What is urticaria? Urticaria, commonly known as hives, is a condition where there is red, itchy swellings on the skin (wheals or welts) that appears and disappears often for no known reason. It can appear with large swelling just under the skin which is known as angioedema. Sometimes the swelling is of the airways and can >> 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 Lyme disease? Lyme disease refers to the body’s immune response to the bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. These bacteria are transmitted to humans through bites of the Ixodes ticks. This black-legged tick or deer tick is the main vector of Lyme disease. This tick-borne disease is common in >> Read More ...
What is an ankle sprain? Ankle sprain results from twisting of the foot and causes pain and swelling. While painful, ankle sprain is not debilitating. People with an ankle sprain can walk on the foot, although carefully and with pain. Ankle sprain may result from taking part in sports and physical fitness activities, and >> Read More ...
What is hairy cell leukemia? Hairy cell leukemia (abbreviated as HCL) is a rare cancer of the blood and bone marrow. In this form of cancer, certain types of white blood cells, called B-lymphocyte cells, are affected. Hairy cell leukemia is characterized by the uninhibited growth of these B-lymphocytes and low numbers of >> Read More ...
What is piriformis syndrome? Piriformis syndrome is a rare condition characterized by pain, instability, tingling and numbness in the lower back, buttocks, lower thighs and the calves. It arises due to the irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve by the piriformis muscle during running or sitting. The longest and >> Read More ...
What is neurogenic pulmonary edema? Neurogenic pulmonary edema is a condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs after an injury to the brain, spinal cord and surrounding structures of the central nervous system. It can lead to serious and life threatening complications, and may even increase the risk of pulmonary >> Read More ...
What is knee osteonecrosis? Knee osteonecrosis (osteo = bone, necrosis = death) refers to the condition, in which knee pain results from death of a segment of bone. In knee osteonecrosis, the otherwise normal bone circulation in the knee region is impaired the diminished blood supply causes the bone tissue to die. The >> Read More ...
What is a periapical abscess? A dental abscess is a broad term used to describe an abscess in the tooth and structures around it. A periapical abscess is an inflammatory reaction with the accumulation of pus at the root of an infected tooth. It can lead to death of the central region of the tooth known as the dental pulp. >> Read More ...
What is balantidiasis? Balantidiasis refers to the protozoal infection of the large intestine, caused by Balantidium coli. Pigs may be the primary reservoir of this ciliated protozoan, which can also infect humans and infest the colon. B. coli transmits through the fecal-oral route and humans can acquire balantidiasis by >> Read More ...
