Abscess

Maryland stallions have produced horses who recently won major stakes around the country. Love of Money, Park Avenue Ball, Perfect Moon and Declan's Moon - all sired by stallions in Maryland - captured stakes from California to New York. Today, Maryland stallions will produce 12 more winners in the Maryland Million at Pimlico. That's a sure bet. The 12 races are limited to horses sired by Maryland stallions. Jim McKay, sports broadcaster and Monkton resident, conceived of the Maryland Million in the mid-1980s as a way of promoting the state's sires and celebrating its racing industry.

Steroids. Staph. Suspensions. Arrests. Acrimony. Aborted trades. The 2005 Orioles have endured it all in what was once a promising season. Rafael Palmeiro's 10-day suspension from baseball yesterday for steroid violations is the latest in a string of setbacks to beset the club this season. The Orioles have had problems from head to foot. Specifically, Sidney Ponson's head and Sammy Sosa's foot. Trouble started on Christmas Day 2004. Ponson, the $22.5 million pitcher, was incarcerated after an altercation on the beach in his native Aruba.

Hemorrhoids are swollen and inflamed veins in the anal area. Also called piles, this common condition can be quite painful. Often a modification in diet is all that is needed to reduce the discomfort, says Dr. Robert Akbari, colorectal surgeon at St. Joseph Medical Center in Towson. What causes hemorrhoids? They are largely blamed on the low-fiber Western diet, which is constipating. People who strain a lot with a bowel movement are more prone to develop them. Pregnancy, with changes in hormones and bowel movements, can lead to hemorrhoids.

Staph infections didn't used to cause much of a fuss. They would irritate skin but could easily be treated with antibiotics. Recently, however, antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria such as MRSA, or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , have been surfacing. Dr. Robert Ancona, St. Joseph Medical Center's chief of pediatrics and an infectious disease specialist, have been noticing more concerning MRSA infections in children lately. What is the difference between MRSA and other bacterial strains?

Baltimore heavyweight Hasim Rahman had surgery Friday to remove an abscess on his spine, which could keep him out of action "for at least six to eight weeks," according to a spokeswoman for the University of Maryland Medical Center. The two-hour operation, conducted at the medical center, forced the postponement of Rahman's 10-round fight with Danell Nicholson, an elimination bout scheduled for Oct. 7 in Connecticut for the International Boxing Federation's No. 2 ranking. "He had compression of the nerve roots of the spinal canal, causing leg weakness," said Dr. Barbara Lazio, chief resident in neurosurgery, who described the growth as "a collection of infectious material or pus, which is a staph infection."

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- City by Night was scratched from the Kentucky Derby yesterday after developing an abscess in his left front foot.The long-shot winner of the Lexington Stakes two weeks ago was a member of the five-horse Derby mutuel field. His trainer, Patrick Byrne, said the colt probably stepped on something and bruised his foot."He is tender on it, and he is going to be fine in a day or two," said Byrne. "If this was four days ago, we'd be in great shape. But the day before the Derby is not enough time.

After missing all three games against the Kansas City Royals, Sammy Sosa remained out of the Orioles' lineup last night, and the club still doesn't know when he'll return. Sosa made another visit yesterday to the team's podiatrist, Dr. Jay LeBow, who is treating an abscess on the bottom of the outfielder's left foot. "It's improving, but the doctors keep working on it, trying to see what's causing it," head trainer Richie Bancells said. Sosa played in the Orioles' first 27 games before becoming a late scratch Friday night.

Being deaf didn't stop Leo M. Jacobs from doing what he wanted with his life. A math teacher for more than 40 years, he later wrote one of the best-selling books on deafness and was named to a special chair at Gallaudet University for the deaf.But six years ago, Jacobs, 79, lost his independence, becoming paralyzed from the waist down after an abscess near his spinal cord was not diagnosed properly.Today, he stands to receive $1.24 million, awarded by a Howard County Circuit Court jury after it found a Laurel urologist and a medical practice responsible for Jacobs' life as a paraplegic.

Appendicitis refers to an acute inflammatory process involving the appendix, which is a small, worm-like appendage of the first part of the colon, writes Dr. Jason Roland, co-director of minimally invasive and laparoscopic surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital. Anyone with an appendix is at risk for developing it. Here's how to spot and treat the condition: •Appendicitis occurs when the single orifice leading into the appendix becomes clogged, either with stool (known as a fecalith)

IMPROVED IVY Corey Ivy looked to be in midseason form. The cornerback drilled rookie wide receiver Damien Linson to force a dropped ball and then made an over-the-shoulder interception of Kyle Boller's pass to Romby Bryant in the end zone. More plays like those will solidify Ivy's role as the team's nickel back. BRIEF SCARES Three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Chris McAlister and defensive end Trevor Pryce pulled up during the morning practice session. McAlister winced as he touched his rib cage, but after a few minutes, he returned to practice.