Category: R

The treatment of cancer using radiation. The branch of medical therapeutics in which radioactive energy is used to cure or palliate cancer. The objective is to deliver a therapeutic dose of radiation to malignant tissue, leaving healthy, surrounding tissues unharmed. Radiation therapy is used to treat many cancers, including cancers of the bone, brain, breast,…

A phenomenon found among boys before puberty in which one or both testicles are pulled up out of the scrotum during cold weather, excitement, or physical activity. The condition requires no treatment since a retractile testicle moves into normal position during puberty. The condition differs from cryptorchidism, in which the testicle fails to descend into…

A sports injury caused by mechanical malfunctions of the knee during running activities, resulting in a softening of the cartilage in the kneecap. The cartilage of the kneecap relies on intermittent compression to release waste products and receive nutrients from the knee joint’s synovial fluid. If the kneecap shifts to the side or does not…

Inflammation of the muscles and tendons that connect the upper arm bone to the shoulder blade. Rotator cuff tendinitis may be caused by repetitive stress on the muscles. It may also occur if the tendons become pinched under the shoulder bones, which may occur when inflammation or bone spurs narrow the tendon space. It can…

A defect in the muscles at the back of the shoulder. The rotator cuff is the muscle group attached to the shoulder blade. Defects in the rotator cuff may be due to injury, strain, or overuse that causes tears in the muscle. Painful arc syndrome, left untreated, can lead to rotator cuff disease.  

A therapeutic procedure to treat an infection of the soft inner core (the dental pulp) in the tooth. The pulp or nerve is the soft tissue inside the natural crown and root portions of the tooth. The pulp contains the nerves, blood vessels, and lymph vessels and is contained within a structure of the tooth…

A potentially life-threatening condition that can develop when a mother with Rh-negative blood has a baby with Rh-positive blood. Rh-positive and Rh-negative indicate the presence or absence of an inherited blood characteristic known as the Rh factor (named after the rhesus monkey, the species in which the factor was originally identified). If Rh-positive blood mixes…

A blood protein used as a treatment if a person with Rh-negative blood is exposed to Rh-positive blood; also known as RhoGAM. Rh immune globulin is also used to treat a bleeding disorder known as immune thrombocytopenic purpura.  

A surgical procedure for women to correct stress incontinence (urine leakage when coughing or sneezing) caused by a cystourethrocele, a weakness in the tissues supporting the bladder and urethra. Surgery is indicated only when Kegel exercises, hormone replacement therapy, and other treatments have not been effective in correcting the pelvic support problems that cause urine…

Blockage of a blood vessel that carries blood away from the retina. The blockage is usually caused by a diseased arterial wall compressing the venous wall at a crossing point or by a blood clot. Retinal vein occlusion impairs sight if swelling or ischemia (poor blood flow) occurs in the center of the retina. Often…