Diseases & conditions A-Z List
Diseases & Conditions A-Z List - «P»:
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Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare disorder that damages the material (myelin) that covers and protects nerves in the white matter of the brain.
Causes
The JC virus (JCV) causes PML. By age 10, most people have been infected with this virus, but it hardly ever causes symptom...
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Progressive supranuclear palsy
Progressive supranuclear palsy is a movement disorder that occurs from damage to certain nerve cells in the brain.
Causes
Progressive supranuclear palsy is a condition that causes symptoms similar to those of Parkinson's disease.
It involves damage to many cells of the brain. Many areas are affecte...
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Prolactin
Prolactin is a hormone released by the pituitary gland. The prolactin test measures the amount of prolactin in the blood.
How the Test is Performed
Blood is typically drawn from a vein, usually from the inside of the elbow or the back of the hand. The site is cleaned with germ-killing medicine (ant...
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Prolactinoma
A prolactinoma is a noncancerous pituitary tumor that produces a hormone called prolactin. This results in too much prolactin in the blood.
Causes
Prolactin is a hormone that triggers the breasts to produce milk (lactation).
Prolactinoma is the most common type of pituitary tumor (adenoma). It make...
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Proliferation
Proliferation is the growth of tissue cells. In many diseases, proliferation is abnormal. Cancer cells are very prolific -- they have high rates of cell division and growth....
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Propoxyphene overdose
Propoxyphene is medicine used to relieve pain. Propoxyphene overdose occurs when someone takes too much of this medicine.
This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. If you have an exposure, you should call your local emergency number (su...
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Prostate brachytherapy
Brachytherapy is a procedure to implant radioactive "seeds" into the prostate gland to kill prostate cancer cells. Implants may be short-term or permanent. They may give off high or low amounts of radiation.
Description
Brachytherapy takes 30 minutes or more, depending on the type of therapy you ha...
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Prostate brachytherapy - discharge
You had a procedure called brachytherapy to treat prostate cancer. Your treatment lasted 30 minutes or more, depending on the type of treatment you had.
Before your treatment started, you were given medicine to block pain.
Your doctor placed an ultrasound probe into your rectum. You probably also ha...
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Prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is cancer that starts in the prostate gland. The prostate is a small, walnut-sized structure that makes up part of a man's reproductive system. It wraps around the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body.
Causes
The cause of prostate cancer is unknown. Some studies have...
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Prostate resection - minimally invasive
Minimally invasive prostate resection is surgery to remove part of the prostate gland, to treat an enlarged prostate. The surgery will improve the flow of urine through the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder outside of your body. It can be done in several different ways. There is ...
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Prostate resection - minimally invasive - discharge
You had minimally invasive prostate resection surgery to remove part of your prostate gland because it was enlarged. Your procedure was done in your doctor's office or at an outpatient surgery clinic. You may have stayed in the hospital for a night.
What Expect at Home
You can do most of your norma...
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Prostatitis - bacterial acute
Acute prostatitis is swelling and irritation (inflammation or infection) of the prostate gland that develops rapidly.
Causes
Acute prostatitis is usually caused by a bacterial infection of the prostate gland. Any bacteria that can cause a urinary tract infection can cause acute bacterial prostatiti...
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Prostatitis - bacterial chronic
Chronic bacterial prostatitis is swelling and irritation (inflammation) of the prostate gland that develops slowly and continues for a long period of time. It is a chronic infection of the prostate gland.
See also:
Prostatitis - bacterial acute
Prostatitis - nonbacterial chronic
Causes
Chroni...
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Prostatitis - nonbacterial - chronic
Chronic nonbacterial prostatitis is long-term pain and urinary symptoms that involve the prostate gland or other parts of a man's lower urinary tract or genital area. This condition is not caused by bacterial infection.
See also: Chronic bacterial prostatitis
Causes
Possible risk factors for nonb...
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Prosthesis
A prosthesis is a device designed to replace a missing part of the body or to make a part of the body work better. Diseased or missing eyes, arms, hands, legs, or joints are commonly replaced by prosthetic devices.
False teeth are known as dental prostheses. An artificial replacement of the jaw bone...
