1. Relating to or denoting a disease or condition that is present but does not yet show obvious symptoms or clinical signs detectable by standard examination
The patient had subclinical hypothyroidism, with abnormal lab values but no obvious symptoms.
O paciente tinha hipotireoidismo subclínico, com valores de laboratório anormais, mas sem sintomas óbvios.
2. In medical research, referring to findings detected through diagnostic tests before symptoms manifest clinically
Subclinical infection was detected through serological testing before the patient became symptomatic.
A infecção subclínica foi detectada através de testes sorológicos antes do paciente apresentar sintomas.
This is primarily a medical/scientific term used in both Brazilian and American healthcare contexts. It represents an important concept in modern medicine where early detection through screening can identify diseases before symptoms appear. The term is particularly relevant in epidemiology and public health discussions.