ABSTRACT
During surgical training, medical students and residents constantly are reminded to culture every suspected tumor and send tissue for pathologic evaluation for every suspected abscess. A diagnosis of cancer can be missed easily if this procedure is not followed, delaying the diagnosis and possibly adversely affecting the patient's prognosis. The confusion also may be compounded by a sterile abscess, positive culture results or a negative biopsy specimen. Therefore it is imperative to do a biopsy and a culture on any suspect lesion. An additional workup and possible biopsy may be warranted for a nonhealing wound that has been treated appropriately. The cases of three patients with lymphoma that were treated as infectious processes are presented. In all three instances, the appropriate treatment was delayed because of a delay in diagnosis.
Subject(s)
Bone Diseases, Infectious/diagnosis , Lymphoma/diagnosis , Soft Tissue Infections/diagnosis , Adult , Biopsy/methods , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Fractures, Spontaneous/diagnosis , Humans , Lymphoma/therapy , Male , Middle Aged , Orthopedics/methods , Osteomyelitis/diagnosis , Shoulder , Staphylococcal Infections/diagnosis , Tibia , Treatment OutcomeSubject(s)
Anterior Compartment Syndrome/diagnosis , Anterior Compartment Syndrome/etiology , Athletic Injuries/diagnosis , Exercise , Football/injuries , Adolescent , Ankle Injuries/diagnosis , Anterior Compartment Syndrome/rehabilitation , Anterior Compartment Syndrome/surgery , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , Male , Sprains and Strains/diagnosis , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
This study describes the prevalence and demographics of avascular necrosis (AVN) in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). With improving survival of ALL patients on modern chemotherapy regimens, an increasing number of children with AVN will be presenting to orthopaedists. From 1991 to 1996, 202 patients were treated for ALL at a major tertiary pediatric cancer referral center. Eight patients (4.0%) subsequently developed AVN at an average of 30.0 months after beginning chemotherapy. A total of 27 documented joints were involved, with an average of 3.4 joints affected per patient diagnosed with AVN. The subset of patients with high-risk ALL who underwent an aggressive chemotherapy protocol was particularly susceptible to developing AVN. Six of 58 high-risk ALL patients (10.3%) developed AVN at an average of 18.5 months. As ALL patients now frequently survive into adulthood, orthopaedists will be increasingly called on to manage AVN affecting multiple joints in children and young adults.
Subject(s)
Femur Head Necrosis/complications , Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma/complications , Adolescent , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Femur Head Necrosis/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Infant , Male , Prognosis , RadiographyABSTRACT
Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is a rare genetic disease characterized by heterotopic ossification in soft tissues. Severe disability results from progressive immobilization of the limbs, jaw, and chest wall. To determine whether cardiac function is altered in this disease, 25 patients ranging in age from 5 to 55 years (disease duration 1-51 years) were studied. History, physical examination, pulmonary functions, electrocardiography, and echocardiography were performed on each patient. Physical examination of the lungs and heart was unrevealing; no right sided ventricular gallops were heard, and no patient was found to have neck vein distention or peripheral edema. The patients had extremely limited chest expansion (1.9 +/- 0.8 inches), suggesting dependence on diaphragmatic breathing. Lung volumes were severely reduced (mean forced vital capacity 44% +/- 14% of predicted), but flow rates were relatively normal. All patients had normal capillary oxygen saturation. Echocardiography was technically difficult, but no abnormalities of left or right ventricular function were seen. Ten (40%) patients had electrocardiographic evidence of right ventricular dysfunction. Compared with patients without such evidence, these patients were older, had significantly longer disease duration, higher hemoglobin, and more impaired pulmonary function. The results of this study suggest that the presence of severely restrictive chest wall disease is associated with a high incidence of right ventricular abnormalities on electrocardiogram. Whether cor pulmonale will eventually occur remains to be determined.
