Articles
Articles are a collaborative effort to provide a single canonical page on all topics relevant to the practice of radiology. As such, articles are written and continuously improved upon by countless contributing members. Our dedicated editors oversee each edit for accuracy and style. Find out more about articles.
32 results found
Article
Sessile
Sessile is a pathological term which is used for lesions that are attached by their base, that is they lack a stalk i.e. are not pedunculated. It is most commonly used for intraluminal polyps in the GI tract.
History and etymology
Sessile is derived from the Latin word "sessilis" which means s...
Article
Klebsiella
Klebsiella is a genus of Gram-negative, oxidase-negative, rod-shaped bacteria, which is relatively commonly encountered in the healthcare environment. It has numerous species, including K. pneumoniae, K. aerogenes, and K. rhinoscleromatis 1. Klebsiella may cause a range of infections, most commo...
Article
CA 19-9
CA 19-9 (carbohydrate antigen 19-9 or cancer antigen 19-9) is a serum antigen (monosialoganglioside) that has increased diagnostic use in the management of several malignancies, mainly of hepatopancreaticobiliary origin. It is non-specific, however, and can rise in both malignant and non-maligna...
Article
Lipoma
Lipomas are benign tumors composed of mature adipocytes. They are the most common soft tissue tumor, seen in ~2% of the population.
Epidemiology
Patients typically present in adulthood (5th-7th decades).
Associations
In some cases, multiple lipomas are associated with syndromes and other di...
Article
Feces
Feces, also known as stool, is the solid component of human waste. Almost half of its dry mass is bacterial biomass, with the remainder comprised of undigested dietary matter, exfoliated cells of the gut, intestinal secretions, small metabolites and mucus.
Composition
Fecal matter is semisoli...
Article
Alpha-fetoprotein
Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is an important plasma protein synthesized by the yolk sac and fetal liver. In adults, its main utility is as a tumor marker, primarily for hepatocellular carcinoma or teratoma. Functionally it is the fetal homologue of albumin, i.e. it acts as a major carrier protein in ...
Article
Ascitic fluid cholesterol level
Ascitic fluid cholesterol level estimation is a simple and precise test for differentiating malignant ascites from non-malignant (cirrhotic) ascites 5-9.
Pathology
Ascites is the abnormal collection of fluid within the peritoneal cavity. Malignant ascites comprises ~10% and is usually seconda...
Article
Atresia
Atresia (plural: atresias) refers to a situation where there is absence, underdevelopment or abnormal closure, of a normal anatomical tubular structure or opening.
Contrast this with agenesis which refers to the complete absence of any anatomical structure including its primordial precursors.
...
Article
Amylase
Amylase is widely employed as a marker of acute pancreatitis and a significant elevation is diagnostic.
Physiology
α-amylase is a digestive enzyme that is predominantly secreted by the acinar cells of the exocrine pancreas. It is also secreted by the salivary glands. Pancreatic amylase is enco...
Article
KRAS mutation
KRAS (shortened name for the gene Kirsten RAt Sarcoma viral oncogene homolog) mutations are associated in a number of malignancies including:
certain adenocarcinomas of the lung
colorectal carcinoma 1
pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Several germline KRAS mutations have also been found to b...
Article
Lipase
Lipase, more specifically pancreatic lipase, is an enzyme produced in the pancreas and is responsible for the digestion of fat molecules. It may be raised (hyperlipasemia) in numerous pancreatic, hepatobiliary and other diseases but is most commonly associated with acute pancreatitis.
Physiolog...
Article
Tissue tropism
Tissue tropism is a phenomenon by which certain host tissues preferentially support the growth and proliferation of pathogens. This concept is central to the radiological evaluation of infectious disease.
Pathology
As infections that display tissue tropism will thrive in certain tissue locati...
Article
Circumferential resection margin
Circumferential resection margin (CRM) is a term used to denote the standard plane of excision of total mesorectal excision, used for resection of rectal cancers. The anatomic correlate is the mesorectal fascia. The distance between tumor tissue or satellite tumor deposits and the mesorectal fas...
Article
Hernia (general)
Hernias (or herniae) are a common pathological entity, in which an anatomical structure passes into an abnormal location via an opening.
The opening may be a normal physiological aperture (e.g. hiatus hernia: stomach passes through the diaphragmatic esophageal hiatus) or pathological. Iatrogeni...
Article
Macroamylasemia
Macroamylasemia is the presence of serum amylase of a large molecular size, seen in both otherwise healthy individuals, and also in various diseases. Amylase seems to be able to self-polymerize and/or form complexes with other blood proteins, e.g. immunoglobulins.
Epidemiology
Macroamylasemia ...
Article
Macrolipasemia
Macrolipasemia is the presence of serum lipase of a large molecular size, seen occasionally in otherwise healthy individuals, but more commonly in various diseases. Lipase is able to self-polymerize and/or form complexes with other blood proteins e.g. immunoglobulins.
Epidemiology
Epidemiologi...
Article
Glucagon
Glucagon is a polypeptide hormone central to the regulation of glucose homeostasis, acting as an antagonist to insulin. In imaging, it is used as an antiperistaltic agent in GI studies, although its clinical efficacy is controversial.
Structure
Glucagon is a 29-amino acid polypeptide hormone ...
Article
Haggitt level
The Haggitt level is a histopathological term used for describing the degree of infiltration from a malignant polypoidal lesion.
Levels of invasion
0: carcinoma in situ or intramucosal carcinoma
1: invasion of the submucosa, but limited to the head of the polyp
2: invasion extending into the...
Article
Kikuchi level
The Kikuchi level is a histopathological term used for describing the degree of infiltration of a sessile early invasive colorectal cancer1. Preoperative assessment of the level of invasion using this classification may decrease the incidence of unnecessary surgery for sessile polyps.
Levels o...
Article
Elevated vitamin B12 (marker)
Elevated vitamin B12 (also known as hypervitaminosis B12 or hypercobalaminemia) is most important as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for malignant disease 1,3.
Very high serum levels of vitamin B12, following dietary megadosing, does not seem to have any observable deleterious effects 2.
Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.