1/269. Radicular pain can be a symptom of elevated intracranial pressure.We report two patients with leptomeningeal metastatic disease, one from breast cancer and the other from a spinal cord glioma, who developed episodic elevated intracranial pressure (ICP), each episode accompanied by the gradual onset of severe spine and radicular pain. Symptoms of pain promptly and completely resolved with opening of the on-off valve of each patient's ventriculoperitoneal shunt. It is theorized that the patients' radicular pain was caused by nerve root ischemia secondary to elevated ICP.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = cancer (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/269. A staff dialogue on caring for a cancer patient who commits suicide: psychosocial issues faced by patients, their families, and caregivers.Shortly before his death in 1995, Kenneth B. Schwartz, a cancer patient at massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), founded The Kenneth B. Schwartz Center at MGH. The Schwartz Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and advancing compassionate health care delivery which provides hope to the patient, support to caregivers, and encourages the healing process. The Center sponsors the Schwartz Center Rounds, a monthly multidisciplinary forum during which caregivers discuss a specific cancer patient, reflect on the important psychosocial issues faced by patients, their families, and their caregivers, and gain insight and support from their fellow staff members. The case presented was of a 31-year-old man who developed adenocarcinoma of the lung with painful bone metastases. His tumor was unresponsive to treatment and he subsequently committed suicide by shooting himself. The verbatim and subsequent discussion raised a number of issues. Staff were devastated by the violent way that he ended his life. They questioned whether more could have been done to prevent this outcome, yet acknowledged that it mirrored the way he had lived, and were able to discuss the values by which we live and die. Some, but not all, felt that the patient had the right to choose how and when to end his life.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 6keywords = cancer (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/269. Renal fibrohistiocytic sarcoma. Three cases and a review of the literature.The purpose of this paper is to report three unpublished cases of so-called "renal malignant fibrous histiocytoma" which should be more appropriately called "renal fibrohistiocytic sarcoma", and to review and analyze the data concerning 41 cases collected from the literature and our three new cases, making a total of 44 cases. Our third case is very interesting; in addition to the fact that this condition is rare, this particular patient also had concomitant nonmalignant ascites and compression of the descending colon, both conditions being rarely associated with renal cancer. The average age of the patients was 58 years; in 66% of the cases the tumor involved the left kidney; 57% of the patients were males; the average tumor size was 12 cm; nephrectomy was performed in 93% of the cases; the average survival was 16 months. In none of the cases was a preoperative diagnosis correctly made. It is concluded that a triad of symptoms and signs (renal pain, weight loss, and large tumor size) as well as a triad of imaging characteristics (areas of low density on the CT scan, hypoechoic areas on ultrasound, and hypovascularity on angiography) may hold the promise of a preoperative diagnosis. It is suggested that the tumor arises from the system of Gerota's fascia-renal capsule.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = cancer (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/269. Thoracic epidural pain control for chest trauma patient.Epidural pain control is used widely in different fields, such as after surgery, during labour, and for the patients with terminal cancer. It can also be used in patients with severe pain due to chest trauma to improve the pulmonary condition and shorten the period of hospitalization.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = cancer (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/269. Osteoid osteoma of the elbow: a diagnostic challenge.BACKGROUND: Osteoid osteoma is a painful benign neoplasm that is rarely found in the elbow region. methods: The study included fourteen patients, and we believe that this is the largest reported series of patients with osteoid osteoma of the elbow evaluated at one institution. Most of the patients had had symptoms for a prolonged period and had had multiple invasive procedures before an accurate diagnosis was made. Although findings on physical examination generally are nonspecific and are not always accurate in localizing the lesion, plain tomograms and computed tomography scans were most helpful in identifying the nidus in the present study. Thirteen of the patients had limited motion of the elbow before the definitive diagnosis was made, and ten of these thirteen had a mean flexion contracture of 38 degrees. RESULTS: Removal of the nidus resulted in relief of pain and improvement in the range of motion of the elbow in all fourteen patients. A persistent postoperative flexion contracture was more common in the patients who had had a previous arthrotomy of the elbow than in those who had not had that procedure. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to recognize this uncommon entity to avoid the morbidity associated with a prolonged delay in diagnosis. Because the symptoms resolve after excision of the lesion, the surgeon can avoid unnecessary soft-tissue dissection and release of the contracture.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.003619745540449keywords = neoplasm (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/269. Spinal epidural abscess complicating chronic epidural analgesia in 11 cancer patients: clinical findings and magnetic resonance imaging.We reviewed the records of all patients who had received an epidural catheter for management of chronic cancer pain in a 3-year period (1993-1996). patients with nervous system infections were identified, and pertinent clinical, radiological (magnetic resonance imaging), and bacteriological data were analyzed. We identified 11 patients who developed spinal epidural abscess (SEA). All of these had back pain; radicular signs occurred in seven patients and spinal cord compression in two patients. magnetic resonance imaging revealed SEA in all 11 patients. SEA was iso- to hypointense on T1-weighted images and hyperintense on T2-weighted images relative to spinal cord. After gadolinium administration seven lesions showed characteristic rim enhancement while three showed minimal enhancement. No signs of diskitis or osteomyelitis were present, and the abscess was always localized to the posterior epidural space. Cultures were positive in all cases and revealed staphylococcus epidermidis in eight and S. aureus in three. All patients were treated with intravenous antibiotics, and four had an additional decompressive laminectomy. Two patients died within 1 week of diagnosis from overwhelming septicemia despite apparently adequate antibiotic treatment. Within 4 weeks after diagnosis of SEA two patients died from widely metastatic disease, although infection may have contributed. One patient developed septicemia while receiving appropriate antibiotics and underwent emergency laminectomy. The neurological deficits recovered in all patients who survived the acute infectious episode. We conclude that patients with chronic epidural catheters for cancer pain require prompt neurological evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging when SEA is suspected. Early evaluation and treatment may lead to full recovery.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 6keywords = cancer (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/269. Managing breakthrough cancer pain: a new approach.Every day, nurses in all clinical settings work closely with patients who are experiencing various types and intensities of pain. Advances in pain management have given present patients and their families a variety of options that allow them a renewed dimension to the quality of their lives; an ability to live more productively and face the end of life in comfort. Because all nurses must keep up to date on basic principles of assessment, pain management, and current pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches to pain, AJN and Home Healthcare Nurse are proud to provide our readers with important information about pain management and a new medication recently approved by the FDA: oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (Actiq). You can apply the information in this supplement in your daily practice as you assess your patients' level of pain, plan and evaluate interventions, and collaborate with members of the interdisciplinary team. Your goal--to help patients determine the appropriate treatments and dosages for their own unique pain needs--is supported throughout the following pages. We would like to thank the Anesta Corp. and Abbott laboratories, hospital Products Division, for making this supplement possible through an educational grant. We know that not only our colleagues but our patients and their families will greatly benefit from the information presented.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = cancer (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/269. Empowering the patient: hypnosis in the management of cancer, surgical disease and chronic pain.In the past decade, the increasing acceptance of hypnosis as a therapeutic adjunct by physicians and health care professionals both within and outside of the mental health community has resulted in broader use of the technique with patients in both hospital and outpatient settings. In our recent experiences with urologic patients, our staff has found that many bring a surprisingly sophisticated knowledge of clinical hypnosis to the office and often have had experience with some form of therapeutic hypnosis prior to consulting us. Consequently, we find we often encounter a surprising openness to the use of hypnosis as a part of the treatment programs we employ. As a result we have been able to utilize clinical hypnosis successfully in several treatment areas to the benefit of our patients. This paper will describe several programs in place at our practice which utilize clinical hypnosis as an adjunct to treatment.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = cancer (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/269. upper extremity pain of 10 years duration caused by a glomus tumor.BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Long-standing limb pain typically has a multifactorial etiology not amenable to causal therapy. We present a case of chronic progressing upper extremity pain caused by a glomus tumor; the excision was curative. methods: A 39-year-old woman presented with 10-year history of constant deep internal throbbing, aching pain localized to the radial aspect of the left index finger and additional intermittent shooting pains radiating up the arm toward the shoulder. Pain was increased after minor local trauma, following cold exposure, and for unknown reasons. A blotchy, bluish skin discoloration could appear on the radial aspect of the index finger during severe pain. Nonsteroidal antinflammatory drugs, narcotics, amitriptyline, local heat, bracing, and a sympathetic nerve block had all been ineffective. The physical examination was characterized by exquisite pressure tenderness over the radial aspect of the left index finger, most pronounced just distal to the distal interphalengeal joint. RESULTS: Inflation of a left arm blood pressure cuff to above systolic pressures abolished pain. A glomus tumor was suspected and confirmed by histologic examination. CONCLUSIONS: Glomus tumors are rare, benign neoplasms (1 to 5% of all hand tumors), developing from neuromyoarterial glomus bodies. They usually present with pain and may mimic other painful conditions, delaying the average time until diagnosis for up to 10 years. The classic diagnostic triad consists of local pain, pressure tenderness, and cold hypersensitivity. Abolition of pain following inflation of a blood pressure cuff to above systolic levels (ischemia test) is highly diagnostic. We suggest routine use of this test in cases of upper limb pain of unclear etiology.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.003619745540449keywords = neoplasm (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/269. Clinics in diagnostic imaging (44). Testicular tumour with retroperitoneal lymphadenopathy and inferior vena cava thrombosis.A 20-year-old Indian man presented with a two week history of non-specific abdominal pain. Abdominal ultrasonograpy incidentally detected a thrombus in the inferior vena cava (IVC). Computed tomography revealed the presence of extensive para-aortic lymph node disease as well as a filling defect in the IVC. Scrotal ultrasonography located a heterogeneous intra-testicular tumour in an otherwise palpably-normal testis. The extent of the IVC thrombus was evaluated by the use of magnetic resonance imaging. Inguinal orchidectomy was performed and histology revealed a non-seminomatous germ cell tumour. Combination chemotherapy led to complete resolution of lymph node disease and IVC thrombus. The patient remained well 9 months after diagnosis. The causes of IVC obstruction, role of imaging in investigating IVC obstruction and the management of tumour involvement of the IVC are discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.094301401815215keywords = testis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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