Unveiling a foreign body masquerading as periarticular calcification: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Evaluating isolated extremity discomfort can be challenging when initial imaging and exams provide limited information. Though subtle patient history hints often underlie occult pathologies, benign symptoms are frequently miscategorized as idiopathic. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of retained glass obscuring as acute calcific periarthritis on imaging. A 48-year-old White male with vague fifth metacarpophalangeal joint pain had unrevealing exams, but radiographs showed periarticular calcification concerning inflammation. Surgical exploration unexpectedly revealed an encapsulated glass fragment eroding bone. Further history uncovered a forgotten glass laceration decade prior. The foreign body was removed, resolving symptoms. DISCUSSION: This case reveals two imperative diagnostic principles for nonspecific extremity pain: (1) advanced imaging lacks specificity to differentiate inflammatory arthropathies from alternate intra-articular processes such as foreign bodies, and (2) obscure patient history questions unearth causal subtleties that direct accurate diagnosis. Though initial scans suggested acute calcific periarthritis, exhaustive revisiting of the patient's subtle decade-old glass cut proved pivotal in illuminating the underlying driver of symptoms. CONCLUSION: Our findings underscore the critical limitations of imaging and the vital role that meticulous history-taking plays in clarifying ambiguous chronic limb presentations. They spotlight the imperative of probing even distant trauma when symptoms seem disconnected from causative events. This case reinforces the comprehensive evaluation of all subtle patient clues as key in illuminating elusive extremity pain etiologies.

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors among untreated illicit substance users: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: Research regarding the contribution of specific psychoactive substances to suicidality has yielded equivocal results. The present study examined the prevalence and factors associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors among a population-based sample of untreated illicit substance users. METHODS: A total of 616 illicit substance users who were recruited from high-risk areas of Shiraz using snowball sampling participated in the study. Eligible participants were individuals aged 18 years and older who regularly used one illicit psychoactive substance (e.g., opioids, heroin, cannabinoids, stimulants, hallucinogens) for at least one year and who had received no treatment for their drug use during the past year. Data were collected regarding socio-demographic characteristics, mental history, and substance use habits. Data regarding suicidal thoughts and behaviors were assessed using the Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale (BSIS) and self-reports of previous suicide attempts. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent variables associated with suicidality. RESULTS: Among the participants, 23.6% reported having had suicidal thoughts during the past week and 6.7% reported having attempted suicide during the past year. Methamphetamine was reported as the primary substance of use among approximately half of the participants who attempted suicide during past year (49.2%). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that current suicidal thoughts were independently associated with having no job, a history of mental health condition, previous suicidal attempts, concurrent use of more than one substance, and using methamphetamine and heroin as the primary substances. Suicidal thoughts were not associated with increased odds of regular opium and cannabis use. CONCLUSION: Both methamphetamine and heroin use are significantly associated with current suicidal thoughts. Evaluation of the risk of suicidality by physicians and mental health care professionals in both community and outpatient settings would be especially appropriate among those individuals using these psychoactive substances.

General Anxiety Disorder and Primary Hypertension: Is There a Link?

ABSTRACT: Chronic forms of morbidity, including mental disorders and hypertension, play a dominant role in determining a disease load in the developing world. This article investigates the associations between the diagnoses of primary hypertension and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and the severity of GAD in individuals with primary hypertension. The association of GAD and age, sex, marriage, education level, income, chronic medical conditions, family history of mental disorders, adverse life events, and hypertension was assessed in 470 patients with the diagnosis of primary hypertension. Data analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Statistics software version 16. A significant relationship was found between the prevalence of GAD and the following variables: history of mental disorders ( p < 0.0001), chronic medical conditions ( p < 0.0001), and adverse life events ( p < 0.0001). The mean anxiety score was higher among patients with uncontrolled blood pressure, and a significant relationship was observed between the prevalence of GAD and blood pressure ( p < 0.0001). Because of the significant association between GAD and primary hypertension, it is recommended that anxiety disorders be considered in patients in whom primary hypertension is not controlled easily. This may lead to more proper control of hypertension while taking fewer antihypertensive medications.