In the specialty of obstetrics and gynecology, an adnexal mass refers to a growth at or near the uterus. Most often these are masses in an ovary or uterine tube, also known as a Fallopian tube, which leads from the ovary to the uterus. An adnexal...
Determining kidney size for children is important in certain circumstances because enlarged kidneys can be evidence of obstruction along the ureters or urethral. Left untreated, some obstructions may lead to kidney failure. Kidney size is...
Because mesothelioma is a relatively rare disease, it often is only diagnosed when a patient comes in complaining of its symptoms. Mesothelioma in the chest causes shortness of breath as well as pain upon breathing and coughing. It can also cause...
Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, also called non-Hodgkin lymphoma or NHL, is a cancer originating in lymphocytes, which are cells in the immune system. Within NHL, there are two sub-types of lymphomas: T-cell lymphomas and B-cell lymphomas. According to...
The organs of the body are covered by connective tissue called the pleura (in the chest) or the peritoneum (in the abdomen). Sometimes this tissue can develop genetic abnormalities that cause the cells to divide more rapidly than normal and to...
All adults should have a yearly physical examination to determine any changes in their health status. The components of a doctor's checkup vary according to the doctor's preference and whether the patient is receiving an initial, brief or...
If you have been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, taking care of your health is a priority. Several things can cause weight loss associated with pancreatic cancer. Depending on if you have possible symptoms of pancreatic cancer, a recently...
Adrenal masses include various types of tumors that grow on the adrenal gland. These tumors can cause an increase in the hormones normally produced by the gland. This increased hormone production is rare, but can lead to a variety of symptoms that...
A diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is usually first suggested by certain symptoms. One common symptom of cancer of the pancreas is jaundice, which causes yellowing of the skin and of the whites of the eyes, as well as darkening of the urine....
People who are underweight may be at as much health risk as those who are overweight, according to the U.K.'s National Health Service. Objective symptoms of malnourishment are visually and physically tangible -- things your friends and family can...
Bladder cancer can affect the lining of the bladder or the muscular wall of the bladder. If the cancer spreads, it can affect lymph nodes or organs in the pelvic and abdominal cavities. Understanding the risk factors of bladder cancer can help...
Regular menstruation cycles tell women everything is OK. Sometimes, even though you know you're not pregnant, your period might be late. A late or missed period might be easily explained away by stress or mild illness, but it also could be caused...
The liver is a large organ located at the upper right portion of the abdomen. It has many functions, such as filtering and detoxifying the blood and making bile to aid in digestion. Imaging scans such as CT or MRI sometimes find a liver mass or...
Lymph node cancer, or lymphoma, is cancer that develops in the nodes that store and carry white blood cells and various wastes of within the body. Lymph node cancers include non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma and T-cell lymphoma, according...
Women often experience irregular menstrual bleeding. This can include skipped menstrual cycles, bleeding between cycles and heavy bleeding during the normal menstrual cycle. Women who have had consistently regular periods are often concerned when...
Abdominal pain in children is a common medical problem. According to the University of Michigan Health System, about one in three children sees a doctor for abdominal pain by age 15. The characteristics of the pain, along with its onset, location...
The bile duct is a system of tubes connecting the liver, gallbladder and small intestine. It transports bile from the liver to the gallbladder for storage and the intestines to aid digestion. The portion of the bile duct closest to the intestine...
Kidney tumors are not common in children. According to Seattle Children's Hospital, about 550 children younger than 15 are diagnosed in the United States each year. Wilms' tumor is the most common form of kidney cancer in children younger than the...
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 57,750 people in the United States were diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma or kidney cancer in 2009. Obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, protracted kidney dialysis, and exposure to asbestos...
Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the Western world and the second-leading cause of cancer deaths. More common among women, incidence of colon cancer begins to rise at age 40 and peaks between ages 60 and 75. Early...
The aorta is the vein in the body responsible for providing the legs, pelvis and abdomen with blood from the heart. If an area weakens and begins to bulge, it is called an aortic aneurysm. Some aneurysms remain small and grow slowly. Others...
An aortic aneurysm occurs when a weakness causes bulging in the aorta, a major artery responsible for carrying the blood from the heart to the rest of the body. The existence of an aortic aneurysm does not often cause symptoms; however, if the...
Some diseases are found more often in men than in women, while others seem to attack women in higher numbers than men. Some diseases may mainly affect a specific race or ethnic group. There are also diseases primarily seen in specific age groups,...
The aorta is the main blood vessel in the body. It carries blood away from the heart and distributes it throughout the rest of if circulatory system. The aorta descends into the abdomen where it supplies blood to the kidneys, legs and stomach. An...
Cancer of the small bowels typically comes in the form of an adenocarcinoma, which is a type of cancerous tumor that arises from mucus secreting cells in the lining of the small intestine. The symptoms of this type of cancer can be vague and...
Losing fat around the stomach is important for aesthetic and health reasons, and many who strive for weight loss target fat in their abdomen. A healthy eating plan combined with some known foods that aid in fat-mass loss will help you achieve...
Fibroids--also called leiomyomas, fibromyomas and myomas--are masses of muscle and fibrous tissue that grow on or in the wall of the uterus. Fibroids are common; MayoClinic.com reports that as many as three out of four women have uterine fibroids...
The adrenal glands secrete hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, aldosterone and catecholamines. The adrenal gland is made up of an outer cortex and an inner medulla, which secrete distinct hormones, according to the National Cancer Institute....
Renal cell carcinoma represents the most commonly diagnosed kidney cancer today. RCC begins as a small growth of cancerous cells in the tissues that line the small tubules of the kidney and progresses to form well-defined masses. Because the...
