An enlarged spleen can be caused by infections, cirrhosis and other liver diseases, blood diseases characterized by abnormal blood cells, problems with the lymph system, or other conditions. Other causes of an enlarged spleen include: Inflammatory diseases such as sarcoidosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Your doctor says your chest pain (angina) is caused by blockages in your heart arteries and that you need to get those blockages taken care of. What are your options? First, it's important to determine what type of angina you have. Different types of angina may need different treatments. Common types of angina are chronic stable angina — a type of angina that occurs when your heart is working hard — and unstable angina, which is new chest pain or chest pain that is getting worse. Other types of angina include variant angina — a rare type of angina caused by a spasm in the coronary arteries — and microvascular angina, which can be a symptom of disease in the small coronary artery blood vessels. Unstable angina is a serious situation and requires emergency treatment. Treatment for unstable angina involves hospitalization with medications to stabilize your condition. Some people with unstable angina may require a procedure called angioplasty (also known as percutaneous coronary intervention), usually combined with the placement of a small metal tube called a stent. In some cases of unstable angina, heart surgery (coronary bypass surgery) may be needed. Generally, if you have mild stable angina that is controlled by medications, you may not need further treatments. If you're experiencing symptoms of chronic stable angina even after taking medications and making lifestyle changes, or if you're at higher risk of serious heart disease, your doctor may recommend angioplasty or coronary bypass surgery. Making a decision on how to treat your angina can be difficult, but knowing the benefits and risks of stents and medications may help you decide.

Ultrasound or ultrasonography is a medical imaging technique that uses high frequency sound waves and their echoes. The technique is similar to the echolocation used by bats, whales and dolphins, as well as SONAR used by submarines. In ultrasound, the following events happen: The ultrasound machine transmits high-frequency (1 to 5 megahertz) sound pulses into your body using a probe. The sound waves travel into your body and hit a boundary between tissues (e.g. between fluid and soft tissue, soft tissue and bone). Some of the sound waves get reflected back to the probe, while some travel on further until they reach another boundary and get reflected. The reflected waves are picked up by the probe and relayed to the machine. The machine calculates the distance from the probe to the tissue or organ (boundaries) using the speed of sound in tissue (5,005 ft/s or1,540 m/s) and the time of the each echo's return (usually on the order of millionths of a second). The machine displays the distances and intensities of the echoes on the screen, forming a two dimensional image like the one shown below.

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There are 3 genetic types of FHH based on chromosome location. FHH type 1 accounts for 65% of cases and is due to inactivating mutations in the CASR gene, localized to 3q21.1. This gene encodes the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR). Loss of CaSR function results in a reduction in the sensitivity of parathyroid and renal cells to calcium levels so hypercalcemia is perceived as normal. The other 35% have either a mutation GNA11 (19p13.3) seen in FHH type 2 or AP2S1 (19q13.2-q13.3) seen in FHH type 3 (see these terms) or in genes not yet discovered. FHH is rarely caused by auto-antibodies against CaSR in those without a mutation.

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This video, created by Nucleus Medical Media, gives a thorough explanation of stroke, covering anatomy and physiology, different types of stroke, and treatment.

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Antiarrhythmics are drugs that are used to treat abnormal heart rhythms resulting from irregular electrical activity of the heart. There are many different types of antiarrhythmic drugs. Examples include: Amiodarone (Cordarone) Flecainide (Tambocor) Procainamide (Procanbid) Sotalol (Betapace) In addition, there are other types of heart drugs that can be used to treat arrhythmias, including: Beta-blockers such as metoprolol or Toprol XL, which reduce the heart's workload and heart rate. Calcium channel blockers such as verapamil or Calan, which also reduces the heart rate.

De Quervain's tenosynovitis (dih-kwer-VAINS ten-oh-sine-oh-VIE-tis) is a painful condition affecting the tendons on the thumb side of your wrist. If you have de Quervain's tenosynovitis, it will probably hurt when you turn your wrist, grasp anything or make a fist. Although the exact cause of de Quervain's tenosynovitis isn't known, any activity that relies on repetitive hand or wrist movement — such as working in the garden, playing golf or racket sports, or lifting your baby — can make it worse. Symptoms ShareTweet June 13, 2015 References Products and Services Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Newsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter See also Prednisone risks, benefits Prednisone withdrawal: Why taper down slowly? Integrative approaches to treating pain Lifestyle strategies for pain management Nutrition and pain Pain rehabilitation Self-care approaches to treating pain Show more Advertisement Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Advertising & Sponsorship PolicyOpportunitiesAd Choices Mayo Clinic Store Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic. NEW! – The Mayo Clinic Diet, Second Edition Healthy Heart for Life! Mayo Clinic on Better Hearing and Balance Treatment Strategies for Arthritis The Mayo Clinic Diet Online

How to memorize more in pharma: Drug names, dental implications, numbers

Prompt treatment to break up the clot greatly reduces the risk of death. This can be done with blood thinners and drugs or procedures. Compression stockings and physical activity can help prevent clots from forming in the first place.

Phencyclidine (PCP) was developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic but, due to the side effects of confusion and delirium, its development for human medical use was discontinued. In its pure form, it is a white crystalline powder that readily dissolves in water or alcohol and has a distinctive bitter chemical taste. On the illicit drug market, Phencyclidine contains a number of contaminants as a result of makeshift manufacturing, causing the color to range from tan to brown, and the consistency to range from powder to a gummy mass. It is available in a variety of tablets, capsules, and colored powders, which are either taken orally or snorted. The liquid form of phencyclidine is actually phencyclidine base dissolved most often in ether, a highly flammable solvent. For smoking, phencyclidine is typically sprayed onto leafy material such as mint, parsley, oregano, or marijuana.

Markle Test (heel jar test) for Peritonitis

The procedure was performed under wrist block regional anesthesia with tourniquet control. A single Chinese finger trap was used on the thumb with 5 to 8 lb of ongitudinal traction. The arm was held down with wide tape around the tourniquet securing it to the hand table to serve as countertraction. A shoulder holder, rather than a traction tower, was used to facilitate fluoroscopic intervention more easily. The Trapeziometacarpal joint was detected by palpation. Joint distension was achieved by injecting 1 to 3 mL of normal saline (Fig. 1). It is important to distally direct the needle approximately 20 degrees to clear the dorsal flare of the metacarpal base and enter the joint capsule. This course should be reproduced upon entering with arthroscopic sleeve/ trocar assembly to minimize iatrogenic cartilage injury. Fluid distention is important to facilitate this. The incision for the 1-R (radial) portal, used for proper assessment of the dorsoradial ligament, posterior oblique ligament, and ulnar collateral ligament, was placed just volar to the abductor pollicis longus tendon. The incision for the 1-U (ulnar) portal, for better evaluation of the anterior oblique ligament and ulnar collateral ligament, was made just ulnar to the extensor pollicis brevis tendon. A short-barrel, 1.9-mm, 30- degree inclination arthroscope was used for complete visualization of the CMC joint surfaces, capsule, and ligaments, and then appropriate management was done, as dictated by the stage of the arthritis detected (Fig. 2A). A full-radius mechanical shaver with suction was used in all the cases, particularly for initial debridement and visualization. Most of the cases were augmented with radiofrequency ablation to perform a thorough synovectomy and radiofrequency was also used to perform chondroplasty in the cases with focal articular cartilage wear or fibrillation. Chondroplasty refers to thedebridement of the fibrillated cartilage to improve vascularity of the cartilage and enhance the growth of fibrocartilage. Ligamentous laxity and capsular attenu- ation were treated with thermal capsulorraphy using a radiofrequency shrinkage probe. We were careful to avoid thermal necrosis; hence, a striping technique was used to tighten the capsule of the lax joints. The striping technique refers to thermal shrinkage performed in longitudinal stripes on the lax capsule, so as to leave vascular zones between the stripes; hence, thermal necrosis is prevented. Arthroscopic stage I disease was characterized by synovitis without any cartilage wear, wherein a synovectomy coupled with thermal capsulor- raphy as described was performed.

A good starting point for any scientist in any field is to recognize that there is much we do not know. We do not know, for example, why there is more matter than antimatter in the universe. We do not know very well how the evolution of the dinosaurs filtered out. And, perhaps most surprising of all is that we do not know very well how many organs the human body has or what all its functions are.

Nuclear medicine is a branch of medical imaging that uses small amounts of radioactive material to diagnose and determine the severity of or treat a variety of diseases, including many types of cancers, heart disease, gastrointestinal, endocrine, neurological disorders and other abnormalities within the body.

Here is how surgeons perform knock knee correction surgery. Titanium plate is used to stabilize the affected area. The femur is cut nearly through to help with the stability. Spreaders angle the cut align the leg. The plate is secured with several screws. Synthetic bone graft material is packed in the joint. The patient will be in crutches for 4 to 6 weeks.

Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. While scoliosis can be caused by conditions such as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy, the cause of most scoliosis is unknown. Most cases of scoliosis are mild, but some children develop spine deformities that continue to get more severe as they grow. Severe scoliosis can be disabling. An especially severe spinal curve can reduce the amount of space within the chest, making it difficult for the lungs to function properly. Children who have mild scoliosis are monitored closely, usually with X-rays, to see if the curve is getting worse. In many cases, no treatment is necessary. Some children will need to wear a brace to stop the curve from worsening. Others may need surgery to keep the scoliosis from worsening and to straighten severe cases of scoliosis.

Liddle syndrome is an inherited form of high blood pressure (hypertension). This condition is characterized by severe hypertension that begins unusually early in life, often in childhood, although some affected individuals are not diagnosed until adulthood. Some people with Liddle syndrome have no additional signs or symptoms, especially in childhood. Over time, however, untreated hypertension can lead to heart disease or stroke, which may be fatal.

Most of us have taken a sex education class or two. We know what condoms are supposed to be used for. Whether or not people use condoms every time they are necessary is a totally different story. You were probably taught the necessary but embarrassing lesson of how to put a condom on by the visual aids your sex education teacher provided. Of course, these tactics are a little more modern, so depending on how old you are, you may not have learned the basics of condom use until after high school. Yes, condoms are a pretty smart invention and they’re pretty safe to use. They are over 90% effective against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and of course, they help to reduce the risk of pregnancy by 98%. Some guys claim that they’re not comfortable to wear, which is why some companies have come up with new condoms that have a more natural fit and provide pleasure for both partners. However, with all the things we know about condoms, there’s still so much we don’t know. Here are 10 facts about condoms that are just as interesting as the condoms themselves.

Niemann-Pick disease is a condition that affects many body systems. It has a wide range of symptoms that vary in severity. Niemann-Pick disease is divided into four main types: type A, type B, type C1, and type C2. These types are classified on the basis of genetic cause and the signs and symptoms of the condition. Infants with Niemann-Pick disease type A usually develop an enlarged liver and spleen (hepatosplenomegaly) by age 3 months and fail to gain weight and grow at the expected rate (failure to thrive). The affected children develop normally until around age 1 year when they experience a progressive loss of mental abilities and movement (psychomotor regression). Children with Niemann-Pick disease type A also develop widespread lung damage (interstitial lung disease) that can cause recurrent lung infections and eventually lead to respiratory failure. All affected children have an eye abnormality called a cherry-red spot, which can be identified with an eye examination. Children with Niemann-Pick disease type A generally do not survive past early childhood.