What is gastric outlet obstruction?

Gastric outlet obstruction (GOO) is a condition where the opening between the stomach and small intestine is blocked either partially or completely. This portion of the stomach where the blockage is located is known as the pylorus, hence the alternative term for gastric outlet obstruction – pyloric obstruction. It is not a disease but rather a consequence of some underlying disease involving the stomach and more specifically the pylorus of the stomach.

continue reading Gastric Outlet Obstruction (Blocked Stomach Opening)

What is trigonitis?

Trigonitis is a condition where the the cells lining the lower part of the bladder undergo changes into a different cell type. The affected part of the bladder is known as the trigone, hence the term trigonitis. There is often confusion about trigonitis since the term -itis usually indicates inflammation. While there may have been some inflammation, the condition trigonitis specifically focuses on the changes in the normal cells lining the bladder. The concept of cells undergoing abnormal changes raises the question about cancer. However, the cellular changes in trigonitis is benign (non-cancerous) and does not have any potential to become malignant (cancerous). Trigonitis mainly occurs in women of childbearing age. It occurs in a minority of men and is almost never seen in children.

continue reading Trigonitis (Trigone of the Urinary Bladder Cell Changes)

What is cheilitis glandularis?

Cheilitis glandularis is an abnormal enlargement and protrusion of the lower lip with the loss of the clear demarcation between the lip surface and the surrounding skin. The delicate lining of the inner lip becomes exposed to the environment gradually damaging it and sometimes leading to infections. Cheilitis glandularis is rare and poorly understood. It should not be mistaken with other lower lips disorders often caused by biting, excessive licking, sun damage to the lip and abnormal drying of the lip.

The term cheilitis glandularis is used to describe changes in the lip rather than being a diagnosis on its own. The exact reason for these changes is unclear although it is believed to revolve around dysfunction of the minor salivary glands on the lip. Even microscopic examination of the lip tissue may show different changes among patients and the minor salivary glands may be completely normal in some instances. Despite the condition being vague in terms of the underlying disease process, causes and even responsiveness to treatment, it is needs to be attended to as it will continue to worsen over time and even increase the chances of squamous cell carcinoma (cancer) of the lip in some cases.

continue reading Cheilitis Glandularis (Lip Gland Swelling)

What is dementia?

Dementia is a condition where the mental processes are impaired to the point that it affects normal activities of daily life. Other features for that need to be considered in the definition of dementia is :

• lasting for six months or longer,
• not present since birth, and
• not associated with a loss of consciousness.

It is often that dementia is simply a matter of memory loss but the condition extends beyond poor memory, and the decision making and reasoning processes are also affected. Dementia is not a single disease but rather a syndrome. Even though it is common in the elderly, the associated features of dementia are not a normal part of the aging process and it is more serious than forgetfulness in the senior years. Dementia is largely irreversible. It gets worse with age and the quality of life gradually deteriorates.

continue reading Dementia (Mental Deterioration)

What is subacute thyroiditis?

Subacute thyroiditis is a condition where the thyroid gland is inflamed for short periods of time leading to overactivity, then underactivity and eventually returning to a normal state. The condition responds spontaneously meaning that it heals on its own although medication may be used to limit the severity of the diseases and control the symptoms. There are three main types of subacute thyroiditis which are either caused by a virus or by the immune system attacking the thyroid gland (autoimmune). In a minority of cases there may be permanent damage to the thyroid gland leading to lifelong underactivity of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism). However, the term subacute means that the thyroid dysfunction lasts for months or even a year but almost always returns to normal on its own. It is therefore not chronic.

continue reading Subacute Thyroiditis (Temporary Thyroid Dysfunction)