One clinical challenge posed by gastrointestinal (GI) tract symptoms is to distinguish the so-called “functional” (nonpathologic) from the “organic” (structural or pathologic) disorders, since some patients have hyperawareness of normal…
Arthritis and tendinitis can easily be distinguished on physical examination. Tendinitis is painful on active movement but not on passive manipulation of the joint. Arthritis, on the other hand, is…
The underlying hemodynamic abnormality in heart failure is an increase in ventricular end diastolic pressure. Many descriptors have been applied to the failing heart based on the presumed underlying physiology:…
Headaches are common in young folks but not in the elderly. A new headache in mid to old age should always be taken seriously. In the elderly a new headache…
When an exhaustive search for infection is negative occult malignancy is the usual cause of prolonged unidentified fevers. It should be pointed out, however, that some patients recover completely with…
The three basic cell types of carcinoma of the lung – small cell (about 15%, of all lung cancers), adenocarcinoma (40%), and squamous cell (35%) – have distinct clinical features…
The blood urea nitrogen (BUN) is a better indicator of uremic symptoms than the serum creatinine which is a better indicator of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The BUN reflects protein…
Hypertension is the most important risk factor for stroke and congestive heart failure (CHF), and an important contributor to the risk of myocardial infarction. The cardiovascular risk imposed by high…
