Category: C

A condition in which benign cartilage masses or tumors covering a movable joint become detached and remain in the joint space. These free bodies are sometimes called “joint mice.” Chon-dromatosis most commonly affects the knee joint. The symptoms include limited range of motion in the affected joint, and, if the condition persists over time, there…

Drugs used to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease. Most people with high cholesterol levels are able to reduce their levels with improved diet and increased exercise, but for some, these measures are not enough, and cholesterol-lowering drugs must be prescribed. There are four types of drugs used to lower cholesterol…

An abnormal respiratory pattern characterized by alternating episodes of APNEA (in this case, a temporary cessation of breathing) and deep, rapid breathing. Causes of Cheyne-Stokes respiration include cerebrovascular disease, brain tumors, metabolic disturbances affecting the brain, and head trauma. In older people, the problem is frequently caused by congestive heart failure or respiratory diseases, such…

A medical instrument used to drain accumulations of fluid in the pleural space, a condition called pleural effusion. A chest tube is inserted through a small incision in the chest wall. The tube is then connected to a suction device to aid in draining the fluid and re-expanding the lungs. When bleeding occurs in the…

The use of a caustic agent, usually an acid, to remove the damaged, outer layers of the skin and to improve and smooth its texture. Chemical peels are used for people with wrinkles caused by sun exposure, aging, blemishes, acne scars, and uneven pigmentation. A chemical peel can be applied to the entire face or…

Traditional treatment for people poisoned with heavy metals. Chelation is the process of removing undesirable metals from the body by administering substances called chelating agents, which hind chemically to the metals in the blood. The metal and the chelating substance form a compound that can be excreted in the urine. The administration of chemicals that…

A curable, slow-growing cancer that initially develops in the cervix and, if untreated, can spread to the other reproductive organs. Cancer of the cervix chiefly occurs in women between the ages of 30 and 55 and is nearly 100 percent curable when caught in the precancerous stage. It is one of the few cancers that…

A surgical procedure that places a stitch called a cerclage in the cervix to hold it closed during pregnancy. The cerclage is used to try to stop preterm labor as a result of an incompetent cervix or a cervix that is unable to resist the pressure of the growing pregnancy. In the most common approach,…

A potentially fatal condition caused when a blood clot in the cavernous sinus becomes infected with bacteria, which accumulate in the blood and produce toxins. Cavernous sinus thrombosis is usually a consequence of bacterial sinusitis. The infection may spread into other sinus areas through associated veins. Symptoms may include headache, a high fever, seizures, and…

A procedure to restore vision lost because of cloudiness in the normally clear lens of the eye (see cataract for more information about this disease). The cloudy lens is removed and usually replaced with an artificial lens implant placed inside the eye. Rarely, when an implant cannot be placed, contact lenses or glasses with thick…