Benign skin lesions can arise in the outer ear as easily as in any other body part frequently exposed to the sun. Seborrheic keratosis may mimic malignant melanoma but is innocuous. Actinic keratosis is premalignant and should be excised, biopsied, and the site of excision monitored vigilantly.
These innocuous lesions of the outer ear may arise spontaneously or after trauma or surgery. Both auricular seroma and pyogenic granuloma usually resolve satisfactorily after minor surgery, though they may recur.
Diagnostic challenge: Two case reports of easily treated and innocuous causes of lesions in the outer ear. Chondrodermatitis nodularis helicis is associated with long cellphone use. Verruca vulgaris is caused, like all other warts, by human papillomavirus.
T cells, those footsoldiers of the immune system, can cause considerable trouble after haemopoietic transplantation. Two new studies show how some of these problems can be avoided by finding ways not to transplant the wrong ones. More »
As one of 17 medical organizations collaborating in the nationwide "Choosing Wisely" campaign to help doctors and patients work together to reduce unwarranted testing, the American Academy of Allergy and Immunology has made five suggested topics for discussion. Your patients with asthma and allergies may begin to raise the subject. More »
Diagnostic challenge: Two case reports of easily treated and innocuous causes of lesions in the outer ear. Chondrodermatitis nodularis helicis is associated with long... More »
Did you know: The hepatitis B virus is the only human virus that is routinely tested for by measuring a marker or “footprint” of the virus in the blood? Here, an explanation for this and 4 more things you need to know about HBV. More »
A 47-year-old man in no apparent distress presented with intermittent facial pain, involuntary right facial muscle contractions, bilateral muscle spasms, trismus,... More »
ABSTRACT: Bronchiolitis and croup are common wintertime pediatric illnesses, and both are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The most common cause of croup is parainfluenza virus, while bronchiolitis is usually caused by respiratory syncytial virus. Although croup and bronchiolitis are usually mild and self-limited, they can cause... More »
Here we summarize the evaluation of pediatric pneumonia and offer our management recommendations—based on a literature review and on clinical experience—in the... More »
PLoS ONE: an inclusive, peer-reviewed, open-access resource from the PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE. Reports of well-performed scientific studies from all disciplines freely available to the whole world.
PLoS ONE: an inclusive, peer-reviewed, open-access resource from the PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE. Reports of well-performed scientific studies from all disciplines freely available to the whole world.
PLoS ONE: an inclusive, peer-reviewed, open-access resource from the PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE. Reports of well-performed scientific studies from all disciplines freely available to the whole world.
PLoS ONE: an inclusive, peer-reviewed, open-access resource from the PUBLIC LIBRARY OF SCIENCE. Reports of well-performed scientific studies from all disciplines freely available to the whole world.
The passive administration of specific antibodies that selectively target tumors is a well-known strategy in cancer treatment. Active immunotherapy using peptide vaccines, in contrast, is expected to induce specific, cytolytic T cells in the patient, which react against tumor antigens and destroy malignant cells. Although several concepts exist, the identification and low immunogenicity of tumor-specific peptides remain a serious problem. Heat shock proteins (HSPs), notably glycoprotein (Gp) 96, are of special interest, because they are able to take molecular peptide-fingerprints of the protein array characteristic for a particular cell. Association of Gp96 with peptides has been shown to be essential for crosspresentation and activation of T cells. Consequently, Gp96-peptide complexes extracted from cancer cells harbor the tumor-specific peptides and are immunogenic, thus offering a tool for active immunization against the tumor. Already, several immunotherapy studies of human
The consequences of current intensive chemotherapy for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) for immune defense are a matter of concern. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of reduced compared with intensive (conventional) ALL chemotherapy on serum immunoglobulin levels and specific antibody concentrations against vaccine-preventable diseases.|Patients treated according to Dutch Childhood Oncology Group ALL 10 protocol were stratified by minimal residual disease to receive reduced (standard risk; SR) or intensive (medium risk; MR) intensification/maintenance treatment. Between November 2004 and July 2009 we compared serum immunoglobulins of 110 patients and specific antibodies against diphtheria toxin, tetanus toxin, and Bordetella pertussis antigens of 41 patients of SR and MR groups during chemotherapy.|Immunoglobulin levels showed significantly different patterns between the SR and MR groups. In the MR group IgG, IgA, and IgM levels decreased towards the end
Influenza infection results in substantial costs, morbidity, and mortality. Vaccination against influenza is particularly important in children and adolescents who are a significant source of transmission to other high-risk populations, yet pediatric and adolescent vaccine coverage remains low. Traditional vaccine reminders have had a limited effect on low-income populations; however, text messaging is a novel, scalable approach to promote influenza vaccination.|To evaluate targeted text message reminders for low-income, urban parents to promote receipt of influenza vaccination among children and adolescents.|Randomized controlled trial of 9213 children and adolescents aged 6 months to 18 years receiving care at 4 community-based clinics in the United States during the 2010-2011 influenza season. Of the 9213 children and adolescents, 7574 had not received influenza vaccine prior to the intervention start date and were included in the primary analysis.|Parents of children assigned to
Reviews the evidence for and against hundreds of preventive health services, recommending tests, and counseling interventions when evidence exists that it is effective.
Reviews the evidence for and against hundreds of preventive health services, recommending tests, and counseling interventions when evidence exists that it is effective.
Reviews the evidence for and against hundreds of preventive health services, recommending tests, and counseling interventions when evidence exists that it is effective.
Physician Performance Goals Are Great, But Balance Is More Realistic Jennifer Frank, MD, May 15, 2012 Performance measurements for physicians are well-intentioned and get me to rethink how I practice. But in the end I won't make the goals, so I'll have to go with balance over perfection.
Designing the Perfect Business Card for Your Medical Practice C. Noel Henley, MD, May 11, 2012 Does your business card say anything substantive about the valuable work you do in your practice? Here’s how to re-design your next business card for maximum impact and engagement.
Registered Nurses an Ideal Fit for Primary Care Practices Audrey "Christie" McLaughlin, RN, May 10, 2012 Here are four good reasons to hire a registered nurse for your primary care practice …maybe even instead of a medical assistant.
The Five Biggest Medical Practice Marketing Mistakes James Doulgeris, May 10, 2012 There are best practices to marketing your practice, but often, success is more about knowing what not to do. Here are the five most common pitfalls …and how to avoid them.
Can You Practice Medicine and Manage Your Practice? Rosemarie Nelson, May 9, 2012 Whether you practice alone, or in a group, if you're trying to see patients in this pay-for-volume environment and also run the business of your practice, you may be missing out on important opportunities.