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We report the case of a 61-year-old woman with painful chronic pancreatitis related to proximal pancreatic duct pancreatolithiasis who underwent successful fragmentation with pancreatic extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). Two weeks later, she developed abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting and was found to have a new 4.6 × 2.3 cm hepatic abscess. She was treated with antibiotics but did not require additional intervention. Reported etiologies of post-ESWL abdominal pain include local irritation and bruising at the interface and pancreatitis, which has been reported in 4.2% of cases. We suggest that hepatic abscess ought to be considered in the differential diagnosis of post-ESWL abdominal pain.

Web-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has increased access to effective pain management. Though efficacy of web-based and face-to-face CBT may be comparable, fewer studies have examined whether remote clinical support in addition to web-based CBT can improve pain-related outcomes.

Phantom limb pain (PLP), defined as a painful sensation in a portion of the body that has been amputated, occurs in upwards of 80% of limb amputees and can significantly impact a patient's quality of life. First hypothesized in 1551, the disease has been poorly understood for much of this time. Still today, the exact etiology of the condition is yet to be elucidated. In the periphery, PLP resembles the neuronal changes seen in other neuropathic pain conditions. However, in the central nervous system (CNS), imaging studies suggest changes unique to PLP, such as cortical reorganization. Despite a growing understanding of its underpinnings, a mechanism-based treatment is not yet available. Rather, a plethora of treatment methodologies are available with varying levels of supporting evidence and many treatments being utilized based on efficacy seen in non-PLP patients.

The mainstay of treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain is pharmacotherapy, but the current National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guideline is not based on robust evidence, as the treatments and their combinations have not been directly compared.

Although several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have reported the efficacy of scrambler therapy (ST) for the management of chronic pain, those findings remain inconsistent.

The optimal analgesia for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is still unknown.

Epidural injections are among the most commonly performed procedures for managing low back and lower extremity pain. Pinto et al and Chou et al previously performed systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which, along with a recent update from Oliveira et al showing the lack of effectiveness of epidural steroid injections in managing lumbar disc herniation, spinal stenosis, and radiculopathy. In contrast to these papers, multiple other systematic reviews and meta-analyses have supported the effectiveness and use of epidural injections utilizing fluoroscopically guided techniques. A major flaw in the review can be related to attributing active-controlled trials to placebo-controlled trials. The assumption that local anesthetics do not provide sustained benefit, despite extensive evidence that local anesthetics provide long-term relief, similar to a combination of local anesthetic with steroids is flawed.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19, which is known to cause fever, dry cough, exhaustion, headache, and loss of taste and smell. Although fever, sore throat, and cough have historically been the utmost characteristic symptoms of the illness, published case reports have recently started to emphasize additional uncommon and unusual presentations of infection with the coronavirus. In COVID, the musculoskeletal system is seldomly involved. In addition to reviewing the causes and imaging characteristics of COVID-19-related illnesses of the musculoskeletal system, we elaborate on a case of a middle-aged man who developed myositis as sequelae to the COVID-19 infection.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection typically presents with pharyngeal symptoms and subclinical transaminitis. We present a case of a 27-year-old woman with no known past medical history who presented with painless jaundice and dark-colored urine for three days. Her review of systems was negative for fever, sore throat, nausea, vomiting, pruritus, or rash. Her last sexual contact was six months ago with a male partner, and she only drank alcohol socially. Family and surgical history were non-significant. Physical examination revealed 3+ bilateral conjunctival icterus without abdominal tenderness or organomegaly. She had elevated transaminases: alanine transaminase (ALT) of 1287U/L and aspartate aminotransferase of (AST) 1057U/L but her alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was only slightly above normal at 109U/L (normal range 35-104U/L), with a direct hyperbilirubinemia – total bilirubin 9.5mg/dl, direct bilirubin 6.8mg/dl; the abdominal ultrasound revealed non-dilated bile ducts. Hepatitis A, B, and C serology was negative, but her EBV serology showed an infection. She had incidental thalassemia minor without splenomegaly or asterixis. She was managed conservatively, and her liver enzymes trended down with supportive management. Although EBV is an uncommon cause of painless jaundice, this diagnosis should be considered, especially when other more common causes of jaundice have been ruled out. A high index of suspicion should be maintained to detect EBV hepatitis as it can easily be diagnosed through serological testing.

There are many different types of gallbladder diseases, mainly resulting from inflammation. The long-term presence of an insult to the gallbladder leads to chronic inflammation, which is a nidus for complications such as Mirizzi syndrome and gallbladder cancer, both of which can become mimics of one another. Preoperative diagnosis of either gallbladder cancer or Mirizzi syndrome is often difficult, leading to late diagnosis and complicating the patient's treatment course. We report a case of a 65-year-old male who presented with abdominal pain and significant weight loss, with no physical evidence of jaundice and normal liver function. This was initially diagnosed as acute cholecystitis and Mirizzi syndrome before being diagnosed as gallbladder adenocarcinoma on final histology.