This paper evaluated the diagnostic power of electrocochleography (ECochG) in detecting Mnire’s disease (MD) as compared with two subjective assessment methods, including the clinical guidelines provided by the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Committee on Hearing Equilibrium and the Gibson score. A retrospective study of 250 suspected MD cases was conducted. The agreement between the three assessment methods was found to be relatively high, with a total reliability being higher than 70%. Participants who tested “positive” with ECochG exhibited a higher occurrence rate of asymmetric hearing threshold as well as the four MD symptoms, namely, vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness. The “positive” ECochG group …
Hat Tip To: MedWorm Query: tinnitus
A 74-year-old man developed a severe low back pain and a fever. In the initial examinations, a collapse of the L5 anterosuperior vertebral body and narrowing of the L4/5 disc space were identified on radiographs, and the laboratory data showed inflammatory results. A computed tomography (CT) and a magnetic resonance imaging showed collapse of L5. A needle biopsy was performed to make a diagnosis; however, an abdominal pain and a hypotension appeared after the biopsy. An abdominal CT showed a hematoma in the retroperitoneal space, and an angiography revealed a left fourth lumbar artery pseudoaneurysm. The pseudoaneurysm was treated with transcatheter placement of microcoils. Although haemorrhagic complications following needle biopsy are very rare, patients with large amounts of vertebral d…
By: MedWorm: Back Pain
Authors: K-T Kang, P-L Lee, W-C Weng & W-C Hsu (Source: International Journal of Obesity)
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Source: HealthDay – Related MedlinePlus Pages: Asthma in Children, GERD, Heartburn (Source: MedlinePlus Health News)
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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Working out regularly may brighten the mood of people with chronic health problems like cancer, heart disease and back pain, according to the first sweeping look at previous research. (Source: Reuters: Health)
Original: MedWorm: Back Pain
CONCLUSION: There is substantial short- and longer-term morbidity and ongoing analgesic use among patients who present to an ED with undifferentiated musculoskeletal low back pain. PMID: 22265130 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Pain Physician)
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A frightening symptom in a 22-year-old undergraduate student signaled an uncommon chronic disease—and led to reconsideration of a previous diagnosis. In July 2010, she presented with a 2-month history of a “whooshing sound” in her right ear. She noted the sound when trying to sleep, though it did not interfere with sleeping. She denied tinnitus or headaches. For the previous 7 weeks, she had experienced right-neck tenderness and stiffness, particularly with flexion of the cervical spine. The onset of these symptoms was associated with fever and dysphagia that resolved in 1-2 days without treatment. One week prior to admission, she experienced 6-10 episodes of transient (< 1 minute) loss of vision in the right eye, as well as severe fatigue. (Source: The American Journal of Medicine)
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Context Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a chronic, relapsing condition – manifesting mostly with heartburn and acid regurgitation – that negatively affects daily quality of life. The two main treatments for GERD are medical – proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS). Both treatments have advantages and side effects that continue to be debated. On one hand, medical therapy may be associated with residual regurgitation and the potential long-term side effects of PPI (eg, osteoporotic fractures, drug–drug interaction). On the other hand, LARS may be associated with technical failures, dysphagia and bloating. Methods Under the acronym LOTUS, this 5-year randomised study compared efficacy and safety of LARS with ‘optimise…
Origin: MedWorm Query: heartburn
Conclusion: In this population-based study, statin use was associated with a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, particularly in the lower extremities, among individuals without arthritis. Evidence that statin use was associated with musculoskeletal pain among those with arthritis was lacking. (Source: The American Journal of Medicine)
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MIAMI, Jan. 22 (UPI) — A little known European holistic technique that relieves back pain, dating back to the 1890s, is gaining popularity in the United States, fitness experts say. (Source: Health News – UPI.com)
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Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSA) alters sleep quality and is associated with sleepiness and decreased cognitive functioning. It has therefore always been recognized as a major public health issue with potential societal consequences: accidents, incre… (Source: SafetyLit: All (Unduplicated))
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ST. LOUIS – A claimant with severe back pain on Dec. 20 filed a petition for en banc review with the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, asking for his appeal to be heard by all the justices despite a ruling last month by an Eighth Circuit panel upholding a disability insurer’s reliance on record reviews and video surveillance in its decision to deny benefits (Troy J. Daigle v Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Co., No. 11-1847, 8th Cir.; 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 24349). Full story on lexis.com (Source: LexisNexis® Mealey’s™ Disability Insurance Legal News)
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Henry Black discusses a study that suggests that many patients with resistant hypertension might have sleep apnea. Medscape Cardiology (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
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Conclusion Here we document a significant relationship between increasing levels of residual serum platinum and NTX severity after adjusting for initial cisplatin dose. (Source: Journal of Clinical Oncology)
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Hyperacute allodynia, that is, pain elicited by nonpainful stimuli, after spinal cord injury, with secondary disappearance, is exceptional. Only a handful of cases are on record. (Source: Journal of Pain and Symptom Management)
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A 44-year-old man is evaluated for a 6-month history of progressive bilateral lower extremity numbness and weakness and a 4-year history of back pain. What is the diagnosis? Medscape (Source: Medscape Today Headlines)
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Conclusions: The newly created data-base with the researchers’ names, addresses and publications could be used by scientists from smaller countries for further improvement of their international collaboration. (Source: International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology)
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Conclusions Jugular bulb abnormalities can erode into the vestibular aqueduct, facial nerve, and the posterior semicircular canal. While symptoms may include pulsatile tinnitus, vertigo, or conductive hearing loss, in contrast to earlier reports, half of the patients were asymptomatic. Dehiscence of vestibular aqueduct rarely leads to clinical or histologic hydrops. The VEMP testing was useful in confirming the presence of inner ear dehiscence due to JBAs. Because the natural history of JBAs is unknown, these patients should be followed closely to evaluate for progression of the JBA or development of symptoms. (Source: Archives of Otolaryngology)
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AbstractBackground Symptom based diagnosis is not reliable in patients with swallowing problems, heartburn, and other dyspeptic complaints. The aim of investigation is to provide clinically relevant measurements of gastrointestinal structure and function that explain the cause of symptoms, identify pathology, and guide effective management. Current practice rarely meets these ideals.Purpose This review considers recent advances in technology such as high‐resolution manometry (HRM) with esophageal pressure topography (EPT), HRM with impedance, high frequency ultrasound, and endoscopic functional luminal impedance planimetry (Endo‐FLIP) that provide new opportunities to identify the pathophysiologic basis of esophageal symptoms and disease. As experience with these new devices incr…
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Opioid administration turns down a pain amplifier by reversing synaptic long-term potentiation in spinal nociceptive pathways.Authors: Ruth Drdla-Schutting, Justus Benrath, Gabriele Wunderbaldinger, Jürgen Sandkühler (Source: Science: Current Issue)
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