DMSA
DMSA (pronounced dee-em-es-ay), also known as Dimercaptosuccinic acid, is a compound used in medicine, particularly in the field of Nephrology and Toxicology.
Pronunciation
The pronunciation of DMSA is "dee-em-es-ay".
Etymology
The term DMSA is an acronym derived from its chemical name, Dimercaptosuccinic acid. The term "Dimercaptosuccinic" is derived from the Greek words "di" meaning two, "mercapto" referring to the presence of sulfur, and "succinic" referring to the type of acid.
Usage in Medicine
In medicine, DMSA is used as a chelating agent. It binds to heavy metals in the body, allowing them to be excreted in urine. This makes it useful in the treatment of heavy metal poisoning, such as lead or mercury poisoning. It is also used in a DMSA scan, a type of imaging test used in Nephrology to assess the function of the kidneys.
Related Terms
See Also
References
This WikiMD.org article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.