The disorder is characterised by failure to gain weight in spite of a good appetite, by repeated attacks of bronchitis (with BRONCHIECTASIS developing at a young age), and by the passage of loose, foul-smelling and slimy stools (faeces). AMNIOCENTESIS, which yields amniotic ?uid along with cells shed from the fetus’s skin, can be used to diagnose cystic ?brosis prenatally. The levels of various enzymes can be measured in the ?uid and are abnormal when the fetus is affected by cystic ?brosis. Neonatal screening is possible using a test on blood spots – immunoreactive trypsin (IRT).
In children with symptoms or a positive family history, the disease can be tested for by measuring sweat chloride and sodium. This detects the abnormal amount of salt that is excreted via the sweat glands when cystic ?brosis is present. Con?rmation is by genetic testing.
Treatment This consists basically of regular physiotherapy and postural drainage, antibiotics and the taking of pancreatic enzyme tablets and vitamins. Some children need STEROID treatment and all require nutritional support. The earlier treatment is started, the better the results. Whereas two decades ago, only 12 per cent of affected children survived beyond adolescence, today 75 per cent survive into adult life, and an increasing number are surviving into their 40s. Patients with end-stage disease can be treated by heart-lung transplantation (with their own heart going to another recipient). Research is underway on the possible use of GENE THERAPY to control the disorder. Parents of children with cystic ?brosis, seeking help and advice, can obtain this from the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.... cystic fibrosis
Breast. Harmless breast tumours and cysts are common in women over 40. They may form a lump, be with or without pain. Sometimes there is a light blood-stained discharge from the nipple (Poke root). Ovary. See OVARIES.
Dermoid. May be made up of hair and skin (Greater Celandine).
Hydatid. Caused by parasitic infection (Thuja).
Sebaceous. Caused by blockage of a gland of the skin by a plug of fat (Marigold ointment).
A spot, often on the upper back, may irritate and itch and be diagnosed as a lipoma. Before resorting to surgery, external application of any one of the following may prove helpful: Castor oil, Liquid Extract Thuja, Blood root.
Cervical. Chaparral tea douche.
Dr John R. Christopher recommends: Poultice of Walnut leaves or bark. Chaparral, externally. Apple cider vinegar. ... cyst
Treatment Most important is prevention of the initial tapeworm infection, by ensuring that pork is well cooked before it is eaten. Nurses and others attending to a patient harbouring an adult tapeworm must be careful to avoid ingesting ova from contaminated hands. The tapeworm itself can be destroyed with NICLOSAMIDE. Brain infections are treated with sedatives and anti-convulsants, surgery rarely being necessary. Most patients make a good recovery.... cysticercosis
Plenty of fluids are indicated. Where these are supplied by herb teas a double purpose is served; these advised being of proven value for pregnancy and parturition.
Tea. Equal parts: Raspberry leaves, Cornsilk. 2 teaspoons to each cup boiling water; infuse 5-15 minutes. 1 cup 3-4 times daily. ... cystinuria
Cystocele may be associated with a prolapsed uterus (see uterus, prolapse of).
If the urethra is pulled out of position by a cystocele, it may cause stress incontinence or incomplete emptying of the bladder, leading to infection of the retained urine (see cystitis).
Pelvic floor exercises may relieve symptoms.
Surgery may be used to lift and tighten the tissues at the front of the vagina.... cystocele
Treatment, including removal of bladder tumours or calculi and insertion of stents (narrow tubes) into a ureter to relieve an obstruction, can all be performed via the cystoscope.... cystoscopy
Ovarian cysts are often symptomless, but some cause abdominal discomfort, pain during intercourse, or irregularities of menstruation such as amenorrhoea, menorrhagia, or dysmenorrhoea. Severe abdominal pain, nausea, and fever may develop if twisting or rupture of a cyst occurs. This condition requires surgery.An ovarian cyst may be discovered during a routine pelvic examination and its position and size confirmed by ultrasound or laparoscopy. In many cases, simple ovarian cysts – thin-walled or fluid-filled cysts – resolve themselves. However, complex cysts (such as dermoid cysts) usually require surgical removal. If an ovarian cyst is particularly large, the ovary may need to be removed (see oophorectomy).... ovarian cyst
Fine CATHETERS can be passed along the cystoscope, and by the aid of vision can be inserted into each ureter and pushed up to the kidney, so that the urine from each kidney may be obtained and examined separately in order to diagnose which of these organs is diseased.... cystoscope
Retention cysts In these, in consequence of irritation or another cause, some cavity which ought naturally to contain a little ?uid becomes distended, or the natural outlet from the cavity becomes blocked. Wens are caused by the blockage of the outlet from sebaceous glands in the skin, so that an accumulation of fatty matter takes place. RANULA is a clear swelling under the tongue, due to a collection of saliva in consequence of an obstruction to a salivary duct. Cysts in the breasts are, in many cases, the result of blockage in milk ducts, due to in?ammation; they should be assessed to exclude cancer (see BREASTS, DISEASES OF). Cysts also form in the kidney as a result of obstruction to the free out?ow of the urine.
Developmental cysts Of these, the most important are the huge cysts that originate in the OVARIES. The cause is doubtful, but the cyst probably begins at a very early period of life, gradually enlarges, and buds o? smaller cysts from its wall. The contents are usually a clear gelatinous ?uid. Very often both ovaries are affected, and the cysts may slowly reach a great size – often, however, taking a lifetime to do so.
A similar condition sometimes occurs in the KIDNEYS, and the tumour may have reached a great size in an infant even before birth (congenital cystic kidney).
Dermoid cysts are small cavities, which also originate probably early in life, but do not reach any great size until fairly late in life. They appear about parts of the body where clefts occur in the embryo and close up before birth, such as the corner of the eyes, the side of the neck, and the middle line of the body. They contain hair, fatty matter, fragments of bone, scraps of skin, even numerous teeth.
Hydatid cysts are produced in many organs, particularly in the liver, by a parasite which is the larval stage of a tapeworm found in dogs. They occur in people who keep dogs and allow them to contaminate their food. (See TAENIASIS.)... cysts
Symptoms: Soreness and discomfort between legs, with swelling sometimes as big as a pigeon’s egg. Abscesses form when drainage is impeded.
Treatment. Surgery: a permanent opening created to facilitate drainage or, in case of a cyst, its extirpation. Responses have been observed in external use of highly diluted oil of Eucalyptus. Alternatives: internal or external use of Walnut leaves. Topical use of fresh Plantain juice. Cider vinegar. ... bartholin’s cyst
Treatment: usually by cauterisation.
See: CYST, CERVICAL. ... nabothian cyst
Bone cysts typically develop at one end of a long bone and maybe discovered only by chance after a bone fracture at the site of the cyst.
Minor surgery to scrape out the cyst and fill the the cavity with bone chips usually cures the condition, although many small cysts do not need treatment.... bone cyst
Small cysts are common in men over 40 and need no treatment.
Rarely, they become tender or enlarge and cause discomfort, in which case surgical removal may be necessary.... epididymal cyst