White Tongue Lesions: Candida, Contact Stomatitis, Oral Lichen Planus?
December 29th 2011Contact stomatitis can occur as a result of cinnamon exposure. The condition can easily be managed by withdrawal of the antigen. A short course of systemic corticosteroid can produce dramatic improvement if symptoms are severe.
Child Abuse-or Cultural Norm?-in a Developing Nation
December 22nd 2011For the past 20 years, I have been visiting developing nations to deliver healthcare. Recently, I made a conscious decision to look for a case of child abuse to write about. Late in 2011, during one of my visits to a third world country, I encountered multiple situations that rose to the level of possible child abuse. Here, I describe 3 such cases.
Video: Observer Bias in GERD Diagnosis
November 9th 2011Is obesity really leading to an increase in GERD? Or, has GERD just become a catch-all phrase for all sorts of upper GI distress? Has GERD become the new "dyspepsia"? G. Richard Locke, MD, FACG, from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, discusses his findings as presented at the ACG 2011 program.
Obesity: Epidemiology and Medical Management
November 1st 2011Prevalence for overweight (BMI 24.9 to 29.9) and obesity (BMI > 30) have been steadily rising for the past 30 years-two-thirds of Americans now qualify as overweight or heavier. Hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and GERD prevalence are following this epidemic. Obesity is now the second most common preventable cause of death, exceeded only by smoking.
Gout, 2011: Q & A Update on an Ancient Scourge
October 22nd 2011Gout, once considered a disease of kings, is now a common and equal opportunity disease that affects as many as 3 million people in the US. Gouty arthritis has now become a serious problem in organ transplant recipients; in diuretic users; and in patients with CKD, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, heart failure, plus more.
Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Pleura
October 5th 2011A 76-year-old man presented with left-sided chest pain, after a fall. He had tenderness along the left 8th rib and left basal rales. CXR showed non-displaced fractures of the 7th and 8th ribs with a small effusion and a right postero-basal rounded opacity.
An Elderly Man With a Lung Mass and Neurologic Symptoms
September 28th 2011A 71-year-old man was admitted to the MICU for weaning from mechanical ventilation. The history revealed a global decline over the previous 3 to 4 weeks predominated by cognitive impairment, mood swings, somnolence, and limb weakness. No respiratory symptoms were noted.
A Middle-Aged Man With Recurrent Pneumonia and Renal Failure
September 14th 2011A 56-year-old was seen in the ED after 4 days of hemoptysis and intermittent left chest pain. He also complained of exertional dyspnea and arthralgias. He had been treated for “pneumonia” twice during the past month. Histories were unremarkable.