Rejected

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, disfiguring, and debilitating inflammatory skin condition accompanied by pain, malodorous discharge, scarring, and a scarce quality of life. Skin folds are the most frequently affected areas, while the face is rarely involved.

A novel medium cut-off (MCO) dialyzer (Theranova, Baxter Healthcare, Deerfield, IL, USA) enhances large middle molecule clearance while retaining selectivity for molecules >45 000 Da.

is a well-known cause of foodborne illness, commonly resulting in gastroenteritis, bacteremia, and focal infections. septic arthritis is a rare entity with cases mostly prevalent in patients with sickle cell disease, immunocompromised state, and advanced age. Here, we present a case of septic arthritis in a previously healthy young gentleman with no risk factors who presented with fever, skin rash, abdominal pain, and left hip pain. Initial laboratory findings showed high inflammatory markers and negative blood culture. MRI of the left hip joint showed effusion and features of inflammatory changes. The diagnosis was confirmed by joint aspirate culture growing B. Furthermore, he underwent joint arthrotomy; pus was drained and treated with an antibiotic. Subsequently, the patient responded to treatment with marked clinical recovery.

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a prominent medical condition that can affect an individual at some point in their life time which could lead to poor quality of life (QOL). Low back pain has affected approximately 577 million individuals globally by 2017. The aim of the current systematic review is to synthesise the existing evidence on the factors influencing the QOL in individuals with CLBP and to identify strategies to improve their QOL.

The combination of ketamine and propofol, commonly referred to as ketofol, is sometimes used for procedural sedation and analgesia in the pediatric emergency department. This article reviews the pharmacology, dosing, and indications, as well as adverse effects and contraindications of ketamine, propofol, and ketofol.

Hemorrhoids, anal fistula and fissure are common anorectal complications. Anorectal diseases are associated with severe pain, inflammation, swelling, itching and bleeding. These diseases may be managed with different medical treatments or surgical procedures, depending on their severity. Surgical procedures, however, are highly invasive and are associated with higher costs and the possibility of recurrence. In addition, surgical removal of fistula-in-ano leads to the formation of perineal wounds. Therefore, developing therapeutic interventions that are effective in alleviating inflammation and pain are desirable for the effective management of anorectal diseases. Herbal compounds have previously been indicated to suppress inflammation and pain in different pathological conditions. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects elicited by a polyherbal formulation, AnoSpray, on the migration of inflammatory cells and on the expression of inflammatory cytokines in anorectal diseases. The effect of AnoSpray on cell viability and migration was studied using MTT and wound-migration assays, respectively. Furthermore, the effects of AnoSpray on the expression of the inflammatory cytokines regulated upon activation, normal T cell expressed and presumably secreted (RANTES) and VEGF, as well as on cyclooxygenase-2 (COX)-2, were investigated using western blot analysis. The expression of RANTES and COX-2 in human hemorrhoid specimens was also analyzed to corroborate the findings. The results obtained revealed that AnoSpray did not exhibit any cytotoxic effects; however, it did lead to a significant suppression in the migration of RAW 264.7 and BJ cells. Furthermore, the results suggested that AnoSpray suppressed the expression of the inflammatory cytokines RANTES and VEGF, and also the expression of COX-2. In addition, RANTES and COX-2 were significantly downregulated in the clinical specimens of AnoSpray-treated hemorrhoids compared with the controls. Taken together, the results of the present study suggested that AnoSpray may be a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of bleeding hemorrhoids, anal fissures and perineal wounds.

The primo vascular system (PVS), an intensive network structure, has been claimed to be representative of the acupuncture meridian. Here, we explored the role of the PVS in local enteritis and its modification by acupuncture.

Microvascular decompression is safe, effective, and micro-invasive. Due to these advantages, it has become the mainstream treatment for trigeminal neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, and hemifacial spasm. Initially, microvascular decompression was performed under a microscope, which limited the light source and visualization capabilities. With the development of endoscopic technology, the endoscope has been used in microvascular decompression, which further improved the visualization range and light source properties. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of fully endoscopic microvascular decompression for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. In total, three patients with trigeminal neuralgia who underwent fully endoscopic microvascular decompression were evaluated. After surgery, the facial pain of all patients was significantly relieved. In addition, there were no obvious postoperative complications and no recurrence after 6 months of follow-up. These excellent surgical outcomes indicate that fully endoscopic microvascular decompression is an effective and safe method for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. Furthermore, it also shows that the endoscope presents advantages for use in microvascular decompression.

Even though serotonin (5-HT) has been ascribed immunomodulatory features, very little is known about its role in chronic inflammatory diseases. Serotonin is implicated in inflammation and increased levels have been associated with progression of bone erosions in RA.

With the advances in endoscopic technology, endoscopy is widely used in many neurosurgical procedures, such as microvascular decompression, which is an effective method to treat glossopharyngeal neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia, and facial spasm. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of fully endoscopic microvascular decompression in the treatment of glossopharyngeal neuralgia. We managed a patient with glossopharyngeal neuralgia in our department, whose main clinical manifestation was recurrent left ear and facial pain for 3 years. The patient underwent a fully endoscopic microvascular decompression. The pain in the left ear and face was significantly relieved postoperatively, and there was no recurrence at the 6-month follow-up evaluation. We describe a case of glossopharyngeal neuralgia that was successfully treated by fully endoscopic microvascular decompression, which showed that endoscopy has advantages in microvascular decompression, and fully endoscopic microvascular decompression is an effective method for glossopharyngeal neuralgia.