A parathyroid adenoma is a noncancerous (benign) tumor of the parathyroid glands. The parathyroid glands are four small lentil-sized glands right next to the thyroid that help regulate the body’s calcium and phosphorus levels. If there is concern about their function, further evaluation and management is needed, which can include blood testing of calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels.

A paraumbilical hernia occurs when part of the intestine or fat sticks out through an opening in the abdominal muscles with close approximation to the umbilicus (where the umbilical cord passed prior to birth). This creates a soft swelling or bulge near the navel. In adults, paraumbilical hernias are most often acquired due to increased intra-abdominal pressure brought on by obesity, straining with heavy lifting or coughing, or pregnancy.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is the inability to control the muscles of the pelvic floor. These muscles support the organs in the pelvis, and some form a sling around the rectum and vagina. Contracting and relaxing these muscles allows an individual to control bowel movements, urination, and, for women particularly, sexual intercourse. Pelvic floor dysfunction forces muscles to contract (tighten) rather than relax. Because of this, a person can have difficulty in clearing a bowel movement, have an incomplete bowel movement, a frequent need to urinate or may leak urine or stool.

PCOS is a hormonal condition that causes women of reproductive age to have irregular periods, increased weight, symptoms of hyperandrogenism (acne, facial hair, male-pattern hair loss) and difficulty getting pregnant. 5-8% of women have PCOS. The cause of PCOS is unclear; however, the mechanism is thought to be overproduction of testosterone by the ovaries.

Adhesions are bands of scar tissue that can cause internal organs to be stuck together when they are not supposed to be. Most often, adhesions are the result of previous surgery, but some can occur following pelvic infection, and many times they accompany more severe stages of endometriosis (when cells similar to those lining the uterus grow outside the uterus).

Partial septate uterus is a type of congenital uterine anomaly. Congenital uterine anomalies happen during embryo development in the womb. The septate uterus is the most common uterine anomaly, accounting for 35% to 90% of all identified uterine malformations. Partial septate uterus is when the uterus has a partial “wall” in the middle of the uterus.

Women have two ovaries - each about the size and shape of an almond - on each side of the uterus. A paraovarian cyst is a collection of fluid near the ovary, and is a remnant of embryonic development. This is usually asymptomatic (does not cause symptoms), but can cause pelvic pressure or pain.

The corpus callosum is a large, C-shaped nerve fiber bundle found beneath the cerebral cortex (the wrinkly outermost layer of the brain which is responsible for thinking and processing information from the five senses). It stretches across the midline of the brain, connecting the left and right sides, and makes up the largest collection of white matter tissue (the brain tissue that contains nerve fibers and serves as the connection point to other parts of the brain) found in the brain.Developmental abnormalities or disorders of the corpus callosum include complete agenesis (absence), partial agenesis (hypogenesis), thinning (hypoplasia), or thickening (hyperplasia). In partial agenesis, the corpus callosum is shorter in its anterior-posterior length as a result of missing segment(s). In hypoplasia, the corpus callosum is normal in its anterior-posterior length, but there is thinning. In hyperplasia, the corpus callosum is thicker than expected.

The pituitary gland is a small gland that sits in the sella turcica, a saddle-shaped depression located in the bone at the base of the skull. It produces hormones that control different processes in the body, including metabolism, growth and reproduction. “Empty sella” is a radiologic description and not a clinical condition - the sella turcica is either partially filled with cerebrospinal fluid and a very small pituitary gland (partially empty sella), or completely filled with cerebrospinal fluid with no visualized pituitary gland (completely empty sella). Empty sella syndrome may occur as a primary disorder, from an unknown cause, or as a secondary disorder, from an underlying condition such as a treated pituitary tumor, head trauma, or elevated intracranial pressure. In empty sella syndrome, the pituitary gland is usually functioning normally. In empty sella syndrome, the pituitary gland is usually functioning normally, so most individuals do not have any symptoms.

Patchy consolidation refers to any finding where the air space in the lungs is being filled by fluid (i.e. water or pus). Consolidation of the lungs can happen for many reasons, including pneumonia, heart failure and lung cancer.