Clinical physical examination

BACKGROUND Scleroderma is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by angiopathy, autoimmunity, and fibrosis. One form of scleroderma, systemic sclerosis, is characterized by diffuse skin lesions and visceral involvement. Eosinophilic pleural effusion is a rare complication attributed to a large array of diseases. We present a case of a man with underlying systemic sclerosis who developed eosinophilic pleural effusion as a complication of associated Trichinella spiralis infection. CASE REPORT A 49-year-old man presented for bilateral inflammatory radio-ulnar-carpal joint pain, paresthesia of the hands and forearms and a 2-week history of right posterior aching thoracic pain and night sweats...

The importance of ongoing post-discharge follow-up to prevent functional impairment in patients discharged from intensive care units (ICUs) is being increasingly recognized. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review, which included existing ICU follow-up clinic methodologies using the CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and CINAHL databases from their inception to December 2022. Data were examined for country or region, outpatient name, location, opening days, lead profession, eligible patients, timing of the follow-up, and assessment tools...

BACKGROUND: The application of deep learning methods in rapid bone scintigraphy is increasingly promising for minimizing the duration of SPECT examinations. Recent works showed several deep learning models based on simulated data for the synthesis of high-count bone scintigraphy images from low-count counterparts. Few studies have been conducted and validated on real clinical pairs due to the misalignment inherent in multiple scan procedures. PURPOSE: To generate high quality whole-body bone images from 2× and 3× fast scans using deep learning based enhancement method...

The intratarsal keratinous cyst (IKC) is a recently described entity, often clinically misdiagnosed as a chalazion. We report a case of a 61-year-old male patient with a chief complaint of a small lesion on the upper eyelid that evolved over six months. On physical examination, an asymptomatic, firm nodule was identified on the left upper eyelid. The patient reported no history of trauma. A provisional diagnosis of chalazion was established, and an excisional biopsy was performed. Histopathologically, the lesion was lined with a stratified squamous epithelium, with a corrugated epithelial surface showing abrupt keratinization without keratohyalin granules, and compact keratinous-appearing material in the cystic lumen...

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects motor function and is often accompanied by secondary musculoskeletal issues. Severe scoliosis, a lateral curvature of the spine over 40 degrees, poses a significant challenge for individuals with CP, impacting their mobility and overall well-being. While the association between scoliosis and gastrointestinal complications is acknowledged, the occurrence of colonic volvulus with necrosis in the context of CP and severe scoliosis is rare and complex...

The assessment of patients with a lesion raising the suspicion of an invasive cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a frequent clinical scenario. The management of patients with cSCC is a multistep approach, starting with the correct diagnosis. The two main diagnostic goals are to differentiate from other possible diagnoses and correctly recognize the lesion as cSCC, and then to determine the tumor spread (perform staging), that is if the patient has a common primary cSCC or a locally advanced cSCC, or a metastatic cSCC (with in-transit, regional lymph nodal, or rarely distant metastasis)...

BACKGROUND: Frailty, a syndrome characterized by decreased reserve and resistance to stressors across multiple physiologic systems, is highly prevalent in people living with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), independent of age or disability level. Frailty in MS is strongly associated with adverse clinical outcomes, such as falls, and may aggravate MS-related symptoms. Consequently, there is a pressing necessity to explore and evaluate strategies to reduce frailty levels in pwMS. The purpose of this pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a multimodal exercise training program to reduce frailty in pwMS...

BACKGROUND: Older people with hip fracture are often medically frail, and many do not regain their walking ability and level of physical activity. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between pre-fracture recalled mobility, fear of falling, physical activity, walking habits and walking speed one year after hip fracture. METHODS: The study had a longitudinal design. Measurements were performed 3-5 days postoperatively (baseline) and at one year after the hip fracture...

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Food access is an important social determinant of health and refers to geographical and infrastructural aspects of food availability. Using publicly available data on food access from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), geospatial analyses can identify regions with variable food access, which may impact acute pancreatitis (AP), an acute inflammatory condition characterized by unpredictable outcomes and substantial mortality. This study aimed to investigate the association of clinical outcomes in patients with AP with geospatial food access...

Image quality in whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) may be degraded by faulty radiofrequency (RF) coil elements or mispositioning of the coil arrays. Phantom-based quality control (QC) is used to identify broken RF coil elements but the frequency of these acquisitions is limited by scanner and staff availability. This work aimed to develop a scan-specific QC acquisition and processing pipeline to detect broken RF coil elements, which is sufficiently rapid to be added to the clinical WB-MRI protocol. The purpose of this is to improve the quality of WB-MRI by reducing the number of patient examinations conducted with suboptimal equipment...

PURPOSE: Breast density is a significant risk factor for breast cancer and can impact the sensitivity of screening mammography. Area-based breast density measurements may not provide an accurate representation of the tissue distribution, therefore volumetric breast density (VBD) measurements are preferred. Dual-energy mammography enables volumetric measurements without additional assumptions about breast shape. In this work we evaluated the performance of a dual-energy decomposition technique for determining VBD by applying it to virtual anthropomorphic phantoms...

BACKGROUND: Medical documentation plays a crucial role in clinical practice, facilitating accurate patient management and communication among health care professionals. However, inaccuracies in medical notes can lead to miscommunication and diagnostic errors. Additionally, the demands of documentation contribute to physician burnout. Although intermediaries like medical scribes and speech recognition software have been used to ease this burden, they have limitations in terms of accuracy and addressing provider-specific metrics...

BACKGROUND: Elderly-onset seborrheic dermatitis (SD) seriously affects the quality of life. However, associations between air pollution exposures and elderly-onset SD incidence have not been elucidated. OBJECTIVES: Investigate air pollution's role in the incidence of elderly-onset SD. METHODS: We engaged a prospective cohort analysis utilizing the UK Biobank database. Exposure data for specific air pollutants (PM2.5, PM2.5-10, NOX, NO2, and PM10) spanning various years was incorporated...

Dirofilaria immitis is a mosquito-borne nematode-causing canine heartworm disease, with adult worms localized in the pulmonary arteries and right heart. In rare cases, ectopic migration might occur, and adults and blood circulating microfilariae can be found in unusual organs or fluids (e.g., eyes, abdominal cavity, bone marrow, and urine). A 17-year-old mixed-breed female dog was presented in a private veterinary clinic in Italy for hematuria and dysuria. Physical examination showed cardiac mitral murmur with marked respiratory distress and cyanotic mucous membranes after handling...

BACKGROUND: The fourth industrial revolution has brought about developments in information and communication technologies for interventions in older adults with dementia. Currently, most interventions focus on single interventions. However, community-dwelling older adults with dementia require comprehensive cognitive interventions, and clinical studies analyzing the effects of comprehensive interventions based on randomized controlled trials are lacking. AIM: The aim of the study was to examine the effects of an information and communication technology-based comprehensive cognitive training program, Smart Brain, on multi-domain function among community-dwelling older adults with dementia...

INTRODUCTION: Corticosteroid injection effectively treats de Quervain disease, and due to the high prevalence of the intracompartmental septum in the first extensor compartment, ultrasound guidance improves injection accuracy. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness, adverse events, and the recurrence rate between ultrasound-guided and palpation-guided injection in patients with de Quervain disease. DESIGN: Prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial...

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) management in individuals aged 55 and above presents unique challenges due to the complex interaction between aging, comorbidities, immunosenescence, and MS pathophysiology. This comprehensive review explores the evolving landscape of MS in older adults, including the increased incidence and prevalence of MS in this age group, the shift in disease phenotypes from relapsing-remitting to progressive forms, and the presence of multimorbidity and polypharmacy. We aim to provide an updated review of the available evidence of disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) in older patients, including the efficacy and safety of existing therapies, emerging treatments such as Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTKs) inhibitors and those targeting remyelination and neuroprotection, and the critical decisions surrounding the initiation, de-escalation, and discontinuation of DMTs...

Inguinal bladder hernia (IBH) is a rare clinical condition that may present as scrotal swelling. Most patients are asymptomatic and found incidentally at the time of herniorrhaphy. IBH continues to pose a challenge to surgeons before, during, and even after herniorrhaphy. This case report aims to describe the case of the incarcerated right inguinal hernia containing the small bowel and the urinary bladder herniation. An 81-year-old male presented to the emergency department with complaints of abdominal pain, distension, and swelling in the right groin...

AIM: This study aimed to assess the health profile of patient-attendees visiting primary healthcare (PHC) practice settings in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore the relationships between multiple behavioral risk factors (MBRFs) and consultation-driven health information. Multiple behavioral risk factors involve a variety of unhealthy behaviors that are associated with an increased prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study design was based on a dataset analysis, afterward exploring the feasibility and diagnostic capacity of respiratory morbidity aspects from a study previously conducted...

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is very common, especially in young athletic individuals who injure themselves during sports involving pivoting actions. Management options include conservative management, which involves progressive physical therapy, educating the patient on how to prevent instability, and the use of a hinged knee brace. Surgical management involves reconstruction of the torn ligament using an autograft or an allograft and ACL repair where the torn ligament is affixed back to the tibia or femur...