Hypercoagulable States Steven Deitcher DEFINITION The concept of a state of hypercoagulability dates back to 1854, when German pathologist Rudolph Virchow postulated that thrombosis resulted from, and in turn precipitated,…

Chronic Myeloproliferative Disorders Anjali Advani, Karl Theil Chronic myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs) are characterized by the clonal proliferation of one or more hematopoietic cell lineages, predominantly in the bone marrow, but…

Colonic Diverticular Disease H. Nail Aydin, Feza Remzi Colonic diverticulosis is among the most common diseases in developed Western countries. In the United States, diverticulosis occurs in approximately one third…

Diseases of the Aorta Gian M. Novaro Diseases of the aorta account for significant cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. The incidence of aortic diseases is expected to rise with the…

Melanoma Rebecca Tung, Alison Vidimos More than 1 million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year. About 80% of these new skin cancer cases…

Motor Disorders of the Esophagus Edgar Achkar Dysphagia, a common symptom in those with esophageal disorders, may arise from a multitude of underlying causes. Dysphagia, or difficulty swallowing, refers to…

Atopic Dermatitis Melissa Piliang DEFINITION Atopic dermatitis (Fig. 1) and hereditary eczema are interchangeable terms for an inflammatory condition of the skin characterized by erythema, pruritus, scaling, lichenification, and papulovesicles….

Sarcoidosis Daniel A. Culver DEFINITION AND CAUSES Sarcoidosis is a systemic disorder characterized by non-necrotizing granulomatous inflammation, with varying degrees of concomitant fibrosis. It predominantly affects the lungs, eyes, and…

Soft-Tissue Rheumatic Conditions Judith Manzon, Raymond Scheetz Soft-tissue rheumatic disorders are painful conditions arising from periarticular musculoskeletal structures. This discussion focuses on regional soft tissue disorders that are commonly encountered…

Approach to the Patient with Liver Disease A Guide to Commonly Used Liver Tests William D. Carey Laboratory assessment of the patient with suspected or clinically obvious liver disease is…