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There are no laboratory or skin testing methods for testing salicylate sensitivity. Provocative challenge is one method of obtaining reliable diagnosis. Provocative challenge is intended to induce a controlled reaction as a means of confirming diagnosis. During provocative challenge, the person is given incrementally higher doses of salicylates, usually aspirin, under medical supervision, until either symptoms appear or the likelihood of symptoms appearing is ruled out.
Completely eliminating salicylate from one's diet and environment is virtually impossible and is not a recommended course of action by many immunologists. The range of foods that have no salicylate content is very limited, and consequently salicylate-free diets are very restricted.
Desensitization involves daily administration of progressive doses of salicylate. This process is usually performed as an inpatient, with a crash-cart at the bedside over a six-day period, beginning with 25 mg of I.V. lysine-aspirin and progressing to 500 mg if tolerated.
Montelukast is one form of treatment used in aspirin-intolerant asthma.
Although there are no definitive criteria to diagnose the existence of reactive arthritis, the American College of Rheumatology has published sensitivity and specificity guidelines.
The initial diagnostic workup for ulcerative colitis includes the following:
- A complete blood count is done to check for anemia; thrombocytosis, a high platelet count, is occasionally seen
- Electrolyte studies and renal function tests are done, as chronic diarrhea may be associated with hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia and pre-renal failure.
- Liver function tests are performed to screen for bile duct involvement: primary sclerosing cholangitis.
- X-ray
- Urinalysis
- Stool culture, to rule out parasites and infectious causes.
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate can be measured, with an elevated sedimentation rate indicating that an inflammatory process is present.
- C-reactive protein can be measured, with an elevated level being another indication of inflammation.
- Sigmoidoscopy a type of endoscopy which can detect the presence of ulcers in the large intestine after a trial of an enema.
Although ulcerative colitis is a disease of unknown causation, inquiry should be made as to unusual factors believed to trigger the disease.
The simple clinical colitis activity index was created in 1998 and is used to assess the severity of symptoms.
There are few clinical symptoms, but the clinical picture is dominated by arthritis in one or more joints, resulting in pain, swelling, redness, and heat sensation in the affected areas.
The urethra, cervix and the throat may be swabbed in an attempt to culture the causative organisms. Cultures may also be carried out on urine and stool samples or on fluid obtained by arthrocentesis.
Tests for C-reactive protein and erythrocyte sedimentation rate are non-specific tests that can be done to corroborate the diagnosis of the syndrome.
A blood test for the genetic marker HLA-B27 may also be performed. About 75 percent of all the patients with Reiter's arthritis have this gene.
The best test for diagnosis of ulcerative colitis remains endoscopy. Full colonoscopy to the cecum and entry into the terminal ileum is attempted only if the diagnosis of UC is unclear. Otherwise, a flexible sigmoidoscopy is sufficient to support the diagnosis. The physician may elect to limit the extent of the exam if severe colitis is encountered to minimize the risk of perforation of the colon. Endoscopic findings in ulcerative colitis include the following:
- Loss of the vascular appearance of the colon
- Erythema (or redness of the mucosa) and friability of the mucosa
- Superficial ulceration, which may be confluent, and
- Pseudopolyps.
Ulcerative colitis is usually continuous from the rectum, with the rectum almost universally being involved. Perianal disease is rare. The degree of involvement endoscopically ranges from proctitis or inflammation of the rectum, to left sided colitis, to pancolitis, which is inflammation involving the ascending colon.
Löfgren syndrome is associated with a good prognosis, with > 90% of patients experiencing disease resolution within 2 years. In contrast, patients with the disfiguring skin condition lupus pernio or cardiac or neurologic involvement rarely experience disease remission.
Treatment is beta blockers, ASA, and NSAIDs (or corticosteroids if NSAIDs are ineffective).
NSAIDs (non steroid anti-inflammatory drug) are the usual recommended treatment for Löfgren syndrome.
In the initial phase of damage to the gland, preformed thyroid hormone will 'fall out' of the damaged cells. This leads to symptoms and biochemistry of an overactive thyroid (feels hot, trembly, anxious, loses weight, fast heart rate, sweaty, greasy hair), with raised free T3 and free T4, and a suppressed thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) value. The damaged cells will no longer be able to take up iodine in order to manufacture further supplies of thyroid hormone, and thus in due course the patient comes to experience the symptoms of an underactive thyroid (feels cold, tired, depressed, gains weight, dry skin and hair) with low free T3 and free T4, and eventually increased TSH.
With the standard overactive thyroid, iodine uptake into the thyroid is avid, whereas if the cells are damaged, then uptake is poor. In this way, if there is doubt about whether the patient has too much thyroid hormone because of de Quervain's thyroiditis, then measuring radio-iodine uptake or technetium uptake gives a clear cut answer as it will be higher than normal in standard thyrotoxicosis and lower than normal in de Quervain's.
The Sartorius staging system is more sophisticated than Hurley's. Sartorius "et al." suggested that the Hurley system is not sophisticated enough to assess treatment effects in clinical trials during research. This classification allows for better dynamic monitoring of the disease severity in individual patients. The elements of this staging system are:
- Anatomic regions involved (axilla, groin gluteal, or other region or inframammary region left or right)
- Number and types of lesions involved (abscesses, nodules, fistulas [actually sinuses], scars, points for lesions of all regions involved)
- The distance between lesions, in particular the longest distance between two relevant lesions (i.e., nodules and fistulas in each region or size if only one lesion present)
- The presence of normal skin in between lesions (i.e., are all lesions clearly separated by normal skin?)
Points are accumulated in each of the above categories, and added to give both a regional and total score. In addition, the authors recommend adding a visual analog scale for pain or using the dermatology life quality index (DLQI, or the Skindex) when assessing HS.
This is historically the first classification system proposed, and is still in use for the classification of patients with skin/dermatologic diseases (i.e., psoriasis, HS, acne). Hurley separated patients into three groups based largely on the presence and extent of cicatrization and sinuses. It has been used as a basis for clinical trials in the past and is a useful basis to approach therapy for patients. These three stages are based on Hurley's staging system, which is simple and relies on the subjective extent of the diseased tissue the patient has. Hurley's three stages of hidradenitis suppurativa are:
Median arcuate ligament syndrome is a diagnosis of exclusion. That is, the diagnosis of MALS is generally considered only after patients have undergone an extensive evaluation of their gastrointestinal tract including upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, and evaluation for gallbladder disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
The diagnosis of MALS relies on a combination of clinical features and findings on medical imaging. Clinical features include those signs and symptoms mentioned above; classically, MALS involves a triad of abdominal pain after eating, weight loss, and an abdominal bruit, although the classic triad is found in only a minority of individuals that carry a MALS diagnosis.
Diagnostic imaging for MALS is divided into screening and confirmatory tests. A reasonable screening test for patients with suspected MALS is duplex ultrasonography to measure blood flow through the celiac artery. Peak systolic velocities greater than 200 cm/s are suggestive of celiac artery stenosis associated with MALS.
Further evaluation and confirmation can be obtained via angiography to investigate the anatomy of the celiac artery. Historically, conventional angiography was used, although this has been largely replaced by less invasive techniques such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) angiography. Because it provides better visualization of intraabdominal structures, CT angiography is preferred to MR angiography in this setting. The findings of focal narrowing of the proximal celiac artery with poststenotic dilatation, indentation on the superior aspect of the celiac artery, and a hook-shaped contour of the celiac artery support a diagnosis of MALS. These imaging features are exaggerated on expiration, even in normal asymptomatic individuals without the syndrome.
Proximal celiac artery stenosis with poststenotic dilatation can be seen in other conditions affecting the celiac artery. The hook-shaped contour of the celiac artery is characteristic of the anatomy in MALS and helps distinguish it from other causes of celiac artery stenosis such as atherosclerosis. This hooked contour is not entirely specific for MALS however, given that 10-24% of normal asymptomatic individuals have this anatomy.
Gonococcemia (also known as "Arthritis–dermatosis syndrome" and "Disseminated gonococcal infection") is a condition characterized by a hemorrhagic vesiculopustular eruption, bouts of fever, and arthralgia or actual arthritis of one or several joints.
It's characterized by a triad of symptoms: migratory polyarthritis, tenosynovitis, and dermatitis (pustular skin lesions).
Risk of some causes of urethritis can be lessened by avoiding unprotected sexual activity, chemicals that could irritate the urethra; this could include detergents or lotions as well as spermicides or contraceptives, and irritation caused by manual manipulation of the urethra.
In female patients, urethritis can be caused by pelvic inflammatory disease.
In males, thepenis and testicles may show signs of pain and swelling. The urethra is visually examined by spreading the urinary meatus apart with two gloved fingers, and examining the opening for redness, discharge and other abnormalities. Next, a cotton swab is inserted 1-4 cm into the urethra and rotated once. To prevent contamination, no lubricant is applied to the swab, which can result in pain or discomfort. The swab is then smeared onto a glass slide and examined under a microscope. A commonly used cut-off for the diagnosis of urethritis is 5 or more granulocytes per High Power Field, but this definition has recently been called into doubt. The physician sometimes performs a digital rectal examination to inspect the prostate gland for swelling or infection.
A urinary tract infection may cause similar symptoms.
The majority (90%) of cases have not had detectable cytogenetic abnormalities. Most importantly, the Philadelphia chromosome and other BCR/ABL fusion genes are not detected.
The body's inflammatory response to surgery likely plays an important role, at least in elderly patients. Various research initiatives during recent years have evaluated whether actions taken before, during and after surgery can lessen the possible deleterious effects of inflammation. For example, anti-inflammatory agents can be given before surgery. During surgery, inflammation can be modulated by temperature control, use of regional rather than general anesthesia or the use of beta blockers. After surgery, optimal pain management and infection control is important. Several studies have shown variable-significance positive effects when a multidisciplinary, multifactorial approach to elderly patient is followed during pre, peri and post-operative care.
Animal studies indicate that volatile anaesthestics may augment the pathological processes of Alzheimer's Disease by affecting amyloid-beta processing. However, in young healthy mice, the volatile anesthetic isoflurane can also produce long-lasting memory impairment. This adverse effect is preventable by pre-administering the GABA(A)α5 inverse agonist L-655,708.
Grinspan syndrome is a syndrome characterized by presence of the triad: essential hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and oral lichen planus.
Oral lichen planus is thought to be a result of the drugs used for treatment of hypertension and diabetes mellitus but this is not confirmed.
Diagnosis can be difficult as symptoms may be nonspecific. A CT scan of the head is typically recommended if a concern is present. While retinal bleeding is common, it can also occur in other conditions.
There are few studies of the long-term outcomes of patients treated for MALS. According to Duncan, the largest and more relevant late outcomes data come from a study of 51 patients who underwent open surgical treatment for MALS, 44 of whom were available for long-term follow-up at an average of nine years following therapy. The investigators reported that among patients who underwent celiac artery decompression and revascularization, 75% remained asymptomatic at follow-up. In this study, predictors of favorable outcome included:
- Age from 40 to 60 years
- Lack of psychiatric condition or alcohol use
- Abdominal pain that was worse after meals
- Weight loss greater than 20 lb (9.1 kg)
POCD is common after cardiac surgery, and recent studies have now verified that POCD also exists after major non-cardiac surgery, although at a lower incidence. The risk of POCD increases with age, and the type of surgery is also important because there is a very low incidence associated with minor surgery. POCD is common in adult patients of all ages at hospital discharge after major noncardiac surgery, but only the elderly (aged 60 years or older) are at significant risk for long-term cognitive problems. Patients with POCD are at an increased risk of death in the first year after surgery. Research interest has increased since early 2000, especially as more elderly patients are able to undergo successful minor and major surgeries.
POCD has been studied through various institutions since the inception of the IPOCDS-I study centred in Eindhoven, Netherlands and Copenhagen, Denmark. This study found no causal relationship between cerebral hypoxia and low blood pressure and POCD. Age, duration of anaesthesia, introperative complications, and postoperative infections were found to be associated with POCD.
- POCD is just as likely to occur after operations under regional anesthesia as under general anesthesia.
- More likely after major operations than minor operations.
- More likely after heart operations than other types of surgery.
- More likely in aged than in younger patients.
- More likely in older patients with high alcohol intake/abuse.
- People with higher preoperative ASA physical status scores are more likely to develop POCD.
- People with lower educational level are more likely to develop POCD than those with a higher educational level.
- People with prior history of a stroke, even though there is complete functional recovery, are more likely to develop POCD.
- More likely in the elderly with pre-existing declining mental functions, termed mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI is a transitional zone between normal mental function and evident Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia. It is insidious, and seldom recognized, except in retrospect after affected persons are evidently demented.
- Delirium and severe worsening of mental function is very likely in those with clinically evident Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, as well as those with a history of delirium after previous operations.
There is an association between taking aspirin for viral illnesses and the development of Reye syndrome, but no animal model of Reye syndrome has been developed in which aspirin causes the condition.
The serious symptoms of Reye syndrome appear to result from damage to cellular mitochondria, at least in the liver, and there are a number of ways that aspirin could cause or exacerbate mitochondrial damage. A potential increased risk of developing Reye syndrome is one of the main reasons that aspirin has not been recommended for use in children and teenagers, the age group for which the risk of lasting serious effects is highest.
No research has found a definitive cause of Reye syndrome, and association with aspirin has been shown through epidemiological studies. The diagnosis of "Reye Syndrome" greatly decreased in the 1980s, when genetic testing for inborn errors of metabolism was becoming available in developed countries. A retrospective study of 49 survivors of cases diagnosed as "Reye's Syndrome" showed that the majority of the surviving patients had various metabolic disorders, particularly a fatty-acid oxidation disorder medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency.
In some countries, oral mouthcare product Bonjela (not the form specifically designed for teething) has labeling cautioning against its use in children, given its salicylate content. There have been no cases of Reye syndrome following its use, and the measure is a precaution. Other medications containing salicylates are often similarly labeled as a precaution.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the U.S. Surgeon General, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommend that aspirin and combination products containing aspirin not be given to children under 19 years of age during episodes of fever-causing illnesses. Hence, in the United States, it is advised that the opinion of a doctor or pharmacist should be obtained before anyone under 19 years of age is given any medication containing aspirin (also known on some medicine labels as acetylsalicylate, salicylate, acetylsalicylic acid, ASA, or salicylic acid).
Current advice in the United Kingdom by the Committee on Safety of Medicines is that aspirin should not be given to those under the age of 16 years, unless specifically indicated in Kawasaki disease or in the prevention of blood clot formation.
There are two types of normal pressure hydrocephalus: idiopathic and secondary. The secondary type of NPH can be due to a subarachnoid hemorrhage, head trauma, tumor, infection in the central nervous system, or a complication of cranial surgery.
While the findings of AHT are complex and many, they are often referred to as a "triad". The process of inferring violent or abusive shaking from the findings in the SBS diagnosis has also been referred to as a hypothesis.
In 2000, Rob Parish, Deputy Director of the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, summarized the "triad" as follows: "Often referred to as the “triad”, the consensus continues to be that a collection of (1)damage to the brain, evidenced by severe brain swelling and/or diffuse traumatic axonal injury; (2) bleeding under the membranes which cover the brain, usually subdural and/or subarachnoid bleeding; and, (3) bleeding in the layers of the retina, often accompanied by other ocular damage, when seen in young children or infants, is virtually diagnostic of severe, whiplash shaking of the head."
SBS may be misdiagnosed, underdiagnosed, and overdiagnosed, and caregivers may lie or be unaware of the mechanism of injury. Commonly, there are no externally visible signs of the condition. Examination by an experienced ophthalmologist is often critical in diagnosing shaken baby syndrome, as particular forms of ocular bleeding are quite characteristic. Magnetic resonance imaging may also depict retinal bleeds; this may occasionally be useful if an ophthalmologist examination is delayed or unavailable. Conditions that must be ruled out include hydrocephalus, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), seizure disorders, and infectious or congenital diseases like meningitis and metabolic disorders. CT scanning and magnetic resonance imaging are used to diagnose the condition. Conditions that may accompany SBS include bone fractures, injury to the cervical spine (in the neck), retinal bleeding, cerebral bleed or atrophy, hydrocephalus, and papilledema (swelling of the optic disc).
The terms "non-accidental head injury" or "inflicted traumatic brain injury" have been suggested instead of "SBS".
The connection of the triad to episodes of traumatic shaking is controversial with a 2016 systematic review finding limited scientific evidence associating the triad to episodes of traumatic shaking, and insufficient evidence for using the triad to identify such episodes. The connection is controversial in part following cases where parents of children exhibiting the triad have, in addition to losing custody, been jailed or sentenced to death.