According to 2002 statistics provided by the National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, 1 out of every 5,000 to 20,000 people have medullary sponge kidney disease. The outside area of the kidney is called the cortex, while the...
The kidney is a critical organ in your body because it filters your blood of wastes and maintains balanced electrolytes (mineral) levels. Sometimes, your kidney malfunctions because of damage or abnormal structures forming within your kidney....
The breasts undergo periods of tightly regulated growth and development throughout puberty and pregnancy. When cells within the breast become mutated, leading to dysregulation of cell growth, this causes uncontrolled cell proliferation, and breast...
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped organ located in the neck in front of the trachea (wind pipe). According to the Mayo Clinic, the thyroid produces hormones that help regulate the body's temperature, blood pressure, and metabolism. The National...
The thyroid gland is located in the front of the neck and is shaped like a bow tie. Hormones secreted by the thyroid gland regulate heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure and weight. Persistent lumps in the neck, trouble swallowing or...
Inherited and congenital conditions may lead to cyst formation within the kidneys. A cyst is a fluid-filled tissue mass. Cysts often grow as increasing amounts of fluid accumulate within the structure. New cysts may also develop over time....
If you are suspected of having breast cancer, the doctor performs a biopsy. In a laboratory, this biopsy is examined, and the results will determine if you have breast cancer and what type of cancer it is. The main types are invasive and...
FamilyDoctor.org notes that the function of the kidneys -- located in the rear of the abdomen near the spine -- is to remove waste from the blood, which is then excreted in urine. Fluid-filled growths called cysts can develop on the kidneys, often...
You may be craving a certain food for a number of reasons. Cravings could be psychological or physical. Various situations that trigger an emotional response can kick-start a craving you associate with stress relief. To normalize an imbalanced...
Thyroid cancer begins in the thyroid gland. The American Cancer Society reports that there are different types of cells in the thyroid gland, and therefore there are different types of thyroid cancer, each with different stages of cancer progression.
New cases of thyroid cancer were diagnosed in approximately 37,200 people in the United States in 2009, according to the American Cancer Society. The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped gland that produces hormones that help to regulate various...
The thyroid, a small gland located underneath the voice box, regulates the body's metabolism. Several options are available to treat advanced thyroid cancer, which is rare in the United States, reports the American Cancer Society. If the disease...
Breast cancer is a malignant tumor that usually forms in the milk ducts, or in the milk-producing glands of the breast. It is almost exclusively found in women, but men can get breast cancer, too. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death...
Kidney cysts are spherical fluid filled cavities located in the tissues of the kidney. They may be single or multiple. Cysts are extremely common, occurring in over half of all people over age 50 and increasing with age, according to an article...
The thyroid gland housed in the front of your neck below the voice box creates, stores and releases hormones necessary for cellular health and normal daily functions. The thyroid gland is signaled by the pituitary gland, located deep inside your...
Thyroid cancer affects your thyroid -- a butterfly-shaped organ in the center of your neck. Your thyroid plays an important role in your health because it regulates your metabolism. Thyroid cancer affects more than 44,670 people in the United...
Doctors classify cancer that begins in the thyroid into four different types, depending on how the cancer cells look under a microscope. The most common type of thyroid cancer is papillary, which grows and spreads slowly. The second most common...
Breast cancer is classified according to where the cancer originates. The Mayo Clinic explains that breast cancer can start in the ducts of the breast, the milk-producing lobules of the breast or, sometimes, the connective tissue that is in...
A cyst is a closed pouch or pocket of tissue that is filled with air, pus or fluid, states the University of Maryland Medical Center. Cysts can develop in any area of the body, and while some cysts disappear on their own, others may need treatment...
Purplish skin on your neck can be anything from a benign stain to cancer that needs immediate attention. If you have one or more purple areas on your neck or if your newborn baby does it's best to consult a doctor to determine the cause along with...
Calcitonin is a hormone produced by the thyroid gland that is important in regulating the amount of calcium in the blood. The net effect of calcitonin is to decrease the blood level of calcium through effects on the bones and the kidneys. While...
Potassium is an essential mineral that serves several functions in the body from acid-base balance to nervous system activity. The body applies up to 40 percent of its resting energy to mechanisms involving potassium and electrochemical activity...
Impact or blunt trauma to the knee can produce a bruise, technically known as a knee contusion. Although it may sound like a minor injury, some types of bruises cause long-lasting pain and discoloration. Bruises to the bone are the most severe and...
The breast is a complex combination of connective tissue, mammary ducts and the spherical-shaped sacs called lobules that produce milk. The pectoralis muscle is located between the breast and the ribs in the chest wall. Breast cancer, an...
Thyroid cancer is a malignancy that begins in the thyroid, the butterfly-shaped gland in the front of the neck that regulates the body's metabolism. In most patients, doctors surgically remove the entire gland, which is called a thyroidectomy,...
According to the National Cancer Institute, just over 37,000 people were expected to be diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2009. Fortunately, only about 1,600 people die from thyroid cancer since it is usually curable with proper treatment. The...
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. Breast cancer can be placed in two categories: invasive and...
Stress can come in many forms. Stress can be mental, as in preparing to take a test, or trying to figure out how to pay your bills. Stress can also come in physical forms, such as running from a dangerous criminal. Wherever your stress comes from,...
The pH of your blood normally stays between 7.35 and 7.45. If you're healthy, you don't have to worry about how to keep your blood within this narrow range because your kidneys do that automatically. People with renal tubular acidosis aren't as...
