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Treating osteoporosis with bisphosphonates, particularly for more than five years, has been linked to some side effects, including atypical femur fractures. Osteoporosis medications are supposed to prevent bone breaks. But if they are taken for too long, the opposite can happen. This video highlights what you need to know as a healthcare professional to educate patients
Among common cancers, pancreatic cancer has one of the poorest prognoses. Because pancreatic cancer often grows and spreads long before it causes any symptoms, only about 6% of patients are still alive five years after diagnosis. For some pancreatic patients, however, a complex surgery known as the Whipple procedure may extend life and could be a potential cure. Those who undergo a successful Whipple procedure may have a five-year survival rate of up to 25%.
Temporal arteritis is a condition in which the temporal arteries, which supply blood to the head and brain, become inflamed or damaged. It is also known as cranial arteritis or giant cell arteritis. Although this condition usually occurs in the temporal arteries, it can occur in almost any medium to large artery in the body. The journal Arthritis & Rheumatology states that approximately 228,000 people in the United States are affected by temporal arteritis. According to the American College of Rheumatology, people over the age of 50 are more likely than younger people to develop the condition. Women are also more likely than men to have temporal arteritis. It is most prevalent in people of northern European or Scandinavian descent. Although the exact cause of the condition is unknown, it may be linked to the body’s autoimmune response. Also, excessive doses of antibiotics and certain severe infections have been linked to temporal arteritis. There’s no known prevention. However, once diagnosed, temporal arteritis can be treated to minimize complications.
X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy is a genetic disorder that occurs primarily in males. It mainly affects the nervous system and the adrenal glands, which are small glands located on top of each kidney. In this disorder, the fatty covering (myelin) that insulates nerves in the brain and spinal cord is prone to deterioration (demyelination), which reduces the ability of the nerves to relay information to the brain. In addition, damage to the outer layer of the adrenal glands (adrenal cortex) causes a shortage of certain hormones (adrenocortical insufficiency). Adrenocortical insufficiency may cause weakness, weight loss, skin changes, vomiting, and coma.
Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) is surgery used to stabilize and heal a broken bone. You might need this procedure to treat your broken thighbone (femur). The femur is the large bone in the upper part of your leg. Different kinds of trauma can damage this bone, causing it to fracture into 2 or more pieces. This might happen to the part of the femur near your knee, near the middle of the femur, or in the part of the femur that forms part of your hip joint. In certain types of femur fractures, your femur has broken, but its pieces still line up correctly. In other types of fractures (displaced fractures), the trauma moves the bone fragments out of alignment. If you fracture your femur, you usually need ORIF to bring your bones back into place and help them heal. During an open reduction, orthopedic surgeons reposition your bone pieces during surgery, so that they are back in their proper alignment. This contrasts with a closed reduction, in which a healthcare provider physically moves your bones back into place without surgically exposing your bone.
If you look at someone’s back, you’ll see that the spine runs straight down the middle. When a person has scoliosis, their backbone curves to the side. The angle of the curve may be small, large or somewhere in between. But anything that measures more than 10 degrees is considered scoliosis. Doctors may use the letters “C” and “S” to describe the curve of the backbone. You probably don’t look directly at too many spines, but what you might notice about someone with scoliosis is the way they stand. They may lean a little or have shoulders or hips that look uneven. What Causes Scoliosis? In as many as 80% of cases, doctors don’t find the exact reason for a curved spine. Scoliosis without a known cause is what doctors call “idiopathic.” Some kinds of scoliosis do have clear causes. Doctors divide those curves into two types -- structural and nonstructural. In nonstructural scoliosis, the spine works normally, but looks curved. Why does this happen? There are a number of reasons, such as one leg’s being longer than the other, muscle spasms, and inflammations like appendicitis. When these problems are treated, this type of scoliosis often goes away.
-MEN1 syndrome is composed of hyperparathyroidism, gastrinoma (pancreatic tumor) and pituitary tum or(remember the 3 Ps). Hyperparathyroidism in MEN1 is caused by hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands. Removal of 3 1/2 glands or total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation is necessary.
Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that affects multiple organs in the body, but mostly the lungs and lymph glands. In people with sarcoidosis, abnormal masses or nodules (called granulomas) consisting of inflamed tissues form in certain organs of the body. These granulomas may alter the normal structure and possibly the function of the affected organ(s).
Biceps tenodesis is a common procedure performed for tendinopathy of the long head of the biceps brachii (LHB). Indications include partial-thickness LHB tear, tendon subluxation with or without subscapularis tear, and failed conservative management of bicipital tenosynovitis. Biceps tenodesis may also be performed for superior labrum anterior to posterior tears.
Possible complications include: Cardiovascular disease. ... Nerve damage (neuropathy). ... Kidney damage (nephropathy). ... Eye damage (retinopathy). ... Foot damage. ... Skin conditions. ... Hearing impairment. ... Alzheimer's disease.
CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, is a treatment that uses mild air pressure to keep the airways open. CPAP typically is used by people who have breathing problems, such as sleep apnea. CPAP also may be used to treat preterm infants whose lungs have not fully developed.