 Traditionally, there is thought to be no pathophysiological basis for the coexistence of these three diseases.Saint emphasized that more than one disease may be responsible for a patient's clinical signs and symptoms, and his "triad" provides a counterexample to the commonly used diagnostic principle that "the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible," also known as Occam's Razor.The principle underlying Saint's triad is also expressed as Hickam's dictum.