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Tests could include:
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Abnormal reflexes Muscle atrophy Muscle contractions.Blood tests can be done to detect substances produced by the bacteria that cause syphilis. The oldest test is the VDRL test.Fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption( FTA-ABS) Rapid plasma reag...
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During a physical examination, a health care provider studies a patient''s body to determine the presence or absence of physical problems.
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Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease(STD) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Tests for syphilis can be either treponemal(identifying an antibody that occurs specifically in T. pallidum infection) or nontreponemal(identifying a nonsp...
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RPR(rapid plasma reagin) is a screening test for syphilis. It looks for antibodies that are present in the blood of people who have the disease.The test is similar to the venereal disease research laboratory( VDRL) test.Blood is drawn from a vein,...
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The rapid plasma reagin(RPR) test has several useful purposes. It is used to screen asymptomatic individuals for syphilis, diagnose symptomatic infection, and monitor disease activity and response to treatment.
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Sexually transmitted diseases(STDs) are caused by a group of infectious microorganisms that are transmitted mainly through sexual activity. These agents represent a costly, burdensome global public health problem.
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For example, initiation of sexual intercourse and experimentation with alcohol and drugs are normative adolescent behaviors. However, these behaviors often result in negative health outcomes such as the acquisition of sexually transmitted diseases...
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Sexually transmitted diseases(STDs) are viral and bacterial infections passed from one person to another through sexual contact.Adolescence is a time of opportunities and risk when many health behaviors are established. Although many of these beha...
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Sexually transmitted disease(STD) is a term used to describe more than 20 different infections that are transmitted through exchange of semen, blood, and other body fluids; or by direct contact with the affected body areas of people with STDs. Sex...
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VDRL is a screening test for syphilis that measures antibodies that can be produced by Treponema pallidum, the bacteria that causes syphilis.The test is similar to the newer rapid plasma reagin(RPR) test.The test is usually performed on blood. If ...
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Like the rapid plasma reagin(RPR) test, the VDRL test can be quantitated by examining serial dilutions of serum and can be used to follow the course of illness, including the response to therapy. The VDRL usually becomes reactive within the first ...
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FTA-ABS is a blood test is used to detect antibodies to the bacteria Treponema pallidum, which causes syphilis.This test is used to confirm whether a positive screening test for syphilis means there is a true infection.Blood is drawn fro...
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The fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption(FTA-ABS) test measures a specific antibody made against Treponema pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis. The test is reserved for confirmation of a positive screening test for syphilis and dist...
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Cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) analysis is a laboratory test to examine a sample of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. This fluid is a clear, watery liquid that protects the central nervous system from injury and cushions it from the surro...
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Cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) analysis is a set of laboratory tests that examine a sample of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. This fluid is an ultrafiltrate of plasma.
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Cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) analysis is a set of laboratory tests that examine a sample of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. This fluid is an ultrafiltrate of plasma.
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The CSF-VDRL test is used to diagnose neurosyphilis. This test looks for antibodies called reagins, which are sometimes produced by the body in reaction to the syphilis-causing bacteria.Venereal disease research laboratory slide test- CSF.The test...
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A magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) scan of the head is a noninvasive method to create detailed pictures of the brain and surrounding nerve tissues.Unlike x-rays and computed tomographic( CT) scans, which use radiation, MRI uses powerful magnets and...
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Brain abscess is a bacterial infection within the brain.The brain is usually well insulated from infection by bacteria, protected by the skull, the meninges(tissue layers surrounding the brain), the immune system, and the highly regulated barrier ...
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A brain biopsy is the removal of a small piece of brain tissue for the diagnosis of abnormalities of the brain, such as Alzheimer''s disease, tumors, infection, or inflammation.By examining the tissue sample under a microscope, the biopsy sample pr...
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A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in the brain. Unlike other tumors, brain tumors spread by local extension and rarely metastasize(spread) outside the brain.
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Congenital brain defects are a group of disorders of brain development.Brain development begins shortly after conception and continues throughout the growth of a fetus. A complex genetic program coordinates the formation, growth, and migration of ...
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The brain is the part of the central nervous system located in the skull. It controls the mental processes and physical actions of a human being.The brain, along with the spinal cord and network of nerves, controls information flow throughout the ...
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The brain is a large mass of soft nervous tissue made up of both neurons and supporting glial cells lying within the cranium of the skull. The brain contains both gray and white matter.
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Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) scanners rely on the principles of atomic nuclear-spin resonance. Using strong magnetic fields and radio waves, MRI collects and correlates deflections caused by atoms into images.
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Traumatic brain injury(TBI) is the result of physical trauma to the head causing damage to the brain. This damage can be focal, or restricted to a single area of the brain, or diffuse, affecting more than one region of the brain.
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The brain is the part of the central nervous system(CNS) inside the skull(the part outside the skull is the spinal cord). It gives rise to cognitive thought processes and controls various body functions including muscular activity, speech, sight, ...
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A brain tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue, either malignant(cancerous) or benign(noncancerous), in the brain. Each year, more than 17,000 brain tumors are diagnosed in the United States.A benign brain tumor is composed of slow-growing noncance...
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Congenital brain defects are a group of disorders of brain development that are present at birth.Brain development begins shortly after conception and continues throughout the growth of a fetus. A complex genetic program coordinates the formation,...
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Controls mental and physical actions of the organism.The brain, with the spinal cord and network of nerves, controls information flow throughout the body, voluntary actions, such as walking, reading, and talking, and involuntary reactions, such as...
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Like all other parts of the body, the brain and central nervous system are made up of cells that ordinarily grow and divide to create new cells as needed. This is usually an orderly process; but when cells lose their ability to grow normally or to...
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Depending on the study being done, you may need to lie on your stomach, back, or side.A cranial CT scan produces images from your upper neck to the top of your head.You must be still during the exam, because movement causes blurred images. If you ...
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Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) is a noninvasive way to take pictures of the body.Unlike x-rays and computed tomographic( CT) scans, which use radiation, MRI uses powerful magnets and radio waves. The MRI scanner contains the magnet.
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Cardiac nuclear imaging is also called a "perfusion scan.” A radioactive tracer is delivered into the bloodstream. Then a camera scans the tracer in the blood as it flows through the heart muscle.
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Detailed information on magnetic resonance imaging, including how the image is performed and what happens following the procedure
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New MRI machines and new techniques result in images that show prostate cancer in much greater detail, allowing biopsies to be targeted more precisely, and thus cancer staging can be more accurate as well.
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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a test that lets your doctor see detailed pictures of the inside of your body. MRI combines the use of strong magnets and radio waves to form an MRI image.
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A Harvard Medical School physician answers your question about the safety of MRIs for those who have stents.
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When I had an MRI of my knee, I was told the test was dangerous for people who have metal devices in their bodies. Since then, I developed angina and my cardiologist put in a metal stent. If I need an MRI in the future, will I be able to get one?
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Studies have found that MRI tests used in addition to mammography detected more cancers in women at high risk for breast cancer. Women at average risk would not necessarily benefit from the additional testing.
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Persons with pacemakers cannot get an MRI because it conflicts with the pacemaker's function. Future pacemakers will likely be made MRI-safe, but this will probably take at least several more years.
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Is a regular MRI more accurate then an open MRI?
Diana Post, M.D., is an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
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How safe is it for a baby who is 6 months old to have an MRI?
Claire McCarthy, M.D., is a senior medical editor for Harvard Health Publications. She is an instructor in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, an attending physician at Children's Hospital of Boston, and co-director of the pediatrics department at Martha Eliot Health Center, a neighborhood health service of Children's Hospital. The author of two books, "Learning How the Heart Beats" and "Everyone's Children", Dr. McCarthy was a regular columnist for "Sesame Street Parents Magazine" from 1995 to 1998 and is currently a contributing editor for "Parenting Magazine".
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For women at high genetic risk, adding MRI screening to mammography may improve early detection of breast cancer.
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Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) is a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses radio waves, a magnetic field, and a computer to generate images of the anatomy.MRI is used to visualize the body to assist doctors in their efforts to diagnose certain di...
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Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) is the newest, and perhaps most versatile, medical imaging technology available. Doctors can get highly refined images of the body''s interior without surgery, using MRI.
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Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) is one of the newest diagnostic medical imaging technologies that uses strong magnets and pulses of radio waves to manipulate the natural magnetic properties in the body to generate a visible image. In the field of ...
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Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) is a unique and versatile medical imaging modality. Doctors can obtain highly refined images of the body''s interior using MRI.
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In some cases, chemical agents such as gadolinium can be injected to improve the contrast between healthy and diseased tissue.A single MRI exposure produces a two-dimensional image of a slice through the entire target area. A series of these image...
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Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) is one of the newest, and perhaps most versatile, medical imaging technology available. Doctors can get highly refined images of the body''s interior without surgery using MRI.
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People with certain kinds of pacemakers or ICDs can safely undergo an MRI, as long as a series of safety precautions is carefully followed.
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Detailed information on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including information on how the procedure is performed
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Lumbar puncture(LP) is the technique of using a needle to withdraw cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) from the spinal canal. CSF is the clear, watery liquid that protects the central nervous system from injury and cushions it from the surrounding bone struc...
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Detailed information on spinal tap, also called lumbar puncture A spinal tap, also called lumbar puncture, is done to measure the amount of pressure in the spinal canal and/or to remove a small amount of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) for testing. Cerebral spinal fluid is the fluid that bathes your child's brain and spinal cord. In some cases, a spinal tap may also be done so medication can be injected into the spinal fluid, or to remove excess CSF in babies with hydrocephalus (a condition in which there is an overproduction or lack of absorption of the cerebral spinal fluid that is found inside the ventricles, fluid-filled areas, inside of the brain). A special needle will be used for the spinal tap.
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A lumbar puncture is also called a spinal tap. A lumbar puncture may be used to look for problems in your brain, spinal cord, and related structures.
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A computed tomography(CT) scan is an imaging method that uses x-rays to create cross-sectional pictures of the body.CAT scan; Computed axial tomography scan; Computed tomography scan.You will be asked to lie on a narrow table that slides into the ...
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Computed tomography (CT) is a test that combines x-rays and computer scans. The result is a detailed picture that can show problems with soft tissues (such as the lining of your sinuses), organs (such as your kidneys or lungs), and bones.
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Detailed information on CT scan, including how the CT scan is performed and what happens after the procedure
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Detailed information on ultrafast computed tomography scans, also called ultrafast CT scan or ultrafast CAT scan, including information on how the procedure is performed
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Detailed information on computed tomography scans, also called CT scan or CAT scan, including information on how the procedure is performed
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Detailed information on ultrafast computed tomography (CT) scan, including reasons for the procedure, risks of the procedure, what to expect, and discharge instructions
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Computed tomography(CT) scanning is a valuable diagnostic tool that provides physicians with views of internal body structures. During a CT scan, multiple x rays are passed through the body, producing cross-sectional images, or"slices," on a catho...
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Computed tomography(CT), formerly referred to as computerized axial tomography(CAT), is a common diagnostic imaging procedure that uses x rays to generate images(slices) of the anatomy.Computed tomography(CT) is an x-ray imaging procedure used for...
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Computed tomography(CT) scans are completed with the use of a 360-degree x-ray beam and computer production of images. These scans allow for cross-sectional views of body organs and tissues.CT scans are used to image a wide variety of body structu...
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Computed tomography scanning, also called CT scan, CAT scan, or computerized axial tomography, is a diagnostic tool that provides views of internal body structures using x rays. In the field of mental health, a CT scan may be used when a patient s...
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Computed tomography(also known as CT, CT scan, CAT, or computerized axial tomography) scans use x rays to produce precise cross-sectional images of anatomical structures.With the development of modern computers, the scans enhanced digital capabili...
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Is there an alternative to iodine as a contrast medium in a CT scan?
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What is the difference between a pelvic CT scan and an abdominal CT scan?
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