There are a number of diseases for which x-rays aid or establish the diagnosis. For example, lung infections, bone spurs and fractured hips. The latter, according to Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine is commonly due to osteoporosis, a...
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer in the lining of body organs. This malignancy occurs in the lungs, heart, abdominal organs and scrotum. According to the American Cancer Society, physicians diagnose between 2,000 and 3,000 people in the United States...
Breast cancer occurs when normal cells divide and multiply in an abnormal manner in the breast tissues. When the cancer cells gather together over time, they begin to form a tumor; this is called a malignancy. Performing a monthly self-exam of...
If a child is having difficulty breathing, it can be scary for everyone involved. The medical term for difficulty breathing is dyspnea. Although some minor colds and viruses can cause pediatric dyspnea, the UC Davis Children's Hospital states that...
There are approximately 8,000 new cases of Hodgkin's disease every year, according to Carol Portlock, M.D., attending physician of the Lymphoma Service at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in "The Merck Manual for Healthcare...
Hormone level changes throughout a woman's life lead to changes in the breasts. That being said, hormone level changes during pregnancy fortunately do not largely translate into breast cancer. In fact, according to the American Cancer Society only...
Peritoneal mesothelioma is a cancer that is found in the lining of the abdomen, which is called the peritoneum. It can also be called abdominal mesothelioma.
Both Hodgkin's lymphoma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are types of cancers that affect the lymphatic system, which is composed of the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow and thymus. Burkitt's lymphoma is a type of cancer that falls under the...
The aorta is the main blood vessel coming off of the heart to deliver blood to the rest of the body. It leaves the left side of the heart and travels up into the chest then curves down, enters the abdominal cavity, and continues on until splitting...
Breathing, an anatomical and physiological process, occurs without a thought until something goes wrong. Respiratory acidosis or alkalosis indicate two such occasions. Inadequate ventilation leads to acidosis, and excessive ventilation causes...
An area of fat on the upper back, between the shoulder blades and just below the base of the neck, is referred to as a buffalo hump. An accumulation of fat in this area can be indicative of excess weight or a symptom of a disease.
Colon cancer is cancer that originates in the large intestine, or the colon; and rectal starts in the end of the large intestine. The term colorectal cancer can describe either of these conditions. Colorectal cancer typically does not cause any...
When a doctor is suspicious of pneumonia, he may order a chest x-ray. A chest x-ray will show any signs of fluid in the lungs. However, a chest x-ray may not always be accurate. Sometimes, pneumonia can settle deep within the lung or be so minute...
The high content of air in the lungs gives them a nearly transparent appearance on chest X-rays and CT scans. In contrast, areas of solid tissue within the lungs appear as white spots with these imaging techniques. A spot on the lung is an...
Cystic lung disease encompasses a group of acquired and congenital disorders with distinct features but plenty of overlap among the disease characteristics. The term "cystic" refers to small lesions in the lung containing air or fluid, called...
Amyloid heart disease, or cardiac amyloidosis, is a condition in which too much of the protein amyloid accumulates in the heart. The deposits of amyloid make it difficult for the heart to function properly. Eventually, amyloid replaces the normal...
Lung cancer is a complex medical condition, which is the result of cells within the lungs developing the ability to grow very quickly and spread to other tissues. How far the cancerous cells have spread is important for determining a patient's...
Hypertensive heart disease is caused by high blood pressure (hypertension) and manifests as coronary artery disease, heart failure, and enlargement of the heart. It is the leading cause of hypertensive illness and death.
The circulatory system consists of the heart and blood vessels that bring blood to the body. Conditions and diseases that affect this body system impede the ability of proper blood flow. Many of these diseases and disorders are prevented by diet...
Pulmonary nodules are small round or oval spots on one or both of the lungs that are less than 3 cm in diameter, according to the University of Colorado Hospital. Though a pulmonary nodule can be a sign of lung cancer, National Jewish Health...
Benign lung nodules are small, noncancerous masses of tissue typically discovered incidentally on a chest X-ray or CT scan. One out of every 500 to 1,000 chest X-rays reveals an unexpected lung nodule. The chance of finding a lung nodule is even...
Although nasopharyngeal cancer is regarded as an oral cancer, it actually forms closer to the nasal passages, in an area called the nasopharynx. This area lies just behind the nose, in the upper part of the throat, and is a tube that connects the...
The prostate is located within the male reproductive system. The size of a walnut---the prostate produces a secretion that makes up semen. Prostate cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in and sometimes around the prostate. Once a man has had...
ABPA refers to allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, a condition in which the immune system exhibits a hypersensitive response to the fungus, Aspergillus. The most common species of Aspergillus that elicits ABPA is fumigatus, which is...
A sternal fracture is a cracked or broken sternum often caused by an injury; the fracture is commonly seen in vehicle accidents when the steering wheel hits the driver's chest. The sternum, or breast bone, is the long vertical bone in the center...
Computed tomography (CT) is a non-invasive procedure that uses x-rays to create images of organs or blood vessels inside the body. The CT scanner machine creates 2-D image "slices" of the body. A computer then combines the 2-D images to create...
Stage IV breast cancer is breast cancer that has spread, or metastasized, to other parts of the body besides the breast and lymph nodes. It is also referred to as metastatic breast cancer.
Congestive heart failure (CHF), which is sometimes shortened to the term heart failure, is a condition that affects 5 million Americans, at a rate of around 550,000 new cases each year, reports Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. Contrary to popular...
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death among both men and women in the United States, according to the Mayo Clinic. Should you begin displaying symptoms, such as coughing up blood, shortness of breath and a chronic cough, undergo testing as...
Bladder cancer can refer to any number of cancerous growths in the urinary bladder. Learn about bladder cancer and treatment options in this video.
Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory medical condition affecting the parenchymal tissue of the lungs. It occurs after long-term, heavy exposure to asbestos. Sufferers have severe shortness of breath and are at an increased risk regarding several...
