Health Corner: January 2007

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Retina

The retina is a thin layer of neural cells that lines the back of the eyeball of vertebrates and some cephalopods. In vertebrate embryonic development, the retina and the optic nerve originate as outgrowths of the developing brain. Hence, the retina is part of the central nervous system (CNS). It is the only part of the CNS that can be imaged directly.
The vertebrate retina contains photoreceptor cells (rods and cones) that respond to light; the resulting neural signals then undergo complex processing by other neurons of the retina. The retinal output takes the form of action potentials in retinal ganglion cells whose axons form the optic nerve. Several important features of visual perception can be traced to the retinal encoding and processing of light.
The unique structure of the blood vessels in the retina has been used for biometric identification.

What Is Thyroid Surgery?

Thyroid surgery is an operation to remove part or all of the thyroid gland. It is performed in the hospital, and general anesthesia is usually required. Usually the operation removes the lobe of the thyroid gland containing the lump and possibly the isthmus. A frozen section (an immediate microscopic reading) may or may not be used to determine if the rest of the thyroid gland should be removed. Sometimes, based on the result of the frozen section, the surgeon may decide to stop and remove no more thyroid tissue, or proceed to remove the entire thyroid gland, and/or other tissue in the neck. This is a decision usually made in the operating room by the surgeon, based on findings at the time of surgery. Your surgeon will discuss these options with you preoperatively.

After surgery, you may have a drain (a tiny piece of plastic tubing), which prevents fluid from building up in the wound. This is removed after the fluid accumulation is minimal. Most patients are discharged one to three days after surgery. Complications after thyroid surgery are rare. They include bleeding, a hoarse voice, difficulty swallowing, numbness of the skin on the neck, and low blood calcium. Most complications go away after a few weeks. Patients who have all of their thyroid gland removed have a higher risk of low blood calcium post-operatively.

Patients who have thyroid surgery may be required to take thyroid medication to replace thyroid hormones after surgery. Some patients may need to take calcium replacement if their blood calcium is low. This will depend on how much thyroid gland remains, and what was found during surgery. If you have any questions about thyroid surgery, ask your doctor and he or she will answer them in detail.

Simran masala video song .jpeg and .avi video format

jpeg format

http://www.scipym.com/p43649-simran.html

.AVI VIDEO FORMAT

DOWNLOAD VIDEO

Charmi Masala dance .avi video format

.jpeg format

http://www.scipym.com/p43643-charmi.html

http://www.scipym.com/p43644-charmi.html

http://www.scipym.com/p43645-charmi.html

http://www.scipym.com/p43646-charmi.html

http://www.scipym.com/p43647-charmi.html

http://www.scipym.com/p43648-charmi.html

.AVI VIDEO FORMAT

DOWNLOAD VIDEO

Monday, January 29, 2007

HYPERTHYROIDISM (Overactive Thyroid)

The most common cause of hyperthyroidism is Graves' disease. This occurs when the body's immune system overstimulates the thyroid.

Common symptoms of hyperthyroidism are:

1. Jitteriness, shaking, increased nervousness, irritability

2. Rapid heart beat or palpitations

3. Feeling hot

4. Weight loss

5. Fatigue, feeling exhausted

6. More frequent bowel movements

7. Shorter or lighter menstrual periods

In addition to symptoms of hyperthyroidism, some patients with Graves' disease develop eye symptoms such as a stare, eye irritation, bulging of the eyes and, occasionally, double vision or loss of vision. Involvement of the eyes is called Graves' Ophthalmopathy.

DIAGNOSIS is straightforward if suspected. However, patients are sometimes evaluated for other conditions, such as cancer or heart problems, if the doctor doesn't think of hyperthyroidism. The diagnosis is best made by finding an elevated level of Free T4 and low level of TSH in the blood. A thyroid scan should then be performed to determine whether the hyperthyroidism is due to Graves' disease or another condition such as toxic multinodular goiter, hot nodule, subacute thyroiditis, or silent thyroiditis. There are other, rare, cases of hyperthyroidism that usually require the expertise of an endocrinologist for diagnosis.

Several methods of TREATMENT are available for hyperthyroidism. The most popular method is radioactive iodine.Because the thyroid is the only organ in the body that takes up and uses iodine, when a dose of radioactive iodine is given the radiation enters the thyroid and destroys part of it. The main side effect is the development of an underactive thyroid which is treated as discussed above. Medications can also be used for treatment. These drugs slow down the working of thyroid and restore normal levels. However, they usually need to be taken for 6-12 months and 60-80% of patients have a relapse when they stop taking them. These drugs are associated with serious side effects in a small percentage of patients taking them. Surgical removal of part of the thyroid is occasionally used as a treatment. Consultation with a thyroid specialist is highly recommended to determine which treatment is best for you!

THYROID NODULES(Lumps)

Thyroid nodules are fairly common and usually harmless. However, about 4% of nodules are cancerous, so further testing needs to be done. This is usually best accomplished by fine needle aspiration biopsy. This is a quick and simple test that takes just a few minutes to perform in the doctor's office. If the biopsy does not raise any suspicion of cancer, the nodule is usually observed. Some thyroid specialists recommend treatment with thyroid hormone to try to decrease the size of the nodule. A second biopsy is usually recommended 6-12 months later, to make sure there continues to be no evidence of cancer. If a nodule is cancerous, suspicious for cancer, or grows large enough to interfere with swallowing or breathing, surgical removal is advised.

Ankitha hot video .avi video format

JPEG FORMAT

http://www.scipym.com/p43315-ankitha.html

http://www.scipym.com/p43316-ankitha.html

.AVI VIDEO FORMAT

DOWNLOAD VIDEO

Ramya krishna hot swim suit video .jpeg format

JPEG FORMAT

http://www.scipym.com/p43311-ramya_krishna.html

http://www.scipym.com/p43312-ramya_krishna.html

http://www.scipym.com/p43313-ramya_krsihna.html

http://www.scipym.com/p43314-ramya_krishna.html

.AVI VIDEO FORMAT

DOWNLOAD VIDEO

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Power of Vegetables

If you have always advocated beetroots and carrots to your children, it is rewarding to know how nutritious these salads are. Not only are they full of vitamins and minerals, but they also do not add to the body fat.

ASPARAGUS

This is the perfect vegetable to eat if you suffer from bouts of water retention. Asparagus is loaded with vitamin A, C, K, B complex, potassium, iron and a few minerals. It also facilitates normal clotting of human blood and is an excellent source of plant protein.

BEETROOT

Beetroot is a powerful blood and kidney cleanser and works like magic on the digestive system. It is filled with natural sugars and complex carbohydrates, but most importantly it contains a few minerals and manganese, iron and potassium. It also contains amino acids like phenylalanine, lysine and valine. But do avoid raw beets as the oxalates can combine with calcium to form kidney stones.

BROCCOLI

If your immunities are weak, broccoli provides protection to the respiratory as well as the gastrointestinal tract. But it is best utilized when combined with some other juice. You can get the goodness of both fresh oranges and milk from the unique broccoli, as it is rich in vitamin C as well as calcium. It also has a high content of vitamins A, E, K as well as important minerals like selenium and potassium. Although it has high protein, it does not have enough amino acids. Therefore it goes well with bean sprouts.

CABBAGE

This vegetable is perfect for restoring energy and vitality. It has an amazing effect on the lower intestinal tract. It can help protect the immune system against environmental damage caused by cigarette smoke and chemicals. But be careful, as too much of it will cause gas problems. The humble cabbage is full of vitamin A, C and K, calcium, potassium and organic sulphur. It also contains a group of chemicals called goitorgens that cause enlargement of the thyroid gland. So avoid having it in large quantities.

CARROTS

Carrot juice is the most amazing natural liver cleanser. It also protects the respiratory tract, larynx and esophagus from environmental damage. It has high vitamin A content, which prevents night-blindness in people. Carrot also contains B complex as well as vitamin C, iodine, potassium, manganese and amino acids like arginine, valine, tryptophane and hisidine.

CUCUMBER

A beautician's secret, cucumber is excellent for facial skin. It also promotes the growth of healthy hair and nails. And of course, we all know the wonders that it performs on baggy eyes and dark circles. It contains vitamins like B and C, and minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus.

LETTUCE

Lettuce is a very good tranquillizer for excitable adults and hyperactive children. It contains a good amount of Vitamins A, C, K and minerals like calcium, potassium, iron and iodine. It is also a source of protein.

SPINACH

Spinach is rich in Vitamin C, A and B complex. It is also abundant in minerals like phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, calcium, iron and protein. But because of the presence of oxalic acid in spinach, it should be eaten with other sources of protein. Spinach also stimulates the liver and also has a laxative effect. But as the oxalates combine with calcium to form kidney stones, it is not advisable to have it in excessive amounts.

TOMATO

Freshly squeezed tomato juice is an excellent liver tonic. It cleans out all the toxins in your system making you feel light and fresh. It is also a source of vitamin C and minerals such as potassium and calcium. But always remember to have fresh tomato slices or juice, as preserved tomato loses its nutrition value.

Priyanka Chopra .jpeg video format

JPEG FORMAT

http://www.scipym.com/p43108-priyanka.html

http://www.scipym.com/p43109-priyanka.html

http://www.scipym.com/p43110-priyanka.html

.AVI VIDEO FORMAT

DOWNLOAD VIDEO

Celina jetly video .jpeg format

JPEG FORMAT

http://www.scipym.com/p43104-celina.html

http://www.scipym.com/p43105-celina.html

http://www.scipym.com/p43106-celina.html

http://www.scipym.com/p43107-celina.html

.AVI VIDEO FORMAT

DOWNLOAD VIDEO

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Traditional Home Remedies

Doctors at home

When one thinks of traditional home remedies one gets a cosy feeling associated with wise grandmothers and simple, natural ingredients like turmeric, ginger, pepper, and honey. Members of the older generation in India relied heavily on Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine, as they were not convinced of the efficacy and safety of modern allopathic treatments. It was largely due to their experience and knowledge of the medicinal properties of various herbs that they were able to treat common diseases like diarrhoea, gripes, cough, cold, fever, etc. Even today, it is quite common for parents to try to treat common illnesses at home by these methods rather than rush to the doctor at the first sneeze.

It is well known that the immune systems of babies below the age of one year are immature. Hence, they are very susceptible to falling sick with slight changes in weather, diet, etc. It is for this reason that most Indian households stock up on medicinal herbs to tackle common situations such as gripes in the middle of the night or a sudden rise in body temperature.

The First Step: Diagnosing the Problem

According to Indian tradition, whenever an infant cries abnormally for a long period of time, the first step should be to change his clothes and make him wear loose, comfortable, fresh clothing. It is advisable to avoid synthetic clothing as this affects the baby's sensitive skin and may cause itching and a rash. If the baby continues crying, lightly press the baby's stomach, ears and back. The baby will react immediately if it is experiencing pain in any of these areas.

Stomach ailments

If a baby (less than nine months of age) has a pain in the stomach, the recommended remedy is to crush 10 to 15 grains of dill seed in a teaspoonful of water. This extract should be mixed with a few drops of mother's milk and administered to the baby.

Another common stomach ailment is constipation. Everyone is aware how uncomfortable it is to be constipated. One loses one's appetite, feels that one's stomach is distended and dreads the next trip to the bathroom. If adults find constipation so discomfiting, one can only imagine what a baby must feel. Tradition has a cure for this too. Administer a few drops of castor oil mixed with a teaspoonful of mother's milk or lukewarm water. The dose of castor oil should be adjusted according to the age of the baby and the severity of the constipation. This once-a-day dose should be terminated once normal bowel movement has been restored.

Cold

Having a cold can be quite a nuisance, but for a baby it is particularly uncomfortable. There is a traditional method to alleviate the baby's discomfort. If the baby is less than six months old, take 4-5 nagarvel paans and place them on a sieve. Place the sieve on a cooking pan over a fire. 1 paan should be placed in the centre of the sieve to allow it to get moderately hot. These warm paans are then placed on the baby's chest one after another. However, make sure that the paans are not so hot that they burn the baby's skin. This procedure should be continued for about five minutes by re-heating the cooled paans.

In the case of babies over six months of age, one can use balls of soft cotton cloth in place of the paans. The balls of cloth should be heated on an indirect fire. The moderately warm balls of cloth should then be pressed gently against the baby's chest and back. Here again, make sure that the balls of cloth are at a temperature that will not affect the baby's tender skin. If it is not possible to heat the balls of cloth on an indirect fire, one can heat a piece of soft cotton cloth using a hot iron and then roll it into a ball.

Nandita South indian Acctress .jpeg forma and mpg format

JPEG FORMAT

http://www.scipym.com/p42936-mallu.html

http://www.scipym.com/p42937-mallu.html

.MPG VIDEO FORMAT

DOWNLOAD VIDEO

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Thyroid Cancer

There are about 20,000 new cases of thyroid cancer each year in the United States. Females are more likely to have thyroid cancer at a ratio of three to one. Thyroid cancer can occur in any age group, although it is most common after age 30 and its aggressiveness increases significantly in older patients. The majority of patients present with a nodule on their thyroid which typically does not cause symptoms. Remember, over 99% of thyroid nodules are not cancer! But, when a thyroid cancer does begin to grow within a thyroid gland, it almost always does so within a discrete nodule within the thyroid.

Symptoms of thyroid cancer: Occasionally, symptoms such as hoarseness, neck pain, and enlarged lymph nodes do occur in people with thyroid cancer.. Although as much as 75 % of the population will have thyroid nodules, the vast majority are benign. That's right, most of us have nodule in our thyroid glands! Young people usually don't have thyroid nodules, but as we get older, more and more of us will develop a nodule. By the time we are 80, 90% of us will have at least one nodule. Far less than 1% of all thyroid nodules are malignant. A nodule which is cold on scan (shown in photo outlined in red and yellow) is more likely to be malignant, nevertheless, the majority of these are benign as well.

Hypothyroidism

Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone. Since the main purpose of thyroid hormone is to "run the body's metabolism", it is understandable that people with this condition will have symptoms associated with a slow metabolism. Over five million Americans have this common medical condition. In fact, as many as ten percent of women may have some degree of thyroid hormone deficiency. Hypothyroidism is more common than you would believe...and, millions of people are currently hypothyroid and don't know it!

There are two fairly common causes of hypothyroidism. The first is a result of previous (or currently ongoing) inflammation of the thyroid gland which leaves a large percentage of the cells of the thyroid damaged (or dead) and incapable of producing sufficient hormone. The most common cause of thyroid gland failure is called autoimmune thyroiditis (also called Hashimoto's thyroiditis), a form of thyroid inflammation caused by the patient's own immune system. The second major cause is the broad category of "medical treatments". As noted on a number of our other pages, the treatment of many thyroid conditions warrants surgical removal of a portion or all of the thyroid gland. If the total mass of thyroid producing cells left within the body are not enough to meet the needs of the body, the patient will develop hypothyroidism. Remember, this is often the goal of the surgery as seen in surgery for thyroid cancer. But at other times, the surgery will be to remove a worrisome nodule, leaving half of the thyroid in the neck undisturbed. Sometimes (often), this remaining thyroid lobe and isthmus will produce enough hormone to meet the demands of the body. For other patients, however, it may become apparent years later that the remaining thyroid just can't quite keep up with demand. Similarly, goiters and some other thyroid conditions can be treated with radioactive iodine therapy. The aim of the radioactive iodine therapy (for benign conditions) is to kill a portion of the thyroid to [1] prevent goiters from growing larger, or [2] producing too much hormone (hyperthyroidism). Occasionally, (often?) the result of radioactive iodine treatment will be that too many cells are damaged so the patient often becomes hypothyroid a year or two later. This is O.K. and usually greatly preferred over the original problem. There are several other rare causes of hypothyroidism, one of them being a completely "normal" thyroid gland which is not making enough hormone because of a problem in the pituitary gland. If the pituitary does not produce enough Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) then the thyroid simply does not have the "signal" to make hormone, so it doesn't.

Symptoms of Hypothyroidism

FatigueWeakness

Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weightCoarse,

dry hair Dry,

rough pale skin

Hair loss Cold intolerance (can't tolerate the cold like those around you)

Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches

ConstipationDepression

IrritabilityMemory loss

Abnormal menstrual cycles

Decreased libido

Each individual patient will have any number of these symptoms which will vary with the severity of the thyroid hormone deficiency and the length of time the body has been deprived of the proper amount of hormone. Some patients will have one of these symptoms as their main complaint, while another will not have that problem at all and will be suffering from a different symptom. Most will have a combination of a number of these symptoms. Occasionally, some patients with hypothyroidism have no symptoms at all, or they are just so subtle that they go unnoticed. Note: Although this may sound obvious, if you have these symptoms, you need to discuss them with your doctor and probably seek the skills of an endocrinologist. If you have already been diagnosed and treated for hypothyroidism and you continue to have any or all of these symptoms, you need to discuss it with your physician. Although treatment of hypothyroidism can be quite easy in some individuals, others will have a difficult time finding the right type and amount of replacement thyroid hormone

Namitha song form tamil .avi video format

.JPEG FORMAT

http://www.scipym.com/p42275-namitha.html

http://www.scipym.com/p42276-namitha.html

http://www.scipym.com/p42277-namitha.html

.avi video format

DOWNLOAD VIDEO

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

simran song in malyalam .avi video format

JPEG FORMAT

http://www.scipym.com/p42070-simran.html

.AVI VIDEO FORMAT

DOWNLOAD VIDEO

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Tabu video song

JPEG FORMAT

http://www.scipym.com/p41563-tabu.html

http://www.scipym.com/p41564-tabu.html

http://www.scipym.com/p41565-tabu.html

http://www.scipym.com/p41566-tabu.html

.Divx format

DOWNLOAD VIDEO

Monday, January 22, 2007

Cancer and its history

HISTORY OF CANCER

Today, the Greek term carcinoma is the medical term for a malignant tumor derived from epithelial cells. It is Celsus who translated carcinos into the Latin cancer, also meaning crab. Galen used "oncos" to describe all tumours, the root for the modern word oncology.

Hippocrates described several kinds of cancers. He called benign tumours oncos, Greek for swelling, and malignant tumours carcinos, Greek for crab or crayfish. This name probably comes from the appearance of the cut surface of a solid malignant tumour, with a roundish hard center surrounded by pointy projections, vaguely resembling the shape of a crab (see photo). He later added the suffix -oma, Greek for swelling, giving the name carcinoma. Since it was against Greek tradition to open the body, Hippocrates only described and made drawings of outwardly visible tumors on the skin, nose, and breasts. Treatment was based on the humor theory of four bodily fluids (black and yellow bile, blood, and phlegm). According to the patient's humor, treatment consisted of diet, blood-letting, and/or laxatives. Through the centuries it was discovered that cancer could occur anywhere in the body, but humor-theory based treatment remained popular until the 19th century with the discovery of cells.

Though treatment remained the same, in the 16th and 17th centuries it became more acceptable for doctors to dissect bodies to discover the cause of death. The German professor Wilhelm Fabry believed that breast cancer was caused by a milk clot in a mammary duct. The Dutch professor Francois de la Boe Sylvius, a follower of Descartes, believed that all disease was the outcome of chemical processes, and that acidic lymph fluid was the cause of cancer. His contemporary Nicolaes Tulp believed that cancer was a poison that slowly spreads, and concluded that it was contagious.

With the widespread use of the microscope in the 18th century, it was discovered that the 'cancer poison' spread from the primary tumor through the lymph nodes to other sites ("metastasis"). The use of surgery to treat cancer had poor results due to problems with hygiene. The renowned Scottish surgeon Alexander Monro saw only 2 breast tumor patients out of 60 surviving surgery for two years. In the 19th century, asepsis improved surgical hygiene and as the survival statistics went up, surgical removal of the tumor became the primary treatment for cancer. With the exception of William Coley who in the late 1800s felt that the rate of cure after surgery had been higher before asepsis (and who injected bacteria into tumors with mixed results), cancer treatment became dependent on the individual art of the surgeon at removing a tumor. During the same period, the idea that the body was made up of various tissues, that in turn were made up of millions of cells, laid rest the humor-theories about chemical imbalances in the body. The age of cellular pathology was born.

Cancer patient treatment and studies were restricted to individual physicians' practices until World War II, when medical research centers discovered that there were large international differences in disease incidence. This insight drove national public health bodies to make it possible to compile health data across practises and hospitals, a process that many countries do today. The Japanese medical community observed that the bone marrow of bomb victims in Hiroshima and Nagasaki was completely destroyed. They concluded that diseased bone marrow could also be destroyed with radiation, and this led to the discovery of bone marrow transplants for leukemia. Since WWII, trends in cancer treatment are to improve on a micro-level the existing treatment methods, standardize them, and globalize them as a way to find cures through epidemiology and international partnerships.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

LAPROSCOPY IN HERNIA REPAIR

Hernia Repair

Introduction

An inguinal hernia has 2 components: the peritoneal sac and the defect in the abdominal wall. If one treats only the peritoneal sac, e.g. by high ligation, a definite risk of recurrence is present because the peritoneum will have the tendency to bulge through the opening in the abdominal wall. This is common knowledge since the Middle Ages, and very early on, attempts were made to close the "hole in the wall". Simple closure of the defect, however, caused an unacceptably high recurrence rate.

More complex repair techniques were necessary and over 100 years ago the Italian surgeon Bassini designed a muscular plasty, in which the muscles in the inguinal canal were stitched together in order to build a screen that could withstand the intra-abdominal pressure. This technique gave good results as compared to others, and carried a recurrence rate of 10 to 20 %. Morbidity was not negligible, however, because of the high infection rate and the postoperative pain. Pain was not caused by the surgical incision, but by the traction created by the repair.

This traction was also responsible of the high recurrence rate. Modified versions of the Bassini repair were therefore attempted. The most famous one was the Shouldice technique, in which a progressive build up of tension was carried out by suturing successive layers of the inguinal canal. Morbidity in this excellent technique was improved and the clinical results were far better. Depending on the surgeon, recurrence rates of 1 to 10 % were reported.

Progress in medical technology encouraged some to use foreign material in order to reinforce the repair. Dacron, popypropylene and PTFE appeared to be useful material for that purpose, as opposed to silver mesh, tantalum or carbon. Thanks to the use of mesh material, a true tension free repair was finally achieved. The recurrence rate dropped dramatically and approached 1 %. The pain that patients still suffered after open mesh repair was no longer caused by tissue traction but by the dissection performed to reduce the hernia and to place the reinforcement in the correct position.

Some, like Lichtenstein, using an anterior approach, placed the mesh superficially to the defect in the abdominal wall. Biomechanically, however, it seems better to insure the reinforcement deep to the defect, between peritoneum and muscle, i.e. between the defect and the pushing force. This "posterior approach" as described by Rives, however, necessitated a far more extensive dissection and created pain. Healthy tissues had to be incised in order to gain access to the target area.

This latter drawback was partially avoided by Stoppa, who used a midline incision so as not to damage healthy muscle. Closure of this incision, however, created traction and hence pain.
In the search for reduction of unnecessary tissue damage, the laparoscopic approach was an obvious and welcome alternative. Considerable gain in recovery time after gallbladder surgery and hiatal hernia treatment performed laparoscopically prompted surgeons to attempt this new approach in the treatment of inguinal hernia, as early as 1985 (Ger).

In laparoscopy, however, the peritoneum must be perforated and manipulations are performed intraperitoneally whereas in the Stoppa approach the peritoneal cavity remains unviolated. Despite this drawback, the laparoscopic treatment soon became very popular. All kinds of mesh were inserted in order to "patch" or to "plug" the defect in the abdominal wall. The availability of staples facilitated easy fixation of the mesh to the hernia edges and, in case of preperitoneal placement, permitted closure of the peritoneum over the foreign material.

High recurrence rates with this technique proved that Stoppa's theory - the need to insert a very large mesh rather than to perform a patch repair - was correct. The preperitoneal dissection obviously had to be more extensive. More extensive dissection performed laparoscopically soon generated unexpected problems.

Three percent of the patients presented neuralgias, caused by either blind electrical dissection or by nerve entrapment due to stapling. Moreover, approximately 1 % of the patients presented prolonged ileus or even intestinal obstruction, which necessitated re-operation in several cases. The reason of this latter complication was dehiscence of the peritoneal staple line, followed by entrapment of small bowel in the thus created gap. Small bowel resections and even fatalities were reported. These complications put the procedure in an unfavorable light.

New ways to avoid this unexpected morbidity were explored and the preperitonescopic approach was developed. The plane of dissection in this latter technique was exactly the same as with the Stoppa procedure.Moreover, the procedure itself could now be exactly mimicked by endoscopic means and a big prosthesis be inserted in exactly the same plane as described by Stoppa.

Stoppa 's space was no longer created by the surgeon's finger but by a simple tool that combined safety and efficacy with an unsurpassed visual acuity.

Stoppa's technique is basically unchanged : a large mesh is inserted between the abdominal wall and the peritoneum. Tissue damage is minimal, the risks are small and more acceptable. There is hardly any pain, whereas the excellent functional results of the open technique can be matched. Recurrence rates of less than 1 % are reported.

THYROID

ANATOMY

The thyroid is situated on the front side of the neck, starting at the oblique line on the thyroid cartilage (just below the laryngeal prominence or Adam's apple), and extending to the 6th Tracheal ring (C-shaped cartilagenous ring of the trachea). Vertebral levels are inappropriate to demarcate the gland's upper and lower border with vertebral levels as it moves position in relation to these during swallowing. It lies over the trachea and is covered by layers of pretracheal fascia (allowing it to move), muscle and skin.
The thyroid is one of the larger endocrine glands - 10-20 grams in adults and butterfly-shaped. The wings correspond to the lobes and the body to the isthmus of the thyroid. It may enlarge substantially during pregnancy and when affected by a variety of diseases.

Blood supply

The thyroid gland is supplied by two pairs of arteries: the superior and inferior thyroid arteries of each side. The superior thyroid artery is the first branch of the external carotid, and supplies mostly the upper half of the thyroid gland, while the inferior thyroid artery is the major branch of the thyrocervical trunk, which comes off of the subclavian artery. In 10% of people, there is an additional thyroid artery, the thyreoidea ima, that arises from the brachiocephalic trunk or the arch of the aorta. Lymph drainage follows the arterial supply.
There are three main veins that drain the thyroid to the superior vena cava: the superior, middle and inferior thyroid veins.
In comparison to the other organs of the body, the Thyroid receives one of the largest blood supplies per gram weight.[citation needed] The largest blood supply is seen in the Carotid arch baroreceptor organ.[citation needed]

Embryologic development

Floor of pharynx of embryo between 18 and 21 days.
The thyroid is derived from the second pharyngeal arch. In the fetus, at 3-4 weeks of gestation, the thyroid gland appears as an epithelial proliferation in the floor of the pharynx at the base of the tongue between the tuberculum impar and the copula at a point latter indicated by the foramen cecum. Subsequently the thyroid descends in front of the pharyngeal gut as a bilobed diverticulum through the thyroglossal duct. Over the next few weeks, it migrates to the base of the neck. During migration, the thyroid remains connected to the tongue by a narrow canal, the thyroglossal duct.
Follicles of the thyroid begin to make colloid in the 11th week and thyroxine by the 18th week.

T3 and T4 regulation

The production of thyroxine is regulated by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), released by the anterior pituitary. The thyroid and thyrotropes form a negative feedback loop: TSH production is suppressed when the T4 levels are high, and vice versa. The TSH production itself is modulated by thyrotropin-releasing hormone, which is produced by the hypothalamus and secreted at an increased rate in situations such as cold (in which an accelerated metabolism would generate more heat). TSH production is blunted by somatostatin (SRIH), rising levels of glucocorticoids and sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone), and excessively high blood iodide concentration.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

HYPOTENSION ( High BP )

WHAT IS BP?

The human heart is a pump that works relentlessly everyday, every second of ones life till death without a break. Nature has provided rest for the heart between beats. Its function is to pump blood to circulate it in the entire body, some thing in the range of 7000 liters per day through 10,000 KM of arteries. To achieve this it contracts on an average 70 times a minute. Blood pressure is a measurement of the pressure in the arteries during the active and resting phases of each heartbeat. It is denoted as

Systolic Pressure : The first number in a blood pressure reading is the amount of pressure your heart generates when pumping blood through your arteries to the rest of your body.

Diastolic Pressure : The second number in blood pressure reading that refers to the amount of pressure in your arteries when your heart is at rest between beats.

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Individuals with persistently low BP or with sudden drops when it drops suddenly can present with following symptoms :

Dizziness or light headedness

Fainting ( syncope )

Lack of concentration

Blurred vision

Nausea

Cold, clammy, pale skin

Rapid, shallow breathing

Fatigue

Depression

Thrist