Flexible sigmoidoscopy.

Flexible sigmoidoscopy remains a common tool used for the periodic screening of colorectal cancer. Most organizations recommend screening at three- to five-year intervals beginning at age 50 for persons with average risk. Extensive training in endoscopic maneuvering, colorectal anatomy and pathologic recognition is required. Most physicians report comfort performing the procedure unsupervised after 10 to 25 precepted sessions. The procedure involves the insertion of the sigmoidoscope through the anus and distal rectum and advancement of the scope tip to an average depth of 48 to 55 cm in the sigmoid colon. Once the sigmoidoscope has been appropriately advanced, the scope is slowly withdrawn, allowing for the inspection of colon mucosa during withdrawal. Polyps less than 5 mm in diameter should be biopsied. Polyps 5 to 10 mm or greater can be assumed to be adenomatous, and follow-up colonoscopy for complete polypectomy is required. Diverticulosis, hemorrhoids, nonspecific colitis and pseudomembranes may also be encountered during inspection. Use of preprocedural benzodiazepines can be helpful in reducing patient discomfort. 2001;63:1375-80,1383-4,1385-8.)

Endometrial biopsy.

Endometrial biopsy is an office procedure that serves as a helpful tool in diagnosing various uterine abnormalities. The technique is fairly easy to learn and may be performed without assistance. The biopsy is obtained through the use of an endometrial suction catheter that is inserted through the cervix into the uterine cavity. Twirling the catheter while moving it in and out of the uterine cavity enhances uptake of uterine tissue, which is aspirated into the catheter and removed. Endometrial biopsy is useful in the work-up of abnormal uterine bleeding, cancer screening, endometrial dating and infertility evaluation. Contraindications to the procedure include pregnancy, acute pelvic inflammatory disease, and acute cervical or vaginal infections. Postoperative infection is rare but may be further prevented through the use of prophylactic antibiotic therapy. Intraoperative and postoperative cramping are frequent side effects.

Superficial fungal infection of the skin. Where and how it appears help determine therapy.

Superficial fungal infections of the skin are a common presentation in clinical practice. Any skin surface, the mucous membranes, nail plates, and nail beds can be affected. Tinea pedis is the most common fungal infection and may affect up to 70% of the adult population worldwide. Ubiquitous candidal organisms are found in the oral flora of many healthy persons and result in infection in the presence of certain host factors or immunodeficiency disorders. Onychomycosis has had an increasing incidence worldwide, and it now accounts for almost half of all nail disorders. These and many other infections can have varying presentations as well as features that resemble nonfungal disorders. Therefore, it is important that primary care physicians are familiar with the many cutaneous fungal infections and their differential diagnosis to ensure that appropriate therapy is selected.

Office management of digital mucous cysts.

Digital mucous cysts are solitary, clear, or flesh-colored nodules that develop on the dorsal digits between the distal interphalangeal joint and the proximal nail fold. There are two types of digital mucous cysts: one type is associated with degenerative changes in the distal interphalangeal joint, and the second type is independent of the joint and arises from metabolic derangement of fibroblasts that produce large quantities of hyaluronic acid. The two types are clinically indistinguishable. The cysts can be asymptomatic, or they can cause pain, tenderness, or deformity of the nail. Aggressive surgical techniques to remove osteophytes from the joint can produce low recurrence rates. Other procedures to eliminate cysts, such as a simple surgical technique, cryosurgical destruction, or repeated needling, can be performed in an office setting.

Variability in code selection using the 1995 and 1998 HCFA documentation guidelines for office services. Health Care Financing Administration.

BACKGROUND: Documentation guidelines have been developed by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) to promote consistent selection of physician evaluation and management (E & M) codes. Our goals were to determine whether medical providers and auditors agree in their assignment of office codes using 1995 and 1998 guidelines and to ascertain if the code levels assigned are affected by auditor experience and training. METHODS: A total of 1,069 established patient charts from private family physician offices were reviewed by a family practice faculty physician, a family practice resident physician, and a professional coder. The main outcome measures were the agreement between the auditors and the medical care provider on code selection and the degree to which documentation supported the code selected. RESULTS: All auditors agreed with the medical provider code selection in only 15.2% (1995 guidelines) and 29.2% (1998 guidelines) of visits. Professional coders were more likely than faculty physicians or resident physicians to agree with the code assigned by the medical provider (51.7% vs 40.7% and 39.6%, P <.001). Documentation adequately supported the most common office code selection, 99213, in 92.7% (1995) and 91.0% (1998) of the charts reviewed. Concurrence among all auditors was only 31.0% (1995) and 44.3% (1998). CONCLUSIONS: Interobserver differences exist in the assignment of E & M codes by auditors using both 1995 and 1998 HCFA guidelines. The 1998 documentation guidelines produce greater agreement among auditors. The documentation supported the level of code billed in the majority of established patient office visits.

Rosacea.

Rosacea is a common skin disorder most often seen in individuals between the ages of 30 and 60. The condition frequently produces erythema, papules, pustules, and edema of midfacial skin. Ocular rosacea occurs in a high percentage of patients, and is a major cause of red eye. A variety of treatments exist that can eliminate pustules, but no therapy is highly effective in eliminating the vascular flushing associated with rosacea.

Chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis.

Chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis is a painful nodule of the external ear. These uncommon lesions are most often encountered on the helix in white men older than 40 years, although they also rarely occur on the antihelix in women. The lesions frequently present with exquisite tenderness that interferes with sleep. While the cause of this dermal inflammatory process is not known, long-term trauma or sun damage may play a role. Recurrences often complicate treatment if all sites of inflammation are not eradicated. Surgical treatment is generally recommended, either by wide excision or by deep shave and treatment of the underlying cartilage.

The physician's role in the political process.

I recently had the privilege of eating breakfast with Michigan Supreme Court Justice Clifford W. Taylor. Justice Taylor was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1997 by Governor Engler, and he is the 100th justice named to the state's highest court. He has been a strong supporter of medicine in his past decisions as a Court of Appeals judge. He is up for re-election in 1998.

'See and treat' electrosurgical loop excision of the cervical transformation zone.

BACKGROUND: "See and treat" electrosurgical loop excision of the cervical transformation zone (ELECTZ) is an excisional surgical procedure that enables simultaneous histologic diagnosis and treatment of premalignant cervical disease, thus eliminating the need for a preliminary cervical biopsy and an additional patient visit. Indications for the procedure include an abnormal cervical Papanicolaou (Pap) smear and a colposcopic impression of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). The purpose of this study was to assess the "see and treat" ELECTZ procedure performed by family physicians. METHODS: Women who were scheduled for colposcopic evaluation because of an abnormal cervical cytology report were enrolled from the practices of three family physician colposcopists located at three sites. The "see and treat" ELECTZ procedure was performed on patients with both abnormal Pap smear results and abnormal colposcopic findings. Procedural complications were documented. Subjects were evaluated at follow-up examinations during the first postoperative year to determine therapeutic cure. RESULTS: "See and treat" ELECTZ was performed on 48 women. The histologic results from "see and treat" ELECTZ were normal for 36.1% of subjects. When subjects with a low-grade lesion on Pap smear were considered, 40.7% had normal loop histologic findings. Of women with a preoperative colposcopic impression of low-grade lesion, 54.2% had normal histologic results, and 12% of women with a high-grade colposcopic impression had normal histologic results (P<.001). When the colposcopic impression was reported as high-grade disease, 82% of loop specimens were reported as CIN 2 or 3. CONCLUSIONS: Selective use of "see and treat" ELECTZ may be appropriate only when practiced by experienced colposcopists who are able to reliably differentiate low-grade from high-grade disease by means of colposcopy, and if cytologic and colposcopic findings unequivocally indicate high-grade cervical disease.

Electrosurgical loop excision of the cervical transformation zone: the experience of family physicians.

BACKGROUND: Electrosurgical loop excision of the cervical transformation zone (ELECTZ) is an excisional surgical procedure for treatment of premalignant cervical disease and the abnormal transformation zone by wire loop electrodes. The purpose of this study was to describe and assess the clinical experiences and complications of family-physician-performed ELECTZ and ELECTZ conization. METHODS: Women who were scheduled for the ELECTZ or ELECTZ conization procedures were enrolled in the study between March 1992 and March 1993, inclusive. Subjects were recruited from the practices of six family physician colposcopists located at five sites. The ELECTZ and ELECTZ conization procedures were performed on patients with abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) smears or abnormal histologic results and abnormal colposcopic findings. Procedural complications were documented. Subjects were serially assessed during the first postoperative year by Pap smears, colposcopy, and, when necessary, by biopsy to determine therapeutic cure. RESULTS: Of 198 subjects enrolled in the study, 148 women were assessed at least once in follow-up by Pap smear and colposcopy. Only 7.6% of women were defined as treatment failures by subsequent histologic assessment. Women treated by ELECTZ conization were older (32.2 vs 25.1 years, P = .02), were more likely to develop posttreatment cervical stenosis (25.9% vs 3.8%, P = .001), and were more likely to have the postoperative squamocolumnar junction positioned in the endocervical canal (32.4% vs 8.7%, P = .002) than were women treated by ELECTZ: Loop excision specimen margins demonstrated dysplasia for 27 (13.6%) subjects. Significant operative bleeding (> 25 mL) was noted in 6.8% of subjects. Histologic thermal artifact was reported for 9.6% of specimens. One case of microinvasive cancer and one case of invasive cancer were identified unexpectedly by ELECTZ conization. CONCLUSIONS: Electrosurgical loop excision of the cervical transformation zone and ELECTZ conization may be safely and effectively performed in office settings by family physicians. Complications and treatment failure rates for the ELECTZ and ELECTZ conization procedures were similar to those experienced by other clinicians.

A pilot project in office-based diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy comparing two nonintravenous methods of sedation and anesthesia.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance and findings of diagnostic esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) procedures in a primary care office setting, comparing two nonintravenous methods of sedation and anesthesia. DESIGN: A consecutive case series of patients with appropriate indications referred over a 13-month period for the EGD procedure was studied. Procedure outcomes and patient acceptance were evaluated following the procedure. SETTING: Patients were referred from community primary care physician offices to another community private office. PATIENTS: Medically stable adult patients with indications for nonemergent EGD were referred for evaluation. INTERVENTION: Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed in an office setting using small-caliber (7.9-mm or 9.0-mm) fiberoptic endoscopes. Patients were given either diazepam orally and ketorolac tromethamine intramuscularly or triazolam orally and butorphanol tartrate spray intranasally as sedation prior to the procedure. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical findings observed, histopathologic results, complications, oxygen desaturation, cardiac dysrhythmias, and length of procedures were recorded. Patients reported pain and satisfaction scores on a linear numeric scale following the procedure. RESULTS: No major complications were noted in this study population. Seventy-three percent (52/71) of all patients rated their discomfort during the office-based EGD procedure as mild, with 49% (35/71) giving the lowest possible pain score rating. Ninety-six percent (68/71) of all patients rated their satisfaction with the procedure as high, with 65% (46/71) reporting the highest possible level of satisfaction. The study did not demonstrate a significant difference in patient comfort or satisfaction between the two methods of nonintravenous sedation. CONCLUSIONS: Two alternative methods to intravenous sedation and anesthesia appear to create adequate comfort and satisfaction for patients undergoing EGD and merit future study and consideration.

Management of ingrown toenails.

Patients with an ingrown toenail are frequently encountered in primary care practice. Ingrown toenails are the result of an alteration in the proper fit of the nail plate in the lateral nail groove. The alteration can be caused by such factors as wearing shoes that do not fit properly or an incorrect nail-trimming technique. Conservative approaches, including soaking the foot in warm water, use of topical or oral antibiotics, proper nail-trimming technique and elevation of the corner of the nail, are often used in patients with mild stage 1 disease. Stage 2 disease is characterized by worsening of symptoms, drainage and infection, and can be managed conservatively or surgically. Stage 3 disease is characterized by lateral wall hypertrophy and is best treated with partial nail avulsion, lateral matricectomy and destruction of the lateral wall granulation tissue. Chemical matricectomy with phenol is effective, but electrosurgical matricectomy may offer more controlled tissue destruction and less postoperative drainage. A modern office technique for managing stage 3 ingrown toenails is reviewed.