x-ray in pregnancy

I (26) am in the 16th week of pregnancy. This is my first pregnancy. Last week I suddenly fell down in the bathroom. My gynaecologist examined me and found everything is okay. Should I go for an X-ray of the abdomen and waist to confirm that the foetus is unharmed?

No, please don?t go for an x-ray. At this stage it may be harmful for the foetus; it may lead to a congenital abnormality. To diagnose any abnormality of the foetus we usually go for an ultrasonogram. Some gynaecologists, however, prefer transvaginal sonogram which offers such clues to details like foetal heart condition, foetal movement, placental haemorrhage and so on.

blood in sputum

I (50) have a sound physique. All on a sudden some amount of blood came out with my sputum last week. I got nervous and went to a doctor. He advised me to get an x-ray of the chest. The x-ray report doesn?t show any abnormality. What has happened to me?

Considering your age, an early-stage malignancy of the lungs needs to be ruled out. However, it is difficult to diagnose initial malignant changes in the lungs. First, we should find out if it is a case of haematopoiesis (formation of blood), some teeth problem, or a problem with the para-nasal sinuses. If these things are ruled out, you may have to go for high resolution computer tomograph (HRTC). It can detect very early lung cancer. There are two types of the problem: peripheral and central. The central type is detectable at an early stage by this diagnostic test. For further confirmation, one should go for a fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) test of the affected tissue.

breast lump

I am a 21-year-old woman. A soft lump developed on my left breast about two years ago. A mammography (x-ray to investigate breast cancer) has revealed a small growth of tissue. Please help.

You need a fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) test of the affected tissue. This is a test done by pricking the tumour with a fine injection needle and affected cells are sucked out and examined under microscope. If it is a tumour, a biopsy test should be taken. Then a small surgery will have to be done. It can simply be a benign (non-cancerous) lump. Consult an experienced surgeon to confirm the diagnosis.

prostate trouble

I am a 63-year-old man. Although I had a hernia operation seven months ago I still feel a pinching sensation in my groin occasionally. A physician said it has something to do with the prostate glands (as far as I can remember the size of prostate was grade IV when it was checked). But he didn?t suggest any operation at that time. Instead, he advised me to take a Hytrine tablet once daily. But it?s so expensive that I have switched over to a cheaper alternative. Will it be harmful? Isn?t there any alternative treatment?

The sensation you have described may persist for sometime after the operation you went for. So do not worry about that. The size of the prostate is not an absolute indication for the treatment of benign hypertrophy of prostate (BHP). It starts in all males from the age of 40. If you have symptoms like obstruction to the flow of urine, an urgency to urinate, incomplete emptying of urine, dribbling of urine or passing blood with urine, then immediate treatment is required. Examination of the prostate by rectal examination and ultrasonography (with residual urine in bladder after passing urine) may be done. A test called uroflometry and an estimation of the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) are the most essential investigations in this regard. The PSA test is done to rule out cancer of the prostate. BHP can be treated by oral pills which are very costly. Operations are of two types. The first one is trans-urethral resection (TUR) which clears the pro-state and facilitates the outflow of urine. The second one is prostectotomy. The aim is to remove the whole of the affected portion of the prostate. You may consult either a surgical specialist or a urosurgeon for a proper guidance.