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February 10, 2012
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Sedimentation Rate

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Sedimentation Rate Overview

A sedimentation rate is common blood test that is used to detect and monitor inflammation in the body. The sedimentation rate is also called the erythrocyte sedimentation rate because it is a measure of the speed that the red blood cells (erythrocytes) in a tube of blood fall to the bottom of the tube, or sediment. Sedimentation rate is often abbreviated as sed rate or ESR.

Doctors use the sedimentation rate to help to determine if inflammation is present in the patient. Additionally, the sedimentation rate can be a convenient method of monitoring the progress of treatment of diseases that are characterized by inflammation. Accordingly, a high sedimentation rate would correlate with more disease activity while a low sedimentation rate would suggest that the disease is less active.

Examples of diseases that are commonly monitored with the sedimentation rate test include:


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Sedimentation Rate

Solitary Pulmonary Nodule Overview

A solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) is a single abnormality in the lung that is smaller than 3 cm in diameter. Generally, a pulmonary nodule must grow to at least 1 cm in diameter before it can be seen on a chest x-ray film.

An SPN is surrounded by normal lung tissue and is not associated with any other abnormality in the lung or nearby lymph nodes (small, bean-shaped structures found throughout the body).

Persons with SPNs usually do not experience symptoms. SPNs are usually noticed by chance on a chest x-ray film that has been taken for another reason (referred to as an incidental finding). SPNs are one of the most common abnormalities seen on chest x-ray films. Approximately 150,000 cases are detected every year as incidental findings, either on x-ray films or CT scans.

Most SPNs are benign (noncancerous); however, they may represent an early stage of primary lung cancer or may indicate that cancer is metastasiz...

Read the Solitary Pulmonary Nodule article »


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