Illustrate Change: Medical Illustrations Featuring People of Color

Cardiology

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) occurs when the weakening of the wall of the aorta causes the vessel to balloon over time.

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Coronary Artery Disease Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Plaque accumulation in the walls of the coronary arteries, which provide blood to the heart and other parts of the body, is the cause of coronary artery disease.

Coronary Artery Disease Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is the formation of blood clots in deep leg veins, typically located in the legs.

Deep Vein Thrombosis

Heart Disease Mitigated By Ventricular Support Device

A ventricular support device is a portable device that allows a patient to return home and continue with their normal activities after it has been surgically implanted.

Heart Disease Mitigated By Ventricular Support Device

Heart Failure

Heart failure is when the heart is unable to pump blood around the body well enough to meet the needs of the body.

Heart Failure

Mitral Valve Prolapse

Mitral valve prolapse is a heart condition that affects a valve between the left chambers of the heart, known as the atrium (upper chamber) and ventricle (lower chamber).

Mitral Valve Prolapse

Myocardial Infarctıon With Non Obstructive Coronary Arterıes

Myocardial infarction is defined pathologically as myocardial cell death due to prolonged ischemia.

Myocardial-Infarction-with-Non-Obstructive-Coronary-Arteries-THUMBNAIL-1000x1000.jpg

Myocardial Infarctıon With Non Obstructive Coronary Arterıes

Pericarditis

Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium of the heart: a sac of fibrous and serous tissue that envelops the heart.

Pericarditis

Pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a condition that affects the blood vessels in, and leading to the lungs.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension

Transient Ischemic Attack

A Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), often called a “mini-stroke,” is a brief episode where there is a temporary disruption in blood flow to the brain, resulting in stroke-like symptoms.

Transient Ischemic Attack

Dermatology

Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a chronic condition that results in dry, itchy, and inflamed skin. It is more prevalent in those with a family history of the disease. Though it usually starts in young children, it can occur at any age.

Atopic Dermatitis

Dengue Fever

Dengue fever is an illness transmitted by mosquitoes in tropical and subtropical areas of the world. Symptoms of dengue fever include a high fever, headaches, joint pain, and a rash. The rash may not be visible on darker skin tones.

Dengue Fever

Hair Thinning

Hair loss affects at least a third of women. But unlike men, women typically experience thinning hair without going bald, and there can be a number of different underlying causes for the problem.

Hair Thinning

Hidradenitis suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a skin condition that results in the formation of small, painful lumps beneath the skin. Lump formation is most common in skin folds where skin rubs together, such as the armpits, groin, buttocks, and breasts. The lumps ma...

Hidradenitis suppurativa

Lupus

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which a person’s immune system attacks healthy organs and tissues in the body. This can cause a variety of symptoms, including pain, fatigue, inflammation, rashes, hair loss, and nail changes.

Lupus

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that causes skin cells to multiply too quickly, resulting in highly visible inflamed patches of skin.

Psoriasis

Eye disease

Arcus Senilus

Arcus senilus is a common condition of the eye that is related to aging and doesn’t affect vision or require treatment. It looks like a gray or white ring or arc around the cornea of the eye, caused by fat deposits curving around the edge of the cornea.

Arcus Senilus

Cataracts

Cataracts are cloudy areas in the center of the eye caused by the breakdown of proteins. Over time, symptoms may develop, including blurry vision, sensitivity to light, and seeing less color.

Cataracts

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that cause optic nerve damage. The optic nerve transmits visual information from the eye to the brain and is essential for good vision. High eye pressure is frequently associated with optic nerve damage. However,...

Glaucoma

General health

Afib, Stroke

Atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib, is a condition where the heart beats at a very rapid rate. The condition can lead to blood clots in the heart and an increased risk of hyphenated complications. When an interruption occurs in the blood supp...

Afib, Stroke

Peripheral artery disease

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) involves narrowed arteries reducing blood flow to the legs and sometimes arms, often causing leg pain during walking, known as claudication. Primarily caused by atherosclerosis, severe PAD cases can necessitate amputation. PAD notably affects Black Americans disproportionately, leading to higher risks of under-diagnosis, under-treatment, and severe outcomes like amputation.

Peripheral Vascular Disease Medical Illustration

Peripheral artery disease

Weathering

Weathering refers to the hypothesis that chronic exposure to social, economic, and political exclusion, including racism, accelerates biological aging and worsens health outcomes in marginalized groups, especially Black people. This concept involves allostatic load, or the body’s ‘wear and tear’ from chronic stress, often manifesting in higher cortisol levels and associated with ‘fight-or-flight’ responses. This chronic stress can lead to a range of health issues, such as depression, migraines, hypertension, and heart disease.

Weathering