Rejected

The aim: To determine the influence of co-occurring neck pain with cervical myofascial dysfunction on the development of psychoemotional disorders and the number of analgesics taken in patients with episodic migraine.

Approximately 10% of all COVID patients develop long COVID symptoms, which may persist from 1 month up to longer than 1 year. Long COVID may affect any organ/system and manifest in a broad range of symptoms such as shortness of breath, post-exercise malaise, cognitive decline, chronic fatigue, gastrointestinal disorders, musculoskeletal pain and deterioration of mental health. In this context, health institutions struggle with resources to keep up with the prolonged rehabilitation for the increasing number of individuals affected by long COVID. Tai Chi is a multicomponent rehabilitation approach comprising correct breathing technique, balance and neuromuscular training as well as stress- and emotional management. In addition, practicing Tai Chi elicits the relaxation response and balances the autonomic nervous system thus regulating respiration, heart rate, blood pressure and vitality in general. Moreover, Tai Chi has been shown to increase lung capacity, improve cognitive status and mental health, and thereby even the quality of life in diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Hence, we advocate Tai Chi as potent and suitable rehabilitation tool for post-COVID-19-affected individuals.

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a global health burden and it manifests in both nasal and non-nasal symptoms. Skin prick test (SPT) is a routine procedure to diagnose AR sensitized to common allergens including house dust mites (HDMs). The degree of sensitivity of a patient toward allergens is determined by the size of the wheal formed by SPT procedure. SPT wheal sizes are influenced by recent anti-histamine usage, however it remains unclear if SPT wheal sizes are also influenced by other factors. In this study, we set out to investigate the association between SPT wheal sizes with the demographical, clinical and environmental characteristics, as well as nasal and non-nasal symptoms severity scores, of AR patients ( = 30) sensitized to common HDMs (i.e., , and ). We showed that SPT wheal sizes of HDM allergens were not associated with clinical, demographical and environmental characteristics examined. Nonetheless, significant correlations were observed between SPT wheal sizes of sensitization with worse severity scores of all five nasal symptoms examined (i.e., sneezing, runny nose, itchy nose, congestion and postnasal drip) and four of the six non-nasal symptoms examined (i.e., throat symptoms, ear symptoms, headache and mental function). Such relationships were not observed in SPT wheal sizes of and sensitization. We suggest that increased SPT wheal sizes for sensitization may predict the likelihood of more severe nasal and, to a lesser extent, non-nasal manifestations in AR patients.

Pain management plays a pivotal role in enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS). Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is widely used in many regions to treat perioperative pain, but its benefits are still somewhat controversial. We, therefore, intent to systematically review the available literature on ESPB, to elucidate its effects on opioid-sparing analgesia, and summarize its potential complications.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has become the first-line treatment of actinic keratosis, superficial basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowen's disease) in dermatology. The off-label use of PDT has also escalated in recent years owing to its applications in the treatment of various non-neoplastic skin diseases such as acne vulgaris, vascular lesions, rejuvenation, and chronic wounds. Daylight PDT that uses natural sunlight to activate a photosensitizer with advantages such as low cost and reduced pain is widely used in Europe. This chapter reviews the applications and immunogenetic aspects of PDT. However, the studies of immunity and genetic changes in human tissue after PDT are limited.

To analyze the results of sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation in treatment of chronic headache.

Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs), including cetuximab, erlotinib, gefitinib and icotinib, have been proven to be effective in treating colorectal cancer or lung cancer. However, most of patients who receive EGFRIs treatment experience cutaneous toxicities, such as acneiform or papulopustular rashes, which affects quality of life and leads to discontinuation of cancer therapies. Honeysuckle is a traditional herb historically used to treat skin rash for thousands of years in Eastern Asia and showed proven safety in human. To investigate whether honeysuckle therapy could control EGFRIs induced acneiform rashes, a total of 139 colorectal and lung cancer patients with EGFRIs treatments were recruited in a prospective study. Patients were randomized to 3 arms (Arm A: prophylactic treatment with honeysuckle before rash occurred; Arm B: symptomatic treatment with honeysuckle when rash occurred; Arm C: conventional treatment with minocycline and a topical solution when rash occurred). The incidences, severities and recovery time of acneiform rash were observed in each arm. Honeysuckle treatment reduced incidences of EGFRIs induced acneiform rash, which were 56.5, 68.1 and 71.7% in Arm A, B and C, respectively ( = 0.280). Severities of rash (CTCAE grade 2 and 3) were significantly lower in prophylactic honeysuckle treatment (Arm A) compared to conventional treatment (Arm C) ( = 0.027), which was 10-21%, respectively. Patients with honeysuckle treatment recovered more quickly from pruritus, the median time was 22, 36 and 58 days in Arm A, B and C, respectively ( = 0.016). Honeysuckle was effective in reducing incidences and severities of EGFRIs induced acneiform rash, especially for prophylactic treatment.

In the present case report a show jumping 10-year-old Sella Italiano gelding, presented with severe lameness, swelling and pain at palpation of the mid-metacarpal region of the left forelimb. Clinical and ultrasound examination diagnosed a chronic tendonitis of the central region of the superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT). The lesion was a reoccurrence since it developed from a previously healed injury. The horse had to stop competing and was unresponsive to gold-standard treatments as Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and conservative management after 6 months of therapy. The animal was subjected to repeated intralesional injections of autologous adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) combined with autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP). The combined treatment was administered twice in a 1-month interval. The healing process was assessed through clinical examination, ultrasound imaging and quantification of oxidative stress products and inflammatory mediators in blood plasma. After 2 weeks from first injection, a reduction of concentration of oxidative-derived products was observed, together with an increase of anti-inflammatory cytokines and pro-mitotic growth factors. These results were reflected clinically as the horse showed a reduction of lameness along with swelling and pain after 4 weeks. At the 1-year follow-up, the horse showed no signs of lameness and swelling. The ultrasonographic examination highlighted a compact fiber alignment with a normal echogenic tendon as observed in the sound contralateral limb. Moreover, the horse went back to the previous level of competition. Our results suggest the positive effects of a repeated intralesional injection of AD-MSCs and PRP for the treatment of a chronic tendonitis with long-term effects and an improvement for both equine quality of life and athletic performance.

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a rare condition caused by a fluid (CSF) leak. It is diagnosed by clinical features that include an orthostatic headache combined with imaging findings demonstrating intracranial hypotension and a CSF leak. We present the case of a 45-year-old woman with an orthostatic headache who was found to have a sagging brain with a downward-displaced cerebellum and pachymeningeal enhancement with gadolinium contrast. This was initially misidentified as a Chiari I malformation, but the constellation of symptoms and MRI findings were later recognized as characteristic of SIH. Diagnosis of SIH and a CSF leak was confirmed with CT myelography. She was treated with a nontarget epidural blood patch, and her symptoms resolved. An orthostatic headache, a sagging brain, and pachymeningeal enhancement on MRI are highly specific for SIH, raising suspicion for this uncommon and often missed diagnosis.

To summarize the technical points and clinical effects of percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) in the treatment of primary trigeminal neuralgia.