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 1,092,456 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Insufficiency fractures of the pelvis are being increasingly recognized as a major cause of low back pain in elderly women with osteoporosis. Fractures in the sacrum are difficult to diagnose, as plain radiographic findings are either unhelpful or misleading. Bone scintigraphy is very sensitive for the detection of fractures in the sacrum, with demonstration of the H-shaped (or butterfly) sacral pattern or the combination of concomitant sacral and parasymphyseal uptake being considered as characteristic of insufficiency fractures. Computed tomography (CT) is helpful for confirming the presence of fractures in cases with atypical scintigraphic patterns, particularly in those with a known primary malignant neoplasm. CT is especially useful in the further evaluation of parasymphyseal and pubic rami lesions. The majority of patients respond well to periods of enforced bed rest and administration of analgesics. Recognition of the spectrum of imaging findings for this entity should lead to its correct identification and the institution of appropriate treatment.
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PMID:Imaging of pelvic insufficiency fractures. 896 91

Low back pain and sciatica are usually attributed to localized structural pathology; however, tumors of the pelvis may also cause these symptoms. Pelvic bone neoplasms are seldom immediately diagnosed and, therefore, may result in significant morbidity and mortality. Fourteen cases of malignant primary bone tumors of the pelvis that caused spinal symptoms were referred to our Musculoskeletal Tumor Service. Several recurring characteristics of these cases that may alert the clinician to the possibility of underlying pelvic bone malignancy in a patient with low back pain were identified: 1) age > or = 45 years; 2) insidious onset of symptoms without antecedent trauma; 3) prolonged symptoms for more than 1 month; 4) progressive pain that fails conservative therapy; and 5) presence of anorexia, malaise, or night pain. We suggest that in diagnosis of a patient presenting with these characteristics, the clinician instruct that the pelvis be included in initial radiographs. If plain radiograph is non-diagnostic and symptoms remain unresponsive, we recommend obtaining a bone scan, and then, if necessary, computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.
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PMID:Primary bone tumors of the pelvis presenting as spinal disease. 897 18

Back pain is an important problem for primary care physicians; it is common, costly, and controversial. Back pain is the second leading symptom prompting all physician visits in the United States. There are wide geographic variations in medical care for this problem, and surgical rates in the United States are twice those of most developed countries. The treatment of back pain has followed a series of fads and fashions, and work disability resulting from back pain continues to rise. For all these reasons, primary care clinicians have an important role in improving the care of patients with low back pain. Primary care clinicians face unique problems in treating these patients. First, in primary care, most patients have uncomplicated low back pain, and identifying the rare patient with an underlying malignancy or neurologic deficit is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Second, these practitioners face two populations with nonspecific back pain: one that is likely to improve no matter what (who mostly need reassurance), and a smaller group (about 20%) who are prone to development of chronic back pain and who present complex psychosocial and occupational problems. Third, these problems must be dealt with in the typical setting of a 15-minute patient visit. Finally, lifestyle changes in exercise, weight loss, and smoking cessation may be major parts of patient treatment, and improving compliance with such interventions always is a major challenge. Primary care investigators studying back pain face at least three important challenges. One is to identify more efficient diagnostic strategies that will alleviate doctors' and patients' anxieties. Second is to develop a better theory to explain the large majority of episodes of nonspecific low back pain. At present, competing theories generate competing and conflicting treatments, generating frustration among patients and loss of credibility for clinicians. Third, we need better science, with greater methodologic rigor in the evaluation of the many nonsurgical treatments used for back pain in the primary care setting.
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PMID:Low back pain. A primary care challenge. 911 6

A case of small cell carcinoma of the prostate without a primary lesion in the lung was reported. The cancer was diagnosed after the patient complained of lumbago caused by bone metastasis. The tumor was 5.9 x 5.0 x 4.6 cm. The patient was treated with 4 courses of chemotherapy using cisplatin and etoposide. The tumor diminished to 4.0 x 4.0 x 3.5 cm after completion of the 4 courses of treatment. Prostatic antigen levels were less than 1.0 ng/mL during the therapy. Neuron-specific enolase levels were 35.9 ng/mL at the beginning of therapy, and decreased to 7.4 ng/mL after completion of 4 courses of treatment. The patient died 3 months after the completion of treatment. This regimen had some value for inhibiting the growth of small cell carcinoma.
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PMID:Small cell carcinoma of the prostate: a case report. 925 77

A 31-year-old man was admitted to our hospital complaining of epigastric discomfort and severe lumbago. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed several submucosallike tumors. Histologic examination of biopsy specimens confirmed the presence of endocrine cell carcinoma. Gallium scintigraphy and CT revealed multiple bone metastasis. He was treated with 6 cycles of combination chemotherapy consisting of CDDP, etoposide, CPA, EPI and VCR. Both gastric tumors and bone metastasis completely disappeared. After 7 cycles of the chemotherapy, he was treated with HDCT with PBSCT. There was no severe complication. This result suggested that the combination of conventional chemotherapy and HDCT with PBSCT was useful in cancer patients with poor prognoses, such as advanced gastric endocrine cell carcinoma.
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PMID:[A case of complete remission of gastric endocrine cell carcinoma with multiple bone metastasis by combination chemotherapy and high-dose chemotherapy with autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation]. 942 73

The key areas of scientific research in general internal medicine are (1) prevention; (2) the natural history of common illnesses; (3) improving the outcomes and efficiency of the health care system and (4) orphan diseases. Disease prevention is at the top of the list because of the enormous role preventable causes play in morbidity and mortality, above all tobacco. Research in this field is difficult because it touches such questions as individual behaviour and personal choice. Research in the natural history of common illnesses is critical to informed patient decision making. Recent studies show that procedures thought to be safe bear a high percentage of complications, when viewed from the generalist's point of view: high incidence of strokes after elective coronary bypass surgery; higher mortality rates among patients having had pulmonary catheterization; high incidence of incontinence and impotence after transurethral resection of the prostate. A third area for research in primary care is how to improve outcome and efficiency through improvements in the health care delivery system. This field touches the problem of unnecessary surgical interventions and inappropriate prescription of antibiotics. Orphan diseases in this context are conditions no speciality wants to study, such as dementia and low back pain. The most important obstacle for research in the field of general internal medicine is funding. It is much easier to be funded for research in high profile conditions, like heart disease, cancer and AIDS. A second barrier to research relates to the role of special interest groups in influencing not only funding but also policy. Important examples were the pressure on consensus conference decisions on the role of spinal fusion surgery for low back pain and on the question whether women between 40 and 50 should have annual mammography. For generalist research to be fruitful it is of outmost importance to have an adequate intellectual infrastructure, i.e. support by epidemiologists, biostatisticians, economists and research methodologists.
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PMID:Scientific evidence and research in primary care. 954 Jan 37

A 71-year-old woman presenting with severe low back pain was found to have a large oval area of increased sacral uptake on Tc-99m MDP scan, with corresponding T1-hypointense and T2-hyperintense areas on magnetic resonance (MR) images, highly suggestive of malignancy. Open biopsies showed only callus formation. The patient responded clinically to conservative measures, with twice-repeated follow-up Tc-99m MDP and MR scans documenting resolution of transient bone marrow oedema. We suggest that this form of marrow oedema represents a variant pattern of sacral insufficiency fractures.
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PMID:Transient bone marrow oedema: a variant pattern of sacral insufficiency fractures. 959 22

This article examines the current treatment of low back pain in light of the recent Agency for Health Care Practice and Research (AHCPR) guidelines on the acute management of low back pain (the AHCPR is an agency of the federal government). The article describes the most important history questions, the most helpful physical signs, and the most practical examination techniques. Considerable emphasis is placed on ruling out the "red flag" diagnoses that require immediate treatment. The article agrees with the AHCPR that if the red flags of cancer, infection, fracture, and neurologic deficit are ruled out, most of the remaining causes of acute back pain are largely self-healing over 4-8 weeks. Emphasis is placed on using the history and physical examination rather than expensive studies to rule out the red flag cases, so that cost-effective management of low back pain is possible. The author also reviews the ten top causes of low back pain and their evaluation and treatment.
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PMID:Perils and pointers in the evaluation and management of back pain. 960 17

A 41-year old woman with lung cancer was admitted to our hospital with constipation, lumbago and paraplegia. Her serum calcium level was 13.9 mg/dl. She expired on the 33rd hospital day despite vigorous fluid and supportive therapy. An autopsy was performed 1 hour later. The cause of death was rupture of the sigmoid colon and panperitonitis. To evaluate the etiology underlying the symptomatic hypercalcemia in the autopsied lung, we measured serum and tumor tissue concentrations of PTH-related protein (PTHrP) by radioimmunoassay using a specific antibody against human PTHrP (1-34), and performed immunohistochemical staining by the peroxidase-anti-peroxidase method with the same PTHrP antiserum. Northern blot analysis was also performed to detect messenger RNA in cancer tissue. All of these tests were positive for PTHrP. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported autopsied case demonstrated to be a PTHrP-producing large cell lung cancer by molecular biological methods.
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PMID:[A case of PTH related protein-producing large cell carcinoma of the lung]. 961 51

Low back pain may be of local origin, referred to the spine, or associated with pain in the lower limbs. This review discusses the pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and differential diagnosis of acute low back pain and proposes an algorithmic approach to investigation and management. The proportion of patients with serious underlying causes (e.g., cancer, infection, fracture) increases with age, and clinical assessment is directed at identification of these disorders. Most patients have nonspecific findings, do not require special investigation, and respond well to conservative treatment. Patients with suspicious features on history and physical examination require further investigation and individualized management.
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PMID:Low back pain: an algorithmic approach to diagnosis and management. 979 Nov 95


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