Dr. Choi of Canada.com notes there are two types of cholesterol spots in eyes. The most common type is called xanthoma; they are soft, yellow bumps visible on the eyelids and are not harmful. The second type of cholesterol found in the eye is...
The adrenal glands are small, yellow, crescent-shaped glands that are attached to the superior parts of both kidneys, states the University of Michigan Health System. The adrenal glands produce a variety of hormones that are essential for many...
A deep-vein thrombosis, or DVT, is an abnormal blood clot that blocks blood flow in a large vein. DVTs in the arm cause pain, swelling, discoloration and occasionally weakness. Clot fragments can break off and travel to the lungs, causing...
Cerebral ischemia is a condition signified by reduced blood flow to a particular part of the brain. Without the oxygen and other nutrients brought by the blood, the brain begins to undergo gradual, but permanent cell death. The condition causes...
Open heart surgery is any kind of operation in which the heart is exposed through an incision in the chest. The most common open heart surgery in the United States is coronary artery bypass grafting, or CABG. One of the most serious complications...
According to Spine Universe, balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure used to treat vertebral compression fractures. During the procedure, a balloon is inserted into the fractured vertebrae and slowly inflated to return the fractured...
Uterine fibroids are growths that occur in the walls of the uterus. Pedunculated fibroids are connected to the walls of the uterus via a thin stalk of tissue. These fibroids can become twisted, leading to severe pain and heavy bleeding. There are...
A patient at risk for recurrent blood clots may be placed on oral warfarin, also known by the brand name Coumadin. Patients with mechanical heart valves also will need to take life-long warfarin. This drug is effective in preventing blood clots...
Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome is an autoimmune disease. The antibodies of people with this disorder attack their own system. People develop recurring blood clots and may have cardiovascular attacks, pulmonary emboli, deep vein thrombosis and...
Those with heart disease, particularly conditions that can cause what's known as atrial fibrillation, are at a greatly increased risk for an embolus formation. An embolus is a blood clot that forms somewhere in a blood vessel and is known as a...
Though usually considered an adult disease, strokes do strike children. While there are many causes of pediatric stroke, they all result in brain damage due either to bleeding or blockage of the blood vessels. Bleeding strokes are known as...
Estradiol, a synthetic form of the female hormone estrogen, is used to treat such menopausal symptoms as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, burning or irritation. According to Drugs.com, estradiol can also treat hypogonadism (a condition in which your...
Cardiac dilatation, or dilated cardiomyopathy, is a condition in which the chambers of the hearts are enlarged, the heart muscle is thin and weak, and the muscle fibers are often in disarray. According to The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library,...
There are several important medical conditions associated with the spleen. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, the spleen is part of the lymphatic system, which wards off infection and balances...
A popliteal artery aneurysm (PAA) is a dilation of the popliteal artery that runs behind the knee. An aneurysm anywhere in the body can be dangerous, explains the University of Chicago Medical Center, as it causes a bulging and weakened area in...
The large and small blood vessels of the body are responsible for the circulation of blood, oxygen and nutrients to the brain and tissues of the body. Diseases of the small blood vessels in the brain results in a eduction in the flow of blood to...
Pulmonary embolism is a common disease and in some cases is life threatening. Emboli are usually blood clots that begin in the deep leg veins. Some blood clots break off the wall of veins and quickly lodge in the lung vessels. Once the emboli are...
Colon cancer involves a common type of malignancy that contributes to thousands of cancer-related deaths every year in the U.S. Colon cancer begins in the colon, the part of the large intestine extending from the cecum to the rectum, and can...
Approximately one in five hip fracture patients dies within the first year after injury, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Potential complications of a hip fracture--a break in the upper part of the thighbone--are...
Warfarin is a blood-thinning medication that is used to prevent blood clot formations in your heart, legs, lungs, arteries and veins. In the unfortunate occurrence of a blood clot formation, a heart attack, stroke or pulmonary embolism (condition...
Learn to recognize some of the most common symptoms of an arterial embolism--the dangerous interruption of blood flow to an area of your body due to a blood clot--so you can be treated quickly. Embolisms can appear in your arms, legs, lungs, brain...
Cellulitis describes a bacterial infection that occurs in the deeper portions of the skin. The first step in diagnosing cellulitis is an examination from a dermatologist or a specialist in infectious diseases. The physician then looks for the...
According to the Mayo Clinic, a stroke is the interruption of blood and oxygen to a part of the brain causing cell death. An embolic stroke occurs when a blood clot or other debris forms in a blood vessel away from your brain, travels through the...
Small vessel disease or a small vessel stroke is also called a lacunar infarction. The National Stroke Association notes that it occurs when the flow of blood in a small arterial vessel leading to or in the brain is blocked. Small vessel strokes...
Culture-negative endocarditis, which is an inflammation or infection of the lining of the heart, can cause a number of cardiopulmonary conditions that can cause congestive heart failure if not properly monitored by a physician. Common...
Culture-negative endocarditis is an infection or inflammation of the lining of the heart. If left untreated, this condition can lead to cardiac arrest, congestive heart failure and death. Treating culture-negative endocarditis can be relatively...
Cholesterol is usually divided into two categories: low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which is the "bad" cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which is considered to be "good." Cholesterol levels have a variety of effects on the heart and...
Hypotension is word that describes low blood pressure. In general, blood pressure reflects both the heart's ability to pump blood and the amount of fluid in the patient. A fast heart rate is the body's way of trying to distribute oxygen and...
Tamoxifen, an oral medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration, has been used for over thirty years, according to the National Cancer Institute to treat breast cancer in both women and men. This drug is known as a selective estrogen...
