Imaging
- Getting stuck on a name: An example of an eponymous syndrome
Debate continues about whether we should continue to use eponymous diagnostic nomenclature or shift entirely to an anatomic or pathophysiologic descriptive terminology.
- Ogilvie syndrome (colonic pseudo-obstruction)
Two days after the patient underwent surgery to repair a left femur fracture, his abdomen became markedly distended, but without pain.
- Westermark sign (focal oligemia) in pulmonary embolism
The patient’s chest radiograph showed a focal area of reduced blood flow in the middle and upper zones of the right lung.
- What diagnostic tests should be done after discovering clubbing in a patient without cardiopulmonary symptoms?
Computed tomography of the patient’s chest is indicated based on the robust association between clubbing and intrathoracic malignancy.
- Pursuing the diagnosis of low back pain
The recommended conservative approach eschewing initial imaging in patients with acute or subacute low back pain is unlikely to miss a significant clinical problem in those with no “red flags,” though the evaluation should be tempered in patients with chronic low back pain.
- Low back pain: Spondylitis?
A 37-year-old woman was referred to a rheumatology clinic due to symptoms concerning for spondylitis after noting intermittent back pain with right-sided groin pain.
Diagnosis and management of pancreatic cystic lesions for the non-gastroenterologistA summary of current guidelines from several organizations on the diagnosis and surveillance of pancreatic cystic lesions.
- The drop of a pin: Accidental ingestion of a sharp foreign body
If endoscopic retrieval fails, conservative management may be appropriate with daily abdominal radiography.
