What is strep throat?
While many people use the terms sore throat, tonsillitis, and strep throat interchangeably, there are significant clinical differences among these conditions. Understanding the differences can give patients a better idea of how and when to be concerned and when to seek advice from a physician.
Strep throat is only one of many possible causes of throat infection and sore throat. While strep throat is most common in children and adolescents, it can affect people of all ages. It may however, have different signs and symptoms depending upon the patient’s age.
An incompetent cervix, also called an insufficient cervix, is a condition that occurs when weak cervical tissue causes or contributes to premature birth or the loss of an otherwise healthy pregnancy.
Before pregnancy, your cervix — the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina — is normally closed and rigid. As pregnancy progresses and you prepare to give birth, the cervix gradually softens, decreases in length (effaces) and opens (dilates). If you have an incompetent cervix, your cervix might begin to open too soon — causing you to give birth too early.
An incompetent cervix can be difficult to diagnose and, as a result, treat. If your cervix begins to open early, your health care provider might recommend preventive medication during pregnancy, frequent ultrasounds or a procedure that closes the cervix with strong sutures (cervical cerclage).
Congenital lobar emphysema (CLE) is a rare lung condition present at birth that can result in the lungs over-inflating when air becomes trapped in one of the lung’s lobes. Although most times, emphysema is thought of as an adult lifestyle disease frequently cause by smoking, CLE, also called infantile emphysema, is very different. It is congenital or present at birth, and in severe cases may be immediately apparent in the newborn or diagnosable prior to birth with extensive ultrasounds. The degree to which this disease will require treatment is variable because CLE can present in multiple levels of severity.
Patients with severe skull injuries can have their bone structure imaged and have a custom implant 3d printed that fits perfectly with their existing bone structure. The FDA has just approved the 3d printed skull implants from Oxford Performance Materials. The company uses a CT Scan or MRI to create a model of the patient’s skull, then designs an implant that fits any gaps. The implant is 3d printed with the special material that is biocompatible to reduce rejection. The surface should support cell attachment including bone cells. As the bone around it heals, the implant will become an integrated part of the patient’s bone structure.
(via zygoma)
