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Deep Learning Technology: Sebastian Arnold, Betty van Aken, Paul Grundmann, Felix A. Gers and Alexander Löser. Learning Contextualized Document Representations for Healthcare Answer Retrieval. The Web Conference 2020 (WWW'20)
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The basic diagnostic test is similar to a normal audiogram. The difference is that additionally to the hearing threshold at each test frequency also the lowest uncomfortable sound level is measured. This level is called "loudness discomfort level" (LDL) or "uncomfortable loudness level" (ULL). In patients with hyperacusis this level is considerably lower than in normal subjects, and usually across most parts of the auditory spectrum.
Excision biopsy is required to confirm the diagnosis of saree cancer. In many cases local excision with skin grafting is considered the appropriate treatment.
Different ways of wearing the petticoat may help saree-wearers to prevent saree cancer. Some such strategies are:
- Loosening the petticoat
- Changing the usual rope-like belt to broader ones that reduce pressure on the area
- Continuously changing the level at which the petticoat is tied
The diagnosis of GPS is often difficult, as numerous other diseases can cause the various manifestations of the condition and the condition itself is rare. The most accurate means of achieving the diagnosis is testing the affected tissues by means of a biopsy, especially the kidney, as it is the best-studied organ for obtaining a sample for the presence of anti-GBM antibodies. On top of the anti-GBM antibodies implicated in the disease, about one in three of those affected also has cytoplasmic antineutrophilic antibodies in their bloodstream, which often predates the anti-GBM antibodies by about a few months or even years. The later the disease is diagnosed, the worse the outcome is for the affected person.
One possible treatment for hyperacusis is retraining therapy which uses broadband noise. Tinnitus retraining therapy, a treatment originally used to treat tinnitus, uses broadband noise to treat hyperacusis. Pink noise can also be used to treat hyperacusis. By listening to broadband noise at soft levels for a disciplined period of time each day, patients can rebuild (i.e., re-establish) their tolerances to sound.
Another possible treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which may also be combined with retraining therapy.
Bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy is a bilateral enlargement of the lymph nodes of pulmonary hila. It is a radiographic term that describes the enlargement of mediastinal lymph nodes and is most commonly identified by a chest x-ray.
The barium particles can be seen as opaque shadows on the chest X-rays of people with baritosis. However, being a benign condition, it neither interferes with lung function nor causes symptoms other than a mild cough.
After exposure to barium dust ceases, the X-ray abnormalities gradually resolve.
Baritosis is a benign type of pneumoconiosis, which is caused by long-term exposure to barium dust.
Barium has a high radio-opacity and the disease may develop after few months of exposure. Extremely dense, discrete small opacities of 2–4 mm diameter, sometimes of a star-like configuration, are seen on the radiograph. Their distribution is uniform. When they are very numerous, superimposition may give the impression of confluency, but this does not seem to occur in reality. The hilar lymph nodes can be very opaque but not enlarged. After cessation of exposure, there is a gradual clearing of the opacities.
Saree cancer is a type of skin cancer that occurs along the waistline in females wearing the saree, caused by constant irritation which can result in scaling and changes in pigmentation of the skin. It is a rare type of cancer and generally found in the Indian subcontinent, where sarees are commonly worn by girls and women throughout their lives. It is similar to Marjolin's ulcer in cause, involving chronic inflammation.
Diagnosis is confirmed by x-ray imaging. Displaced fractures are readily apparent. A non-displaced fracture can be difficult to identify and a fracture line may not be visible on the X-rays. However, the presence of a joint effusion is highly suggestive of a non-displaced fracture. Bleeding from the fracture expands the joint capsule and is visualized on the lateral view as a darker area anteriorly and posteriorly, and is known as the sail sign. Depending on the child's age, parts of the bone will still be developing and if not yet calcified, will not show up on the X-rays. At times, X-rays of the opposite elbow may be obtained for comparison. There are landmarks on the X-rays that can be used to assess displacement, including the "anterior humeral line", which is a line drawn down along the front of the humerus on the lateral view and it should pass through the middle third of the capitulum of the humerus.
Dry eyes can usually be diagnosed by the symptoms alone. Tests can determine both the quantity and the quality of the tears. A slit lamp examination can be performed to diagnose dry eyes and to document any damage to the eye.
A Schirmer's test can measure the amount of moisture bathing the eye. This test is useful for determining the severity of the condition. A five-minute Schirmer's test with and without anesthesia using a Whatman #41 filter paper 5 mm wide by 35 mm long is performed. For this test, wetting under 5 mm with or without anesthesia is considered diagnostic for dry eyes.
If the results for the Schirmer's test are abnormal, a Schirmer II test can be performed to measure reflex secretion. In this test, the nasal mucosa is irritated with a cotton-tipped applicator, after which tear production is measured with a Whatman #41 filter paper. For this test, wetting under 15 mm after five minutes is considered abnormal.
A tear breakup time (TBUT) test measures the time it takes for tears to break up in the eye. The tear breakup time can be determined after placing a drop of fluorescein in the cul-de-sac.
A tear protein analysis test measures the lysozyme contained within tears. In tears, lysozyme accounts for approximately 20 to 40 percent of total protein content.
A lactoferrin analysis test provides good correlation with other tests.
The presence of the recently described molecule Ap4A, naturally occurring in tears, is abnormally high in different states of ocular dryness. This molecule can be quantified biochemically simply by taking a tear sample with a plain Schirmer test. Utilizing this technique it is possible to determine the concentrations of Ap4A in the tears of patients and in such way diagnose objectively if the samples are indicative of dry eye.
The Tear Osmolarity Test has been proposed as a test for dry eye disease. Tear osmolarity may be a more sensitive method of diagnosing and grading the severity of dry eye compared to corneal and conjunctival staining, tear break-up time, Schirmer test, and meibomian gland grading. Others have recently questioned the utility of tear osmolarity in monitoring dry eye treatment.
The following are causes of BHL:
- Sarcoidosis
- Infection
- Tuberculosis
- Fungal infection
- Mycoplasma
- Intestinal Lipodystrophy (Whipple's disease)
- Malignancy
- Lymphoma
- Carcinoma
- Mediastinal tumors
- Inorganic dust disease
- Silicosis
- Berylliosis
- Extrinsic allergic alveolitis
- Such as bird fancier's lung
- Less common causes also exist:
- Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis
- Human immunodeficiency virus
- Extrinsic allergic alveolitis
- Adult-onset Still's disease
"Baumann's angle", also known as the humeral-capitellar angle, is measured on an AP radiograph of the elbow between the long axis of the humerus and the growth plate of the lateral condyle.
Reported normal values for Baumann's angle range between 9 and 26° An angle of more than 10° is generally regarded as acceptable. When reducing paediatric supracondylar humerus fractures, a deviation of more than 5° from the contralateral side should not be accepted.
Alteration of Baumann angle: Baumann's angle is created by drawing a line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the humeral shaft and a line along the lateral condylar physis as viewed on the AP image normal is 70-75 degrees, but best judge is a comparison of the contralateral side deviation of more than 5 degrees indicates coronal plane deformity and should not be accepted.
The nodules may pre-date the appearance of rheumatoid arthritis by several years. Otherwise prognosis is as for RA; lung disease may remit spontaneously, but pulmonary fibrosis may also progress.
Treatment of rheumatoid nodules is rarely a priority for people with rheumatoid arthritis. However, surgical removal is often successful, even if there is a tendency for nodules to regrow. Of the drug therapies commonly used in rheumatoid arthritis, methotrexate has the disadvantage of tending to make nodules worse. TNF inhibitors do not have a very reliable effect on nodules. B cell depletion with rituximab often leads to disappearance of nodules but this is not guaranteed.
Dyshidrosis is diagnosed clinically, by gathering a patient's history and making careful observations (see signs and symptoms section). Severity of symptoms can also be assessed using the dyshidrotic eczema area and severity index (DASI). The DASI has been designed for clinical trials and is not typically used in practice.
There is no way to prevent keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Complications can be prevented by use of wetting and lubricating drops and ointments.
The major mainstay of treatment for GPS is plasmapheresis, a procedure in which the affected person's blood is sent through a centrifuge and the various components separated based on weight. The plasma, clear liquid part of the blood, contains the anti-GBM antibodies that attack the affected person's lungs and kidneys and is filtered out. The other parts of the blood, that is, the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, are recycled and given intravenously as a replacement fluid. Most individuals affected by the disease also need to be treated with immunosuppressant drugs, especially cyclophosphamide, prednisone, and rituximab, to prevent the formation of new anti-GBM antibodies so as to prevent further damage to the kidneys and lungs. Other, less toxic immunosuppressants such as azathioprine may be used to maintain remission.
The following are precautionary measures that can be taken to avoid the spread of bagassosis:
1. Dust control-prevention /suppression of dust such as wet process, enclosed apparatus, exhaust ventilation etc. should be used
2. Personal protection- masks/ respirators
3. Medical control- initial medical examination & periodical checkups of workers
4. Bagasse control- keep moisture content above 20% and spray bagasse with 2% propionic acid
The exact cause of rheumatoid lung disease is unknown. However, associated factors could be due largely to smoking. Sometimes, the medicines used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, especially methotrexate, may result in lung disease.
Prevention's:
- Stop smoking: Chemicals found in cigarettes can irritate already delicate lung tissue, leading to further complications.
- Having regular checkups: The doctor could listen to lungs and monitor breathing, because lung problems that are detected early can be easier to treat.
Once tuberculosis has been excluded, treatment is with steroids. All exposure to coal dust must be stopped, and smoking cessation should be attempted. Rheumatoid arthritis should be treated normally with early use of DMARDs.
According to a recent study, the main risk factors for RA-ILD are advancing age, male sex, greater RA disease activity, rheumatoid factor (RF) positivity, and elevated titers of anticitrullinated protein antibodies such as anticyclic citrullinated peptide. Cigarette smoking also appears to increase risk of RA-ILD, especially in patients with human leukocyte antigen DRB1.
A recently published retrospective study by a team from Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital in Beijing, China, supported three of the risk factors listed for RA-ILD and identified an additional risk factor. In that study of 550 RA patients, logistic regression analysis of data collected on the 237 (43%) with ILD revealed that age, smoking, RF positivity, and elevated lactate dehydrogenase closely correlated with ILD.
Recent studies have identified risk factors for disease progression and mortality. A retrospective study of 167 patients with RA-ILD determined that the usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) was a risk factor for progression, as were severe disease upon diagnosis and rate of change in pulmonary function test results in the first 6 months after diagnosis.
A study of 59 RA-ILD patients found no median survival difference between those with the UIP pattern and those without it. But the UIP group had more deaths, hospital admissions, need for supplemental oxygen, and decline in lung function.
This includes:
- Asthma
- Environmental allergic reaction
- Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegner's syndrome)
- Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
- Churg-Strauss syndrome
- Loeffler's syndrome
- Acute eosinophilic pneumonia
- Chronic eosinophilic pneumonia (Carrington's disease)
- Polyarteritis nodosa
- Parasitic infections
- Tropical pulmonary eosinophilia
- Tuberculosis
- Fungal infection
- Sarcoidosis
- Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms
- Mastocytosis
- Lymphoproliferative hypereosinophilic syndrome
- Myeloproliferative hypereosinophilic syndrome
The diagnosis can be confirmed by lung biopsy. A videoscopic assisted thoracoscopic wedge biopsy (VATS) under general anesthesia may be necessary to obtain enough tissue to make an accurate diagnosis. This kind of biopsy involves placement of several tubes through the chest wall, one of which is used to cut off a piece of lung to send for evaluation. The removed tissue is examined histopathologically by microscopy to confirm the presence and pattern of fibrosis as well as presence of other features that may indicate a specific cause e.g. specific types of mineral dust or possible response to therapy e.g. a pattern of so-called non-specific interstitial fibrosis.
Misdiagnosis is common because, while overall pulmonary fibrosis is not rare, each individual type of pulmonary fibrosis is uncommon and the evaluation of patients with these diseases is complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach. Terminology has been standardized but difficulties still exist in their application. Even experts may disagree with the classification of some cases.
On spirometry, as a restrictive lung disease, both the FEV1 (forced expiratory volume in 1 second) and FVC (forced vital capacity) are reduced so the FEV1/FVC ratio is normal or even increased in contrast to obstructive lung disease where this ratio is reduced. The values for residual volume and total lung capacity are generally decreased in restrictive lung disease.
Eosinophilic pneumonia is diagnosed in one of three circumstances: when a complete blood count reveals increased eosinophils and a chest x-ray or computed tomography (CT) identifies abnormalities in the lung, when a biopsy identifies increased eosinophils in lung tissue, or when increased eosinophils are found in fluid obtained by a bronchoscopy (bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL] fluid). Association with medication or cancer is usually apparent after review of a person's medical history. Specific parasitic infections are diagnosed after examining a person's exposure to common parasites and performing laboratory tests to look for likely causes. If no underlying cause is found, a diagnosis of AEP or CEP is made based upon the following criteria. AEP is most likely with respiratory failure after an acute febrile illness of usually less than one week, changes in multiple areas and fluid in the area surrounding the lungs on a chest x-ray, and greater than 25% eosinophils on a BAL. Other typical laboratory abnormalities include an elevated white blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and immunoglobulin G level. Pulmonary function testing usually reveals a restrictive process with reduced diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide. CEP is most likely when the symptoms have been present for more than a month. Laboratory tests typical of CEP include increased blood eosinophils, a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate, iron deficiency anemia, and increased platelets. A chest x-ray can show abnormalities anywhere, but the most specific finding is increased shadow in the periphery of the lung, away from the heart.
Affected workers should be offered alternative employment. Continued exposure leads to development of persistent symptoms and progressive decline in FEV1.