Rejected

To review the previous literature on the associations of pachymeningitis with Crohn disease (CD) and relapsing polychondritis (RP) and to describe a new case occurring in association with both in addition to highlighting its positive response to steroid and adalimumab treatment.

The paravertebral block (PVB) is an effective alternative to thoracic epidural analgesia for post-operative analgesia in thoracic surgeries. Despite the use of ultrasound in PVB, the search for a safer approach continues. This study was conducted to compare the analgesic efficacy of conventional and mid-transverse process to the pleura (MTP) approach of the PVB.

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is an uncommon subtype of stroke, and the role of D-dimer and fibrinogen in early diagnosis of CVST has been studied with varying results. The present study aims to study the role of the combination of D-dimer and fibrinogen in early diagnosis of acute CVST.

Allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) is the most common type of fungal sinus infection. AFS is a robust allergic reaction to inhaled soil fungi that causes sinus inflammation, and the fungal debris then accumulates in the sinus cavities. This accumulation can cause nasal polyps, facial pain and pressure, bone remodeling of the face, and even bone erosion, which can cause damage to the eyes and brain. AFS can also cause thick, sticky nasal mucus and postnasal drip, and it can affect the sense of smell. Most patients with AFS are adolescents who also have chronic symptoms of allergic rhinitis and asthma. Endoscopic sinus surgery to remove the disease and open the sinus cavities is the main treatment approach. Adjuvant immunotherapy is helpful in reducing the inflammatory response and preventing future recurrence of this allergy-mediated condition. .

Amitriptyline, duloxetine, and pregabalin are among the most pharmacotherapeutic, effective treatments for neuropathic pain control. However, the evaluation of synergism by combining these treatments is still poorly investigated.

The first manuscript in this series delineated a model of structured headache services, potentially cost-effective but requiring formal cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA). We envisaged a need for a new outcome measure for this purpose, applicable to all forms of treatment, care and care-delivery systems as opposed to comparisons of single-modality treatments.

Diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) is one of the most serious complications of diabetes. Patients with DNP always exhibit spontaneous and stimulus-evoked pain. However, the pathogenesis of DNP remains to be fully elucidated. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) serve important roles in several cellular processes and dysregulated expression may result in the development of several diseases, including DNP. Although ncRNAs have been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of DNP, their precise roles remain to be determined. In the present study, sequencing analysis was used to investigate the expression patterns of coding genes, microRNAs (miRNAs), long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the spinal cord of mice with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DNP. A total of 30 mRNAs, 148 miRNAs, 9 lncRNAs and 135 circRNAs exhibited significantly dysregulated expression 42 days after STZ injection. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that protein digestion and absorption pathways were the most significantly affected pathways of the differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs. The Rap1 signaling pathway, human T-lymphotropic virus-I infection and the MAPK signaling pathway were the three most significant pathways of the DE miRNAs. A total of 2,118 distinct circRNAs were identified and the length of the majority of the circRNAs was <1,000 nucleotides (nt) (1,552 circRNAs were >1,000 nt) with a median length of 620 nt. In the present study, the expression characteristics of coding genes, miRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs in DNP mice were determined; it paves the road for further studies on the mechanisms associated with DNP and potentially facilitates the discovery of novel ncRNAs for therapeutic targeting in the management of DNP.

Gluteal tendon tears represent a common but underreported cause of lateral hip pain and dysfunction. In case of conservative management failure, a surgical procedure must be performed to relieve patient symptoms. Current operative treatments, either open or endoscopic, have been however associated with different drawbacks which led to the introduction of the mini-open technique. The aim of this study was to evaluate and report the short-term outcomes of patients operated through the aforementioned surgical technique for gluteus medius (GM) chronic tears. We retrospectively analysed the records of 14 consecutive patients operated at the La Tour hospital by mini-open repair using a double-row technique for full-thickness GM chronic tears. Intra- and post-operative complications were recorded. The pre- and post-operative pain on visual analogue scale (pVAS), modified Harris Hip score (mHHS), abduction strength and gait dysfunction were assessed for all patients. Pre- and post-operative values were compared to evaluate whether improvements were statistically significant and clinically relevant. The study cohort comprised 13 women (93%) and 1 man (3%) aged 62.4 ± 18.0 at index surgery. No intra- or post-operative complications were noted. Compared to pre-operative values, patients reported a significant improvement in mHHS (59.1 ± 7.1 vs 92.7 ± 4.6) and pVAS (7.4 ± 1.0 vs 1.3 ± 1.3) at last follow-up. Patients exhibited a perfect improvement in muscle strength (3.6 ± 0.5 vs 5.0 ± 0.0), and the proportion of patients with a positive Trendelenburg sign decreased from 71% to 0%. Mini-open repair of chronic GM tendon tears using a double-row technique demonstrated excellent clinical and functional outcomes at short follow-up. : IV.

This article summarizes the top 20 research studies of 2020 identified as POEMs (patient-oriented evidence that matters), including the two most highly rated guidelines of the year on gout and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Regarding COVID-19, handwashing and social distancing through stay-at-home orders or quarantine measures are effective at slowing the spread of illness. Use of proper face masks (not gaiters or bandanas) is also effective at preventing trans- mission. This is important because the virus can infect others during the presymptomatic phase. Aspirin can no longer be recommended for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Human papillomavirus vaccination is strongly associated with reduced risk of invasive cervical cancer, especially in women who were vaccinated before 17 years of age. When a woman who is postmenopausal has a screening bone mineral density test, rechecking the test after three years does not help to identify those who will have a fragility fracture. A higher daily step count is associated with lower all-cause mortality. After one year of follow-up, physical therapy is preferred to glucocorticoid injections for osteoarthritis of the knee; acetaminophen is ineffective for acute low back pain or pain due to knee or hip osteoarthritis; and adding a muscle relaxant to ibuprofen does not improve functional outcomes or pain in people reporting moderate to severe back pain one week after starting treatment. Although short-term antibiotics and steroids are effective in treating acute exacerbations of COPD, not much else is. Successful communication with patients seeking an antibiotic for a flulike illness can be achieved with combinations of messaging, including information on antibiotic resistance and the self-limiting nature of the illness. A new prediction rule effectively identifies patients with a history of penicillin allergy who have a low likelihood of positive findings on allergy testing. Low-value screening tests in asymptomatic, low-risk patients often lead to further testing, diagnostic procedures, or referrals. A new tool helps determine the amount of change needed to signify a real difference between two laboratory values in the same person over time. Finally, a pillar of our specialty, continuity of care, is associated with decreased all-cause mortality.

Although being controversial, pregabalin (PGB) is proposed during a short perioperative period  to improve pain relief.Comparisons between chronic and short-term users during lumbar spine surgery are lacking.