Health and Fitness

Overview Peyronie's (pay-roe-NEEZ) disease is a condition in which fibrous scar tissue forms in the deeper tissues under the skin of the penis. This causes curved, painful erections. It also can make the penis shorter while erect. Peyronie's disease is not caused by cancer. Penises vary in shape and size. So having a curved erection isn't always a cause for concern. But Peyronie's disease causes a serious bend or pain in some people. This can prevent you from having sex. Or it might make it hard to get or keep an erection, which also is called erectile dysfunction. For many people, Peyronie's disease also causes stress and anxiety. Peyronie's disease rarely goes away on its own. In most people with the condition, it will remain as is or may get slightly worse early on. Early treatment soon after you get the condition may keep it from getting worse or even improve symptoms. Even if you've had Peyronie's disease for some time, treatment may help ease sympt...

Benign essential blepharospasm (BEB) Overview Benign essential blepharospasm (BEB) is a chronic neurological movement disorder marked by involuntary, repetitive spasms and contractions of the eyelid muscles. It typically begins with increased blinking or eye irritation, and can progress to forceful, sustained eyelid closures that impair vision. Symptoms • Increased blinking: Blinking happens more often and may start in one eye before moving to both eyes. • Eye irritation: The eyes may feel dry, gritty, or tired. • Environmental sensitivity: Bright sunlight, wind, air pollution, or dust can make the symptoms worse. • Involuntary eyelid closing : Spasms become stronger, causing the eyelids to narrow or clamp shut. • Difficulty keeping eyes open: It becomes hard or impossible to voluntarily keep the eyes open during episodes. • Functional blindness: In severe cases, prolonged or sustained eyelid closure blocks vision even though the eye structure itself remains healthy. • Bilateral in...

 Beare-Stevenson cutis gyrata syndrome Overview Beare-Stevenson cutis gyrata syndrome is a rare, life-threatening genetic disorder caused by specific mutations in the FGFR2 (fibroblast growth factor receptor 2) gene, inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. Symptoms • Craniosynostosis: Premature closure of the skull sutures, frequently resulting in a cloverleaf-shaped skull (kleeblattschädel) in over half of cases. • Facial appearance: Bulging eyes (proptosis), wide-set eyes (hypertelorism), downward-slanting eyelids (downslanted palpebral fissures), drooping eyelids (ptosis), and an underdeveloped upper jaw (midface hypoplasia/retrusion). • Ear defects: Abnormalities of the earlobes, narrow or stenotic ear canals, and conductive hearing loss. • Cutis gyrata: Thick, furrowed, and wrinkled skin resembling a corrugated pattern, most commonly seen on the face, forehead, neck, ears, palms, and soles. • Acanthosis nigricans: Thick, dark, velvety skin patches, typically appearing o...

Monilethrix Overview Monilethrix is a rare genetic hair disorder characterized by a distinctive "beaded" appearance of the hair shaft, extreme fragility, and sparse hair growth (hypotrichosis). Monilethrix is a rare inherited disorder characterized by sparse, dry, and/or brittle hair that often breaks before reaching more than a few inches in length. The hair may lack luster, and there may be patchy areas of hair loss (alopecia). Another common symptom may be the appearance of elevated spots (papules) surrounding the hair follicles that may be covered with gray or brown crusts or scales (perifollicular hyperkeratosis). When viewed under a microscope, the hair shaft resembles a string of evenly-spaced beads. In most cases, monilethrix is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. Symptoms In most cases of monilethrix, the hair is normal at birth; it may then be slowly replaced by abnormal hair during the first few months to two years of life. In some rare cases, the hair may be...

Gray platelet syndrome Overview Gray platelet syndrome gets its name from how the platelets in people with this condition appear under a microscope. Platelets are specialized blood cells that allow your blood to clot and stop bleeding. Many conditions can cause blood clotting problems that range from mild to life threatening. Gray platelet syndrome tends to cause mild to moderate bleeding. It usually doesn’t affect life span but can lead to serious complications for some people, such as spleen rupture. Read on to learn more about this rare condition, including its causes, symptoms, and treatment options. Gray platelet syndrome causes and risk factors Gray platelet syndrome was first described in medical literature in 1971. It’s an inherited condition, meaning it develops when you receive associated genes from your parents. It’s been linked to mutations in the NBEAL2 gene. NBEAL2 seems to code for the formation of special sacs inside platelets called alpha-granules. Proteins in these sa...

 Liver abscess Overview Liver abscess, also called hepatic abscess, is a severe medical condition of the liver. It is the collection of pus in the liver that can result from liver injury or the leakage of intestinal contents from the abdomen to the liver through the portal vein (the vein that carries nutrients from the digestive organ to the liver). Liver abscess typically occurs due to infection by micro-organisms and by trauma. Pus is a fluid formed when the body fights off an illness. It is made up of dead cells and white blood cells. Sometimes, pus gathers in a pocket inside the liver rather than emptying from the infection site. Stomach pain and swelling may result from it. Usually, there is swelling and inflammation around an abscess. The most common symptoms of the liver abscess include fever (continuous or intermittent), chills, pain in the right upper side of the stomach, loss of appetite, and malaise (general feeling of discomfort or illness). The most common signs includ...