The American journal of medicine
-
Acute abdomen (AA) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a challenging diagnostic and therapeutic problem. Most patients are on steroid and/or immunosuppressive treatment and mortality is high. ⋯ In SLE patients with AA, a SLEDAI score below 5 is indicative of non-SLE-related AA. Elevated aCL were found in patients with intraabdominal thrombosis. AA in inactive SLE is non-SLE-related and has low mortality, provided an appropriate surgical treatment is given. Early laparotomy influences positively the prognosis of SLE patients with AA.
-
Recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) have been significant, but some issues remain controversial. MTC may occur either as a hereditary or a nonhereditary entity. Hereditary MTC can occur either alone--familial MTC (FMTC)--or as the thyroid manifestation of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 (MEN 2) syndromes (MEN 2A and MEN 2B). ⋯ Radiation therapy is reserved for skeletal metastasis or nonresectable metastatic MTC. Efficacy of current chemotherapy programs is not well established. Overall, the 10-year survival rates are approximately 65%.
-
This study was conducted to clarify the diagnostic value of an immunochemical fecal occult blood test for hemorrhoids. ⋯ These findings indicate that the immunochemical fecal occult blood is unsuitable for the diagnosis of the patients with hemorrhoids and an examination of the colorectum is necessary in cases where the occult blood test is positive but there is a sign of hemorrhoids.