Another reason to be careful with tattoos

Health, bio-technology

Moderator: Super Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
kbot
Pirate
Posts: 7302
Joined: 03-12-2008 05:44 AM

Another reason to be careful with tattoos

Post by kbot » 10-04-2017 03:44 AM

Over the past few years, I've seen healthcare become more aware of tattoos since, depending on the age of the tattoo and ink used, it may interfere with someone having an MRI scan- The metals in the ink may become heated and cause burns as the magnetic field is applied to the patient.

Now, something new and different - tattoos mimicking cancer........

Suspected Cancer Turns Out To Be Tattoo Ink

What started as bad news, turned out to be good news, and then unusual news, as in medical journal case report unsual.

According to a case report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, a 30-year-old woman saw a doctor from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Australia, after feeling lumps in her armpits for 2 weeks. She didn't really seem to have have any other symptoms, was on no medications besides birth control pills, and hadn't had any surgical procedures besides for breast implants when she was 19 years old (with the emphasis on the word surgical). When examining her, her doctor indeed felt the same lumps in her armpits and then ordered a PET-CT (positron emission tomography–computed tomography), which subsequently revealed many enlarged lymph nodes throughout her chest. This seemed to be bad news as such findings are often consistent with having lymphoma, a cancer of lymphocytes, which are important immune system cells.

However, when doctors took a sample (i.e., a biopsy) of one of her lymph nodes, they found good news: no evidence of cancer. Tests also yielded no evidence of infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis or fungi, that can cause enlarged lymph nodes. In the words of Marvin Gaye, what's going on?

Well, the patient did have another pair of procedures aside from her breast implants. They just aren't usually viewed as surgical or medical procedures. Fifteen years ago, she got a large black ink tattoo on her back and two and a half years ago, one on her left shoulder. When examined, the sampled lymph node was colored black, containing tattoo ink. Yes, the ink from her tattoo had made it all the way to her lymph nodes. The cells in the lymph nodes had then reacted to the ink so that the nodes had become inflamed and swollen. In fact, the patient also reported that every now and then her tattoo had become inflamed and itchy.

Tatt is a bit unusual, isn't it? In general, your goal when going to a doctor is not to make the case reports of a scientific journal. Therefore, doesn't becoming a case report makes you somewhat unique. Well, while this is the first known reported case of a tattoo ink reaction appearing like lymphoma, this case is not the first evidence of how deep tattoos can go, not just in an emotional sense, but in a physical sense. As I mentioned in previous piece for Forbes, in a study published in Scientific Reports, researchers found ink in the lymph nodes of the corpses of people who had gotten tattoos.

Thus, you have to wonder how many other people are experiencing such reactions to tattoo ink in their lymph nodes without noticing and what the long-term effects may be. In fact,10 months after her initial work-up, the patient no longer had noticeable lumps in her armpits.

All of this further emphasizes that getting a tattoo is not as simple as getting a new outfit or makeup. After all, you are getting ink injected into your body. So, do your research on the procedure, the ink used, and the tattoo artist before making any tattoo decisions. And when you see your doctor, make sure you tell him or her about your tattoo history.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2 ... 747046dc3d
There you go man, keep as cool as you can. Face piles and piles of trials with smiles. It riles them to believe that you perceive the web they weave. And keep on thinking free. (Moody Blues)

Post Reply

Return to “Health”