A Young Man With Thousands of Colorectal Polyps: Anomalous and Benign? Or, Something Else?
April 2nd 2012Diagnostic colonoscopy revealed innumerable polyps carpeting the mucosa from the rectum to the cecum. Endoscopic findings and family history were most consistent with familial adenomatous polyposis.
Hepatitis B Virus: 5 Things Primary Care Physicians Need to Know Now
March 22nd 2012Did you know: The hepatitis B virus is the only human virus that is routinely tested for by measuring a marker, or “footprint,” of the virus in the blood? Here, an explanation for this and 4 more things you need to know about HBV.
What Cause of Persistent Diarrhea and Weight Loss?
March 21st 2012A 28-year-old woman presents with a 4-month history of diarrhea and a 15-lb weight loss. She reports starting “another new diet” a few months ago but was in good health until these symptoms began. There is no family history of GI disease and no sick contacts. She denies recent travel.
New HIV Guidelines Target Treatment Retention, Adherence
March 21st 2012US government guidelines tell how to treat HIV/AIDS effectively, but fewer than a third of patients achieve complete viral suppression. New recommendations from an independent association of physicians and other healthcare providers now recommend ways to be sure that HIV-positive individuals adhere to treatment and remain in care.
HIV Prophylaxis Fails to Prevent Infection Among Adults
March 15th 2012By starting patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART) before infection, researchers theorize, the drugs may inhibit HIV replication immediately after exposure to the virus. But adherence by uninfected individuals is a major challenge.
At AAAAI Meeting: Asthma, Obesity, Medications, and More
March 13th 2012At the 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, held early this month in Florida, specialists learned a great deal that is important to primary care. Among the most noteworthy presentations: Why primary care isn't following asthma guidelines, the importance of body weight in asthma treatment, and the future of sublingual allergy drugs.
Myalgias in a 55-Year-Old Man, After a Camping Trip
March 9th 2012A 58-year-old man presents with myalgias of approximately 1 week’s duration. He had been recently treated for sinusitis and symptoms resolved. His only medications were hydrochlorothiazide for hypertension and simvastatin for hyperlipidemia. He and his wife had gone camping 1 month before this visit.