Medical science, drawn into focus.

Achilles Tendinopathy & Rupture

Overview Achilles tendinopathy & rupture are common causes of posterior ankle pain and disability, particularly in active adults. Tendinopathy presents with chronic pain, stiffness, and impaired function, while rupture is an acute injury characterised by a sudden “pop” and loss of plantarflexion power. Achilles tendon injuries are increasingly prevalent due to sports participation, with rupture…

Anal Fissure

Overview Anal fissure is a split in the skin of the distal anal canal. It presents with severe pain on defecation, like passing “glass shards”, and rectal bleeding. It is more frequently diagnosed in younger and middle-aged individuals. Anal fissures are mostly caused by passage of hard stool but can also be a result of…

Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA)

Overview Transient ischemic attack is defined as transient neurologic symptoms without evidence of acute infarction. It is a common and important risk factor for future stroke. TIAs are produced by temporary ischemia to a vascular territory, usually caused by thrombosis or embolism and less commonly by vasculitis, hematologic disorders such as sickle cell disease or…

Endometriosis

A healthy 25-year-old woman presents with worsening dysmenorrhea, pain of recent onset in the left lower quadrant, and dyspareunia. She has regular menstrual cycles, and her last menstrual period was 3 weeks before presentation. She has been trying to fall pregnant over the past 10 months without success and she is becoming more concerned. Overview…

Valvular Heart Disease

Overview Valvular disease can come to clinical attention due to stenosis, insufficiency (regurgitation/incompetence) or both. Stenosis is the failure of a valve to open completely, which impedes forward flow. Insufficiency results from failure of a valve to close completely, thereby allows reversed flow.  Doppler echocardiogram is the best technique for assessing patients with valvular heart disease, but…

Basic Calcium Phosphate Disease / Milwaukee Shoulder Syndrome

Overview Basic Calcium Phosphate (BCP) disease is a crystal-associated arthropathy characterized by deposition of BCP crystals in periarticular and intra-articular tissues. A severe clinical presentation of BCP disease is Milwaukee Shoulder Syndrome, which typically affects elderly women, leading to rapid joint destruction, massive rotator cuff tears, and non-inflammatory joint effusion. It often involves the shoulder,…

Vasculitides

Classification Large-vessel vasculitis Takayasu arteritis Medium-sized vessel vasculitis Childhood polyarteritis nodosa Kawasaki Disease Small-vessel vasculitis Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s Syndrome) Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg–Strauss syndrome) Henoch-Schönlein purpura (Spring Fever) Other vasculitides Behçet’s disease Kawasaki disease and HSP are the most common childhood vasculitis followed by PAN.

Full resource library