The field of medical imaging has made great strides with advances in technology. Scans are vital in identifying certain disease processes and abnormalities in a quick and noninvasive manner. The first magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scan was...
According to "Conn's Current Therapy 2010," acute tubular necrosis can result due to the effects of computed tomography, or CT, contrast material. Acute tubular necrosis is a condition where the kidneys begin to fail at a rapid rate and the urine...
Liver disease can result from many different causes, including alcohol abuse, hepatitis C virus infection, diabetes or obesity. The liver performs the vital function of removing toxins from the blood. Damage to the liver can reduce the ability of...
People are exposed to several forms of radiation every day, including ultraviolet radiation from the sun and radiation from cell phone towers. Upon exposure to high levels of radiation, energy absorbed by the cells of the body can lead to cellular...
A summary of a report from the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRPM) published in 2002 states that ultrasound radiation produces both thermal and mechanical effects in living tissue. While ultrasound imaging is...
According to the experts at the Mayo Clinic, the causes of headaches are not clear to medical science yet. One of the reasons that is suspected to be a cause of headaches is rises in blood pressure. Any type of exercises, including neck exercises...
According to Stanford University Hospital and Clinics, computerized axial tomography, or CAT, scan machines combine special sophisticated X-ray equipment with computer technology to produce multiple cross-sectional images. Unlike a single X-ray,...
Breast biopsies serve as an important diagnostic tool in characterizing breast lumps. Although doctors can determine the size, shape and some other characteristics of a breast lump using medical imaging, such as a mammogram, these technologies do...
Iodine is a natural occurring element that the body uses to make thyroid hormones. It is used as a disinfectant and as part of contrast dyes for medical imaging. Potassium Iodide, a related chemical is approved by the Food and Drug Administration...
Claustrophobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by an irrational fear of enclosed or small spaces, says the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders. A claustrophobic patient does not fear being in closed spaces, but the negative...
Pain in the groin after working out strenuously can be due to a number of injuries to structures of the lower abdomen and pelvis. You may have strained a muscle tendon or ligament that passes through the pelvis. You may also be developing a...
The liver is located in the upper right-hand portion of the abdominal cavity. It is a large triangle shaped organ that regulates most chemicals in the blood and excretes bile, which helps carry away waste products from the liver. There are several...
Bipolar disorder causes intense mood swings that cause the person to move from deep depression into mania. Bipolar disorder causes both structural and functional abnormalities in the brain. Neuro-imaging tools such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging...
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...
Jaundice is a condition that causes the skin and eyes to become discolored, turning a noticeable shade of yellow. While many people correlate jaundice with newborns, it can also occur in adults. Jaundice is a result of excess bilirubin in the...
Plaque is a colorless film of bacteria that adheres to the teeth. Bacteria are constantly forming in our mouths and are caused by many ingredients in our diet, as well as by the emission of our saliva. The bad breath we often experience in the...
Your dentist is likely to be the first medical professional to spot signs that you may have a case of oral cancer. This happens most often when the cancer is confined to your lip, mouth, tongue or salivary glands. Your dentist may find symptoms of...
Hydrogen, which is represented by the letter H on the periodic table, is a non-metallic element. It is scientifically known to be the lightest of all the elements. Hydrogen is one of water's major components, and in its various derivatives and...
Itchy skin can be a sign of hundreds of conditions, each with different causes and treatments. In many cases, scratching these itches aggravates the situation further and may cause complications.
Angiography is a diagnostic medical imaging technique that uses a special contrast material and X-rays to see how the blood flows through major organs, such as the heart and brain. In CO2 angiography, instead of using a radio-opaque dye, carbon...
Ductile breast cancer develops within the breast ducts, which are the glandular tubes connecting the nipple to the milk-producing lobules of the breast. It is the most prevalent type of breast cancer, with around 20 percent of new breast cancer...
Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, is a medical imaging technique that allows doctors to create pictures of the human body from any angle and direction. Doctors perform the procedure in a safe, noninvasive way by applying strong magnetic fields...
The National Cancer Institute reports that breast cancer will kill an estimated 39,840 women and 390 men, and lead to more than 200,000 new cancer diagnoses in the United States in 2010. Women with breast cancer develop a lump in their breast, but...
The subscapularis muscle belongs to a group of muscles and tendons in the shoulder area called the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff muscles help to lift and rotate the arm and stabilize the shoulder socket joint. All four muscles attach to the...
A muscle pull, also referred to as a muscle strain, occurs when a muscle is stretched beyond its limits. The result is an injury where some of the tissue within a muscle actually tears. This can cause mild or moderate pain, needing only self-care...
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...
Breast cancer develops from the ducts or lobules that make up the breast glandular tissue or within the nipple. Breast lumps, whether benign or cancerous, may be detected during a physical self-examination, clinical exam or a mammogram. Following...
A dosimeter is a device used to detect the levels of exposure to ionizing radiation. Dosimeters range from large laboratory devices to small personal dosimeters worn on the body. Dosimeters are frequently used in environments where exposure to...
Gadolinium-based contrast material used in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, causes nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in patients with kidney disease. Patients with kidney failure have a greater risk. According to the U.S. Food and...
