Irish journal of medical science
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Anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN) rarely receives as much publicity as its neighbouring orifice, the cervix. As in the cervix, intraepithelial neoplasias are precursors to cancer in the anal canal. AIN and cervical interstitial neoplasia (CIN) undergo dysplasia as a consequence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Since the advent of screening with the Pap smear in CIN, cervical cancer has plummeted to a fifth of its initial incidence. Anal cancer, however, has been rising, with a predilection for human immunodeficiency virus-infected men. HPV causes a squamous epithelial dysplasia and converts healthy tissue into AINs of increasing severity until anal cancer manifests. ⋯ The paper concludes by briefly discussing the implications of a national screening programme against AIN in the future.
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Multicenter Study
Effect of pulsed radiofrequency therapy on the suprascapular nerve in shoulder pain of various aetiology.
Pulsed radiofrequency treatment (PRF) applied to the suprascapular nerve may provide pain relief for patients suffering from shoulder pain as described in three case series. ⋯ Our results suggest that the analgesic effects of PRF last more than 3 months in the majority of patients. The addition of steroid to the PRF treatment appears to have no benefit.