Monday, April 4, 2016

URIC ACID, THE ROLE OF ULTRASOUND WHEN THINGS GO WRONG

Most people consider uric acid a nasty lab value associated with gout, and arthritis.  Many people associate it with eating meat,specifically red meat.The early symptoms of gout are linked to a painful great toe, in many cases.  Uric acid build up in the blood can also cause kidney stones.  Many ultrasound examinations are ordered because of renal colic caused by a kidney stone dislodged in to the ureter causing blockage, pain, and sometimes the death of the kidney.  Ultrasound can pick up hydronephrosis, or blockage of the kidney or ureter, but is not very sensitive for finding the source of the blockage.

Here is a short essay courtesy of Live Science regarding the basics of uric acid.

A byproduct of the body's metabolism, uric acid is a human waste product that most people never think about.
But for some people, uric acid can cause painful medical problems such as gout and kidney stones.
To understand what can go wrong with uric acid, you first need to know where this chemical comes from — purines. The purines that break down to form uric acid are nitrogen-containing compounds found in the cells of all plants and animals, including humans.

Thanks Live Science

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