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Cataracts

Slit lamp view of cataract in human eye. Courttesy Wikimedia
Slit lamp view of cataract in human eye. Courtesy Wikimedia

What Are Cataracts?

[dropcap]C[/dropcap]ataract is a clouding of the normally clear lens in an affected eye characterized by blurred vision and progressive blindness due to loss of the len’s ability to focus light rays on the retina. Cataracts can occur in either or both eyes.

Q: How does a cataract form?

A: The lens is a transparent, colorless, oval-like structure of the eye made of mostly water and protein. The protein is arranged in a precise way that keeps the lens clear and lets light coming through the pupil to pass through it to reach the retina where it is recorded. Once an image reaches the retina, it is changed into nerve signals that are sent to the brain.1

In each eye, the lens is enclosed in a capsule that is held in place directly behind the pupil by the ciliary body and the suspensory ligaments. The lens consists primarily of lens fibers that at the periphery are soft, forming the cortis lentis, and in the center are of a harder consistency, forming the nucleus lentis. Beneath the capsule on the front surface is a layer of cells, the lens epithelium. The shape of the lens is changed by the ciliary muscle to focus light rays onto the retina.2

A cataract begins to form when some of the protein clumps together and starts to cloud a small area of the lens. Over time, the cataract may grow larger and cloud more of the lens, making it harder to see.3

A cataract is diagnosed by an ophthalmologist, who is a medical doctor specializing in the treatment of eye conditions. The eye examination involves viewing the anterior (front) of the eye by means of a slit lamp microscope. This instrument allows detailed observation of the lens and its supporting structures.

What Are Cataracts In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sources:
  1. Tabers Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. 19th ed. FA Davis Company, Philadelphia, PA. [↩]
  2. Tabers Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary.C 19th ed. FA Davis Company, Philadelphia, PA. [↩]
  3. http://www.nei.nih.gov/health/cataract/cataract_facts [↩]

Adenocarcinoma Of Small Intestine (Cancer)

Section of small bowel surgically removed for adenocarcinoma that grew through the wall. By: CDC/ Dr. Edwin P. Ewing, Jr.
Section of small bowel surgically removed for adenocarcinoma that grew through the wall. By: CDC/ Dr. Edwin P. Ewing, Jr.

What Is Adenocarcinoma Of Small Intestine?

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]denocarcinomas are malignant tumors, or cancer, of the small bowel arising out of glandular tissue. They fall in the category of rare neoplasm, comprising only 3% of all gastrointestinal malignancies.

Primary adenocarcinoma is the most common histological (cell) subtype constituting 35–50% of cases.1 

Q: What does adenocarcinoma look like?

A: Adenocarcinoma may manifest as strictures, nodules, excavating masses, or annular lesions.2

What Is Adenocarcinoma Of Small Intestine In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Sources:
  1. Benhammane H, El M’rabet FZ, Serhouchni KI, El yousfi M, Charif I, Toughray I, et al. Small Bowel Adenocarcinoma Complicating Coeliac Disease: A Report of Three Cases and the Literature Review. Case Rep Oncol Med. 2012; 2012: 935183. Published online 2012 December 1. doi: 10.1155/2012/935183 [↩]
  2. Ramachandran I, Sinha R, Rajesh A, Verma R. Multidetector row CT of small bowel tumors.  Clinical Radiology. 2007; 62:607-614. [↩]

Melanoma

stages of melanoma
The dark brown coloring represents the progression of melanoma as it begins to grow in skin.

What Is Melanoma?

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]elanoma is a cutaneous malignancy with rapid invasion and metastasis to other parts of the body.

Melanoma is characterized by growth from melanocytes appearing as a new mole or enlarging from an exisiting mole, changing shape, size or color.

Melanocytes are cells found in the lower epidermis layer that produce melanin, or pigment, that colors the skin.

What Is Melanoma In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?

Cancer, Esophageal Small Cell

esophageal small cell carcinomaWhat Is Esophageal Small Cell Cancer (Carcinoma)?

[dropcap]E[/dropcap]sophageal small cell carcinoma is a rare and aggressive malignancy arising in the esophagus with a poor prognosis.

Q: Where does the cancer occur in the esophagus?

A: Esophageal cancer can occur anywhere in the esophagus.

The esophagus is a muscular tube that transports swallowed substances to the stomach. It begins at the cricoid cartilage (Adam’s apple) as a continuation of the pharynx and ends at the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).

The LES is a circular muscle surrounding the junction of the esophagus and stomach. The LES opens to allow swallowed food and liquids to enter the stomach and closes to prevent their travelling back into the esophagus.

Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) occurs when the inside diameter of the esophagus constricts to less than 14 millimeters. First there is difficulty swallowing solid food then liquids and saliva due to progressive growth of the cancer.

What Is Esophageal Small Cell Carcinoma In Celiac Disease and/or Gluten Sensitivity?