The human skin and its appendages like the hair follicles, nails and different glands make up the integumentary system. These structures work in conjunction with each other to perform a variety of functions that is broadly attributed to the skin. However, without the different appendages, the skin would not be as resilient >> Read More ...
What is a Freckle? Freckles are hyperpigmented spots on the skin, especially on the face, that is more common among lightly pigmented individuals. A freckle, also known as an ephelis, is usually small with a diameter of 1 millimeter or more but not exceeding 5 millimeters (macules). These spots are flat, with several >> Read More ...
The human skin and its related structures are known as the integumentary system. It is the largest organ in the body measuring 2 square meters in the average adult. Being the outermost structure, it is often the focus of much attention with a poor understanding of its anatomy and physiology. It can be considered as the >> Read More ...
Colitis is the medical term for inflammation of the colon and may include the first part of the large intestine known as the cecum. The colon plays an important role in the uptake of water from the intestinal contents, storage, processing and evacuation of waste matter and the absorption of vitamin K created by colonic >> Read More ...
Bowel perforation is the opening of the wall of the small or large intestine thereby allowing the intestinal contents to spill into the peritoneal cavity. This can occur anywhere in the gastrointestinal tract, however, the intestines which compromise the majority of the length of the gut are more likely to be affected, >> Read More ...
What is an enlarged aorta? An aortic aneurysm is the abnormal enlargement of a portion of the aorta. It arises when a segment of the vessel wall is weakened due to any number of factors and this causes a bulging. This can be a balloon-like bulge known as a saccular aneurysm or a widening of an entire segment of the aorta >> Read More ...
What is the aorta? The aorta is the artery that carries oxygen-rich blood out of the left ventricle of the heart. As the largest artery in the body, it has many branches which helps to distribute the oxygenated blood to organs and tissues. Typically the aorta starts from the top of the heart (ascending aorta), curves (arch >> Read More ...
What is Angiodysplasia? Angiodysplasia is the term for enlarged blood vessels in the wall of the gut. It is most likely to occur in the cecum of the colon, the first part of the large intestine that leads from the small intestine. Angiodysplasia is an uncommon condition, occurring mainly in the elderly but is one of the >> Read More ...
The term diarrhea which indicates the passing of more than 200g or 200ml of stool usually in more than three bowel movements within a 24 hours does not account for every change in bowel habit. With diarrhea, the stool is either watery or of a loose consistency and often accompanied by other symptoms like urgency to >> Read More ...
