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What is Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) and How is it Measured in Blood Tests?

The number of neutrophils in the blood is absolute neutrophil count (ANC), and measures the percentage of neutrophils in the differential white blood cell count.

18 Aug 2016

Solitary Kidney and High Blood Pressure Monitoring

A solitary kidney refers to the situation when a person has only one kidney or has two kidneys, but only one of them is functional. Although people with a solitary kidney can lead a normal and healthy life, some people with this condition are at a slightly increased risk of losing some kidney function later in life.

18 Aug 2016

Coarctation of the Aorta

Coarctation is the term used to describe a narrowing in the wall of a vessel. Coarctation of the aorta is narrowing of the aorta, the main artery that delivers oxygen-rich blood from the heart, around the body.

18 Aug 2016

How and Why is a Punch Biopsy Done? (Skin)

This article details the punch biopsy procedure, a key diagnostic tool for dermatologists to assess suspicious skin lesions and inflammatory conditions.

18 Aug 2016

Atypical Hyperplasia and Breast Cancer Risk

Hyperplasia is an abnormality in cell growth which results in a greater number of cells forming in the ducts or lobules of the breast, but without other abnormality. Atypia is a term which denotes the presence of significant abnormality in the appearance of the cells or the way they are arranged, as compared to normal cells. Atypia and hyperplasia can occur independent of each other, and are considered reversible, though the exact mechanisms by which they revert to normal are unknown.

18 Aug 2016

Atypical Hyperplasia

Hyperplasia is an abnormal but non-cancerous pattern of cell growth within the ducts or lobes of the breast. A hyperplastic breast shows a higher number of cells and layers in the ducts and lobules than the normal 2 layers of cells on microscopic examination. If the arrangement of the cells in the proliferative region appears more or less similar to the normal cell pattern, it is called usual hyperplasia. If the growth pattern is abnormally disorganized, it is called atypical hyperplasia.

18 Aug 2016

Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) Testing

The glomeruli are tiny tubules that filter blood in the kidneys. Muscles produce a waste product called creatinine, which is removed from blood plasma by the kidneys during this glomerular filtration process. Creatinine is then passed into the urine and not reabsorbed by the glomeruli to any significant degree.

17 Aug 2016

Glomerular Diseases

Each kidney is made up of approximately one million glomeruli. These filter nitrogenous wastes (like urea and creatinine) from the blood, passing through the tuft of capillaries that make up a glomerulus, along with excess water. This water passes into a collecting tubule and eventually becomes urine.

17 Aug 2016

Glomerular Injury

Glomeruli are at the heart of renal function, and yet are only part of an intact nephron. They are of irreplaceable value in maintaining homeostasis.

17 Aug 2016

Diagnosis and Treatment of Acquired Cystic Kidney Disease

Acquired cystic kidney disease represents a condition where fluid-filled sacs (also known as renal cysts) develop in the kidney. These cysts tend to develop in the cortex and medulla regions of the kidneys, which are areas that are particularly active in the filtration of the blood.

17 Aug 2016

Symptoms and Causes of Acquired Cystic Kidney Disease

Acquired cystic kidney disease is a form of kidney disease that develops in later stages of chronic kidney disease and most commonly after a patient has started to undergo dialysis to clean the blood.

17 Aug 2016

Renal Disease and Skin Problems

Renal disease can often trigger various skin conditions, and many medical and environmental factors will determine exactly what the patient experiences in these circumstances. Some skin conditions are associated with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and uremia, while others are linked to organ transplants.

17 Aug 2016

Acquired Cystic Kidney Disease

Acquired cystic kidney disease is a form of kidney disease where cysts develop in patients who have had chronic kidney disease for a number of years, or patients who have reached end-stage kidney disease - the stage at which kidneys are permanently unable to work. The disease is not genetic.

17 Aug 2016

Tubulointerstitial Nephropathy

Tubulointerstitial nephritis is a form of kidney inflammation that affects the microscopic kidney tubules and the interstitial tissue in between them. The result is renal impairment.

17 Aug 2016

Renal Artery Stenosis

The term renal artery stenosis (RAS) applies to a cluster of disease conditions with varying etiologies. The most prominent among them are fibromuscular dysplasia and atherosclerotic RAS (ARAS). Renal artery stenosis is a variant of peripheral arterial disease and ARAS accounts for 90% of all cases.

17 Aug 2016

Biliary Atresia and Kasai Procedure

Biliary atresia (BA) is a condition characterized by a discontinuity or obliteration of the extrahepatic or biliary system that results in bile flow obstruction. It is a rare disorder in newborn infants that requires early intervention, surgically, to prevent irreparable damage to the liver if left untreated. BA may be diagnosed by blood tests, abdominal X rays, ultrasound, and liver biopsies. It is treated surgically with the Kasai procedure or by a liver transplant.

17 Aug 2016

Types of Skin Biopsy

Skin biopsies are procedures done to investigate cutaneous growths or lesions. Many skin pathologies can be diagnosed by direct observation and palpation. However, there are others that require diagnostic procedures involving microscopic and histopathological examinations.

17 Aug 2016