythmias (including AV block)
  • Cardiac arrest
  • Cardiomyopathy
  • Carotid dissection
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Deep vein thrombosis
  • Gangrene
  • Heart failure
  • Hypertension (essential or secondary)
  • Infective endocarditis
  • Ischaemic heart disease (including stable angina)
  • Mitral valve disease
  • Myocarditis
  • Orthostatic/Postural hypotension
  • Pericardial disease (including pericarditis, pericardial effusion, cardiac tamponade)
  • Peripheral vascular disease
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Pulmonary hypertension
  • Right heart valve disease
  • Shock
  • Superior vena cava obstruction
  • Syncope (including vasovagal, cardiac)
  • Tachyarrhythmias (including atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, supraventricular tachycardia, torsades de pointes, ventricular tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation)
  • Venous insufficiency (including varicose veins)

Lungs pleura and airways

  • Acute bronchitis
  • Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
  • Asthma
  • Asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) overlap
  • Bronchiectasis
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Empyema
  • Interstitial lung disease (including fibrotic lung disease)
  • Lower respiratory tract infection
  • Lung abscess
  • Lung cancer
  • Obstructive sleep apnoea
  • Occupational lung disease
  • Pleural effusion
  • Pneumonia
  • Pneumothorax
  • Respiratory arrest
  • Respiratory failure
  • Sarcoidosis

Gastrointestinal tract

  • Anal fissure
  • Appendicitis
  • Coeliac disease
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Constipation
  • Diverticular disease and diverticulitis
  • Gastric cancer
  • Gastrointestinal bleeding (upper and lower GI bleeding)
  • Gastrointestinal perforation
  • Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (including Barrett oesophagus)
  • Haemorrhoids
  • Hernias
  • Hiatus hernia
  • Infectious colitis (including Clostridium difficile)
  • Infectious diarrhoea (including infective gastroenteritis)
  • Inflammatory bowel disease (including Crohn disease, ulcerative colitis)
  • Intestinal ischaemia
  • Intestinal obstruction and ileus
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Malabsorption
  • Mallory-Weiss tear
  • Oesophageal cancer
  • Peptic ulcer disease and gastritis
  • Perianal abscesses and fistulae
  • Peritonitis
  • Rectal prolapse
  • Toxic megacolon
  • Variceal disease (including oesophageal varices)
  • Volvulus

Liver pancreas biliary system

  • Acute cholangitis
  • Acute pancreatitis
  • Alcohol related liver disease
  • Ascites (including spontaneous bacterial peritonitis)
  • Cholecystitis
  • Chronic liver disease (including decompensation and cirrhosis of the liver)
  • Chronic pancreatitis
  • Gallstones and biliary colic
  • Hepatitis (including viral, autoimmune, alcoholic)
  • Hepatocellular carcinoma
  • Liver abscess
  • Liver failure
  • Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)
  • Pancreatic cancer

Genetic and congenital

  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Down syndrome
  • Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
  • Huntington disease
  • Klinefelter syndrome
  • Marfan syndrome
  • Turner syndrome

Gynaecological tract

  • Bacterial vaginosis
  • Cervical cancer
  • Cervical ectropion
  • Cervical screening (human papilloma virus)
  • Endometrial cancer
  • Endometriosis
  • Fibroids
  • Genitourinary syndrome of menopause
  • Lichen sclerosus
  • Menopause/perimenopause
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Ovarian cysts
  • Ovarian torsion
  • Pelvic inflammatory disease
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
  • Termination of pregnancy
  • Vaginal prolapse
  • Vulval cancer

Pregnancy and the puerperium

  • Antepartum haemorrhage
  • Blood group incompatibility in pregnancy
  • Chorioamnionitis
  • Complications of labour (including malpresentation, shoulder-dystocia, preterm labour, cord prolapse)
  • Diabetes in pregnancy (gestational and pre-existing)
  • Ectopic pregnancy
  • Hyperemesis gravidarum
  • Hypertension in pregnancy (including gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, eclampsia)
  • Jaundice in pregnancy
  • Miscarriage and intrauterine death
  • Multiple pregnancy
  • Obesity in pregnancy
  • Placenta praevia
  • Placental abruption
  • Polyhydramnios/ oligohydramnios
  • Postpartum haemorrhage
  • Vasa praevia
  • Venous thromboembolism (VTE) in pregnancy and puerperium

Male genitourinary tract

  • Benign prostatic hyperplasia
  • Hydrocoele/varicocoele/epididymal cyst
  • Penile cancer
  • Phimosis/paraphimosis
  • Prostate cancer
  • Prostatitis, epididymitis and orchitis
  • Testicular cancer
  • Testicular torsion

Brain and spinal cord

  • Brain abscess
  • Brain tumours (primary and secondary)
  • Cerebral palsy and hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy
  • Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST)
  • Delirium
  • Dementias (including Alzheimer dementia, Lewy-Body dementia, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia)
  • Encephalitis
  • Epilepsy
  • Essential tremor
  • Extradural haemorrhage
  • Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
  • Meningitis
  • Motor neurone disease
  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Parkinsonism (including Parkinson disease)
  • Primary headache disorders (including migraine, cluster headache, tension headache)
  • Raised intracranial pressure
  • Spinal cord compression
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Status epilepticus
  • Stroke
  • Subarachnoid haemorrhage
  • Subdural haemorrhage
  • Transient ischaemic attacks (TIA)
  • Vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma)
  • Wernicke encephalopathy/Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome

Peripheral nervous system and neuromuscular junction

  • Autonomic neuropathy
  • Bell palsy
  • Guillain-Barré/inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
  • Muscular dystrophies
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Peripheral nerve injuries/palsies
  • Peripheral neuropathy
  • Radiculopathies
  • Trigeminal neuralgia

Mental health

  • Acute stress reaction
  • Alcohol withdrawal and opioid withdrawal
  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
  • Bipolar affective disorder (including mania/hypomania)
  • Delusional disorder
  • Depression
  • Eating disorders
  • Gambling disorder
  • Gender dysphoria and/or incongruence
  • Generalised anxiety disorder
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • Panic disorder
  • Personality disorder
  • Phobias (including agoraphobia)
  • Post traumatic stress disorder
  • Postpartum depression
  • Postpartum psychosis
  • Psychotic disorder
  • Schizoaffective disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • Self-harm
  • Somatic symptom disorder
  • Substance use disorder

Ear nose and throat

  • Airway compromise/management
  • Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
  • Cholesteatoma
  • Epiglottitis
  • Epistaxis
  • Head and neck cancer (including oral, laryngeal and salivary gland)
  • Labyrinthitis/vestibular neuritis
  • Mastoiditis
  • Ménière disease
  • Nasal polyps
  • Otitis externa
  • Otitis media
  • Perforated eardrum
  • Pharyngitis/tonsillitis
  • Quinsy/ peritonsillar abscess
  • Rhinosinusitis
  • Thyroid cancer
  • Thyroid nodules
  • Upper respiratory tract infection

Child health

  • Biliary atresia
  • Bronchiolitis
  • Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (chronic lung disease of prematurity)
  • Childhood cancer (including retinoblastoma)
  • Childhood hip/ leg disorders (including Perthes’ disease, slipped upper femoral epiphyses, developmental dysplasia of the hip)
  • Cow milk protein allergy
  • Croup
  • Cryptorchidism
  • Faltering growth (failure to thrive)
  • Febrile convulsions
  • Kawasaki disease
  • Mesenteric adenitis
  • Necrotising enterocolitis
  • Neonatal jaundice (including pathological and physiological jaundice)
  • Neonatal surgical emergencies (including pyloric stenosis, Intussusception)
  • Prematurity
  • Scarlet fever
  • Viral exanthema (including measles, rubella, varicella)
  • Whooping cough

Infections

  • Abscess
  • Candidiasis
  • Chlamydia
  • COVID-19
  • Gonorrhoea
  • Helicobacter pylori
  • Herpes simplex virus
  • Hospital acquired infections
  • Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
  • Human papilloma virus infection
  • Infectious mononucleosis (including Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus)
  • Influenza
  • Malaria
  • Measles
  • Mumps
  • Pyrexia of unknown origin
  • Rubella
  • Sepsis (including neutropenic sepsis)
  • Surgical site infection
  • Syphilis
  • Tetanus
  • Toxic shock syndrome
  • Toxoplasmosis
  • Trichomonas vaginalis
  • Tuberculosis
  • Typhoid
  • Varicella zoster virus
  • Zoonotic infections (including Lyme disease)

Breast

  • Breast abscess/mastitis
  • Breast cancer
  • Breast cysts
  • Fibroadenoma

Kidneys and urinary tract

  • Acid-base abnormality
  • Acute kidney injury
  • Bladder cancer
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • End stage renal disease (including renal replacement therapy and transplantation)
  • Glomerulonephritis
  • Hydronephrosis
  • Hypercalcaemia/hypocalcaemia
  • Hyperkalaemia/hypokalaemia
  • Hyponatraemia/hypernatraemia
  • IgA vasculitis
  • Nephrotic syndrome
  • Polycystic kidney disease
  • Pyelonephritis
  • Renal cancer
  • Rhabdomyolysis
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Urinary retention/obstructive uropathy
  • Urinary tract calculi
  • Urinary tract infection

Musculoskeletal

  • Bone tumours (primary and secondary including osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma)
  • Bursitis
  • Cauda equina syndrome
  • Complications of fractures (including compartment syndrome, non-union, malunion, avascular necrosis)
  • Crystal arthropathy
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Fracture(s) (including pathological fractures)
  • Giant cell arteritis
  • Intervertebral disc prolapse
  • Joint dislocation or subluxation
  • Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
  • Lower back pain and sciatica
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Osteomalacia
  • Osteomyelitis
  • Osteoporosis and fragility fractures
  • Polymyalgia rheumatica
  • Polymyositis and dermatomyositis
  • Raynaud phenomenon
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Scleroderma and mixed connective tissue disease
  • Septic arthritis
  • Seronegative spondyloarthropathies (including ankylosing spondylitis, reactive arthritis, enteropathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis)
  • Sjogren syndrome
  • Soft tissue injury
  • Systemic lupus erythematosus
  • Vasculitis/vasculitides

Drugs and drug effects

  • Adverse drug effects
  • Drug overdose
  • Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
  • Serotonin syndrome

Multi-system diseases

  • Allergic disorder (including food allergy)
  • Anaphylaxis
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning
  • Hyperthermia and hypothermia
  • Hypovolaemia/volume depletion
  • Incidental finding
  • Infertility/subfertility
  • Malnutrition
  • Medically unexplained symptoms
  • Metastatic cancer
  • Multi-organ dysfunction syndrome
  • Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) (awareness and approach)
  • Obesity
  • Sarcopenia/frailty
  • Transplantation (including graft rejection and immunosuppression)
  • Vitamin B12 and/or folate deficiency
  • Vitamin D deficiency

Other knowledge

  • Disease prevention/screening
  • Iatrogenic condition
  • Non-accidental injury
  • Notifiable diseases