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Query: UMLS:C0016199 (flank pain)
 2,189 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A 28-year-old female presented for evaluation of left flank pain and polyuria after having been exposed to cadmium in the jewelry manufacturing industry for approximately 3 years. This patient possessed both elevated 24-hr urinary ss2-microglobulin and elevated blood cadmium levels. Approximately 6 months after initial presentation, the patient resigned from her job due to shortness of breath, chest pain, and anxiety. Exposure to cadmium in the jewelry industry is a significant source of occupational cadmium exposure. Other occupational sources include the manufacture of nickel-cadmium batteries, metal plating, zinc and lead refining, smelting of cadmium and lead, and production of plastics. Cadmium is also an environmental pollutant that accumulates in leafy vegetables and plants, including tobacco. Major toxicities anticipated from cadmium exposure involve the renal, pulmonary, and, to a lesser extent, gastrointestinal systems. These include the development of renal proximal tubular dysfunction, glomerular damage with progressive renal disease, and respiratory symptoms including pneumonitis and emphysema. Low-level cadmium exposure has also been associated with increased urinary calcium excretion and direct bone toxicity, effects that recent research suggests may result in the development of osteoporosis. The body burden of cadmium, over half of which may reside in the kidneys, is most often measured through the use of urinary cadmium levels. Blood cadmium measurements generally reflect current or recent exposure and are especially useful in cases with a short exposure period and only minimal accumulation of cadmium in the kidneys. Both ss2-microglobulin and alpha1-microglobulin serve as organ-specific, early-effect biomarkers of tubular proteinuria and thus play a role in identifying early signs of cadmium-induced renal damage in those with potential exposures. In addition to ensuring workplace compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration-mandated monitoring and screening measures, it is prudent for those with cadmium exposure to maintain adequate intake of both iron and calcium, appropriate measures even in the absence of exposure.
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PMID:Cadmium exposure and nephropathy in a 28-year-old female metals worker. 1246 Aug 7

Osteoporosis is a worldwide problem and it mainly affects postmenopausal women. Osteoporosis associated with pregnancy or lactation is a rare condition. The incidence and mechanism of this phenomenon has not been clarified, but it can cause one or more vertebral compression fractures with severe, prolonged back pain in the affected women. We experienced this uncommon case, treated it with percutaneous vertebroplasty. A 35-old-woman visited our hospital with complaints of severe back pain and flank pain 2 months after normal vaginal delivery. She was diagnosed with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures on the T5, 8, 9 and 11 vertebral bodies and we performed percutaneous vertebroplasty on the T8, 9 and 11 vertebrae with a good result. We present here an unusual case of pregnancy-associated compression fractures treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty.
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PMID:Percutaneous vertebroplasty for pregnancy-associated osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. 2053 4

Milk-alkali syndrome is a rare cause of hypercalcemia characterized by the triad of hypercalcemia, renal insufficiency, and metabolic alkalosis that results from the overconsumption of calcium containing products. In the setting of pregnancy where there is a physiologic increase in calcium absorption, milk-alkali syndrome can be potentially life threatening. We report a case of a 26-year-old woman in her second trimester of pregnancy who presented with 2 weeks of flank pain, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, headache, and lightheadedness. The history revealed consumption of a large quantity of milk, calcium carbonate antacid, and calcium-containing prenatal vitamins. Her symptoms and hypercalcemia resolved with intravenous fluids and a loop diuretic. With the increased use of calcium carbonate for peptic ulcer disease, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and osteoporosis, milk-alkali syndrome has experienced a resurgence and must be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypercalcemia. In this clinical vignette we review the literature on milk-alkali syndrome in pregnancy and discuss important diagnostic and therapeutic considerations when managing the pregnant patient with hypercalcemia.
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PMID:Hypercalcemia in pregnancy: a case of milk-alkali syndrome. 2134 76