DIAGNOSTIC METHODS

May 07 2025HEALTH

Pompe Disease: A Global Health Puzzle

Pompe disease is a genetic condition. It is caused by problems in the GAA gene. This leads to a lack of an enzyme called lysosomal acid α-glucosidase. This enzyme is crucial for breaking down glycogen in cells. Without it, glycogen builds up and causes harm. The number of people with Pompe disease is not clear. This is because different places use different ways to ...

reading time about 1 minute
May 02 2025HEALTH

Groin Pain: When Hip Issues Are the Culprit

Hip problems often lurk behind chronic groin pain in adults. Several orthopedic conditions can trigger this discomfort. These include hip dysplasia, issues with the acetabular version, abnormal femoral torsion, femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), femoral head necrosis, and osteoarthritis. These conditions can mess up the joint's mechanics, speeding up wear and tear a...

reading time about 1 minute
Feb 23 2025HEALTH

New Ways to Spot Lung Issues Early

Lung nodules, small growths in the lungs, can be worrying. Doctors often use Low-Dose Computed Tomography (LDCT) to check if a nodule is dangerous. But, LDCT can sometimes cause unnecessary worry by giving false alarms. This leads to extra tests and stress for patients. Scientists are working on better ways to spot lung nodules. They are combining different methods ...

reading time about 1 minute
Feb 05 2025HEALTH

Unlocking Hidden Patterns: Fluorescent Staining in Vaginal Health

Vaginitis, which is just a fancy word for inflammation or irritation of the vagina, is a painfully common issue for women. It's crucial to have reliable diagnosis method. Doctors usually check samples of vaginal discharge using methods like wet mounts and gram staining. But there's a new kid on the block—fluorescent staining. It makes different cells and germs glow ...

reading time about 1 minute
Dec 20 2024HEALTH

Detecting Combat Brain Injuries: A Comparison of Methods

Identifying mild traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in veterans can be tricky. Two different systems, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and the LIMBIC-CENC research project, were compared to see how well they found these injuries. The LIMBIC-CENC study uses detailed interviews to find all possible concussive events (PCEs) and diagnose mild TBI. The VHA, on the ot...

reading time about 1 minute
Nov 27 2024SCIENCE

Cat Virus Diagnosis: A New Way to Spot FIP

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a nasty disease caused by a feline coronavirus. Diagnosing this illness can be tricky because the current methods aren't very accurate. A new approach called the FIP Effusion Index has been tested. This method combines a special ratio (albumin-to-globulin) with a count of certain cells (delta total nucleated cells) that can be m...

reading time less than a minute