Glossary - R

Rectal cancer

Rectal cancer is the cancer of the lowest four to six inches of the intestinal tract adjoining the anus. In 1991 there were approximately 45,500 new cases diagnosed in the United States and 7,500 deaths. It occurs more frequently in men than in women . people at the greatest risk of getting rectal cancer are over 40; have a family history of cancer of the colon, rectum, or the female organs; and/or have a history of ulcerative colitis (ulcers in the lining of the large intestines). Symptoms may include rectal bleeding, blood in the stool, jet-black stool, a change in bowel habits, alternating between constipation and diarrhea, crampy abdominal pain, weakness, loss of weight, and loss of appetite.

Renal cell adenocarcinoma

Renal cell adenocarcinoma is the most common renal neoplasm, representing 2-3% of adult malignancies. It ranks as the 9th most common male malignant tumor and 13th most common female malignant tumor. It affects the renal and urologic areas. Genetically the short arm of chromosome 3 may have etiologic implications. Incidences with HLA antigen types Bw44 and DR8 have the tendency to develop renal cancer. There are between 15,000 to 18,000 new cases annually, with 7,500 deaths. 9,4 per million males have the disease, compared to 4.6 per million among women.

The signs and symptoms of the disease are as follows: Solid renal masses (6-7 cm), Hematuria (50-60%), elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (50-60%), abdominal mass (24-45%), anemia (21-41 &), flank pain (35-40%), hypertension (22-38%), weight loss (28-36%), pyrexia (7-17%), hepatic dysfunction (1 0-1 5%1, classic triad (hematuria, abdominal mass, flank pain 7-10%), hypercalcemia (3-6%),erythrocytosis(3-4%)and varicocele (2-3%). Patients with vena caval thrombus present with lower extremity edema, new varicocele, dilated superficial abdominal veins, albuminuria, pulmonary emboli, right atrial mass and non-function of the involved kidney are all symptoms. The causes are unknown. The risk factors include smoking, obesity, urban environment, cadmium, asbestos, petroleum by-products, herpes simplex virus exposure, and phenacetin or analgesic abuse for transitional cell of the renal pelvis.

Rheumatic fever

Rheumatic fever is an inflammatory disease, possibly autoimmune in nature. It involves many tissues, including those of the heart, joints, skin, and central nervous system. Preceding information of the upper tract with group A? streptococcus is a prerequisite to the development of the disease. Rheumatic fever can cause permanent cardiac valvular disease as well as an acute cardiac decomposition. Recurrences are common if not prevented with ?prophylactic? antibiotic treatment. In recent years there have been multiple reports of recurrences in adults as well as in children. The disease affects the cardiovascular. hemic/lymphatic/immunologic, nervous, musculoskeletal, and skin/exocrine systems. A specific genetic marker that correlates with susceptibility to rheumatic fever has not been found, but the disease is known to be familiar in nature. The incidence of the rheumatic fever in the United States has been showing an overall decline for decades. In the 1970?s, it was a rare disease with an incidence of 0.5-1.88 cases 100,000. However, since the mid 1980?s, in the United States there have been a resurgence of cases with multiple ?outbreaks? having been reported. It is most common in children between the ages of 5 and 15. Recurrences can be seen in adulthood. Males and females have equal susceptibility to the disease. signs and symptoms include joint symptoms ranging from arthralgia to arthritis (75%). The joints involved are medium to large. Joint involvement is classically migratory. Joint symptoms usually disappear in between 3 and 4 weeks without permanent deformities. Carditis (65%), mild or severs with murmur, are other possible symptoms. Cardiac involvement may include pericarditis, myocarditis, and/or valvular insufficiency. It appears within two weeks and lasts between 6 weeks and 6 months.

Riley-Day Syndrome

The Riley-Day Syndrome, also known as familial dysautonomia or hereditary sensory autosomal neuropathy III is almost completely confined to Ashkenazic Jews. The condition is often manifested in the first days of life. Symptoms consist of defective lacrimation; corneal hypalgesia; relative insensitivity to pain; defective taste sensation; defective swallowing; orthostatic hypotension; paroxysmal hypertension; attacks of unexplained pyrexia; poor muscular coordination and dysarthria; emotional liability; cyclic vomiting; frequent pulmonary infections. Signs of the syndrome include frequent ulceration of the cornea (50%): absence of vallate and fungiform papillae of tongue (pathognomonic); kyphoscoliosis; neuropathic joints (may also be observed); areflexia; Romberg's sign. The etiology of the disease is unknown and there is a hereditary condition (autosomal recessive inheritance). The pathology of the disease consists of hypoplasia and cytologic changes of autonomic ganglia; cytologic alterations in hypothalamus and brain stem. The diagnostic procedures are characteristic response to certain drugs: absence of flushing to histamine injection and exaggerated response to methacholine and norepinephrine; potentiated miosis following instillation of methacholine into conjunctival sac; X-ray of bone and joints; electroencephalography; elevated ratio of homovanillic acid to vanillymandelic acid in the urine. There is nos satisfactory treatment for the Riley-Day syndrome available but it is treated with tarsorrhaphy. The prognosis is poor and aspiration pneumonia, hyperpyrexia, nephrosclerosis as causes of death.

 

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