T-tube cholangiography Health Dictionary

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T-tube Cholangiography: From 1 Different Sources

An imaging technique performed to check that there are no gallstones left in the bile duct after a cholecystectomy.

A T-shaped rubber tube is inserted into the bile duct during the surgery.

A week or so later, contrast medium is inserted into the tube and X-rays are taken.

Health Source: BMA Medical Dictionary
Author: The British Medical Association

Cholangiography

The process whereby the bile ducts (see BILE DUCT) and the gall-bladder (see LIVER) are rendered radio-opaque and therefore visible on an X-ray ?lm.... cholangiography

Nasogastric Tube

A small-bore plastic or rubber tube passed into the stomach through the nose, pharynx and then the oesophagus. It is used either to aspirate gas and liquid from the stomach or to pass food or drugs into it.... nasogastric tube

Neural Tube

The structure in the EMBRYO from which the BRAIN and SPINAL CORD develop.... neural tube

Neural Tube Defects

Congenital abnormalities resulting from the failure of the NEURAL TUBE to form normally. The resulting conditions include SPINA BIFIDA, MENINGOCELE and defects in the bones of the SKULL.... neural tube defects

Test-tube Baby

See EMBRYO TRANSFER.... test-tube baby

Eustachian Tube

The passage that runs from the middle ear into the back of the nose, just above the soft palate. The tube acts as a drainage channel from the middle ear and maintains hearing by opening periodically to regulate air pressure. The lower end of the tube opens during swallowing and yawning, allowing air to flow up to the middle ear, equalizing the air pressure on both sides of the eardrum.

When a viral infection such as a cold causes blockage of the eustachian tube, equalization cannot occur, resulting in severe pain and temporary impairment of hearing. A person with a blocked eustachian tube who is subjected to rapid pressure changes may suffer from barotrauma. Glue ear or chronic otitis media may occur if the tube is blocked, preventing adequate drainage from the middle ear. These conditions, which often result in partial hearing loss are more common in children. This is partly because their adenoids are larger and more likely to cause a blockage if they become infected and partly because children’s eustachhian tubes are shorter than those of adults.... eustachian tube

Fallopian Tube

One of the 2 tubes that extend from the uterus to the ovary. The fallopian tube transports eggs and sperm and is where fertilization takes place.

The tube opens into the uterus at one end, and the other end, which is divided into fimbriae (finger-like projections), lies close to the ovary. The tube has muscular walls lined by cells with cilia (hair-like projections). The fimbriae take up the egg after it is expelled from the ovary. The beating cilia and muscular contractions propel the egg towards the uterus. After intercourse, sperm swim up the fallopian tube from the uterus. The lining of the tube and its secretions sustain the egg and sperm, encouraging fertilization, and nourish the egg until it reaches the uterus.

Salpingitis is inflammation of the fallopian tube, usually the result of a sexually transmitted bacterial infection, that can lead to infertility.

An ectopic pregnancy (development of an embryo outside the uterus) most commonly occurs in the fallopian tube.... fallopian tube

Ryle’s Tube

See NASOGASTRIC TUBE.... ryle’s tube

Stomach Tube

A soft rubber or plastic tube with rounded end, and usually about 75 cm (30 inches) in length, which is used for washing out the stomach when it contains some poisonous material. (See GASTRIC LAVAGE.) A narrower tube, 90 cm (36 inches) in length, is used to obtain a sample of gastric juice for examination. Such a tube can also be allowed to pass out of the stomach into the duodenum so that the contents of the upper part of the small intestine are similarly obtained for analysis.... stomach tube

Test-tube

A tube of thin glass closed at one end, which is used for observing chemical reactions or for bacterial culture.... test-tube

Endotracheal Tube

A tube that is passed into the trachea through the nose or mouth that enables delivery of oxygen during artificial ventilation or of anaesthetic gases (see anaesthesia) during surgery. An inflatable cuff around the lower end of the endotracheal tube prevents secretions or stomach contents from entering the lungs.... endotracheal tube

Fallopian Tube Recanalization

(FTR) an *interventional radiology technique to open up blocked Fallopian tubes as a treatment for infertility. This usually follows a *hysterosalphingogram.... fallopian tube recanalization

Photomultiplier Tube

an electronic device that magnifies the light emitted from a *scintillator by accelerating electrons in a high-voltage field. The resulting signal can be used to display the scintillations on a TV screen. Such devices are commonly used in *gamma cameras.... photomultiplier tube

Ryle’s Tube

a flexible *nasogastric tube that enables aspiration of gastric secretions and evacuation of intestinal gas. [J. A. Ryle (1889–1950), British physician]

s... ryle’s tube

Tube

n. (in anatomy) a long hollow cylindrical structure, e.g. a *Fallopian tube.... tube

Neural Tube Defect

A developmental failure affecting the spinal cord or brain of the embryo. The most serious defect is anencephaly (total lack of a brain), which is fatal. More common is spina bifida, in which the vertebrae do not form a complete ring around the spinal cord. Spina bifida can occur anywhere on the spine, but it is most common in the lower back.

There are different forms of spina bifida. In spina bifida occulta, the only defect is a failure of the fusion of the bony arches behind the spinal cord, which may not cause any problems. When the bone defect is more extensive, there may be a meningocele, a protrusion of the meninges, or a myelomeningocele, a malformation of the spinal cord. Myelomeningocele is likely to cause severe handicap, with paralysis of the legs, loss of sensation in the lower body, hydrocephalus, and paralysis of the anus and bladder, causing incontinence. Associated problems include cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and mental handicap.

Surgery is usually performed a few days after birth. In mild cases, the defect can usually be corrected, but in myelomeningocele, some handicap will remain.

Genetic factors play a part in neural tube defects, which show multifactorial inheritance. Couples who have had an affected child or who have a family history of neural tube defects should seek genetic counselling. The risk of a neural tube defect occurring can be substantially reduced if the mother takes folic acid supplements for a month before conception and during the early part of the pregnancy.

Ultrasound scanning and amniocentesis allow accurate antenatal testing for neural tube defects.... neural tube defect


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