Compartment Syndrome

Compartment syndrome is a medical term which refers to the compression of nerves, blood vessels and muscle inside a closed space (compartment) within the body. This leads to tissue death due to lack of oxygenation as the blood vessels are compressed by the raised pressure within the compartment. Compartment syndrome most commonly involves the forearm and lower leg. It can be divided into acute, subacute or chronic compartment syndrome.

Compartment syndrome Symptoms and signs

There are classically 5 “Ps” associated with compartment syndrome — pain out of proportion to what is expected, paresthesia, pallor, paralysis, pulselessness; sometimes a 6th P, for polar/poikilothermia (failure to thermoregulate) is added. Of these, only the first two are reliable in the diagnosis of compartment syndrome. Paresthesia, however, is a late symptom.

• Pain is often reported early and almost universally. The description is usually of severe, deep, constant, and poorly localized pain, sometimes described as out of proportion with the injury. The pain is aggravated by stretching the muscle group within the compartment and is not relieved by analgesia up to and including morphine.
• Paresthesia (altered sensation e.g. “pins & needles”) in the cutaneous nerves of the affected compartment is another typical sign.
• Paralysis of the limb is usually a late finding. The compartment may also feel very tense and firm (pressure). Some find that their feet and even legs fall asleep. This is because compartment syndrome prevents adequate blood flow to the rest of the leg.
• Note that a lack of pulse rarely occurs in patients, as pressures that cause compartment syndrome are often well below arterial pressures and pulse is only affected if the relevant artery is contained within the affected compartment.
• Tense and swollen shiny skin, sometimes with obvious bruising of the skin.
• Congestion of the digits with prolonged capillary refill time.

Read more detail about Compartment Syndrome at Wikipedia

What is Rhabdomyolysis?

Rhabdomyolysis (RAB-DOE-MY-O-LIE-SIS) is the rapid destruction of skeletal muscle resulting in leakage into the urine of the muscle protein myoglobin.

There are three different types of muscle in the human body:

1. smooth muscle,
2. skeletal muscle, and
3. heart muscle.

The skeletal muscle is the muscle of movement of the body (moving the skeleton at the joints). Skeletal muscle is affected by rhabdomyolysis.

Myoglobin is a protein component of the muscle cells that is released into the blood when the skeletal muscle is destroyed in rhabdomyolysis. Creatine kinase is an enzyme (a protein that facilitates chemical reactions in the body) also in the muscle cells. The level of each of these proteins can be measured in blood to monitor the degree of muscle injury from rhabdomyolysis. Myoglobin can also be measured in samples of urine.

Rhabdomyolysis Symptoms

Rhabdomyolysis may not cause any symptoms at all. Muscle aches and pain (myalgia), stiffness, and muscle weakness can occur with rhabdomyolysis, and is especially common with severe muscle damage. Rhabdomyolysis may cause a darkening of the urine color. Myoglobin is released from the muscles when they break down and is excreted into the urine. This can cause a red or cola color of the urine.

Read more detail about rhabdomyolysis at:

Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis is a form of arthritis that affects some people who have psoriasis, a serious skin condition. Most people develop psoriasis first and are later diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, but arthritis can sometimes develop before skin lesions appear.

Joint pain, stiffness and swelling are the main symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. They can affect any part of your body, including your fingertips and spine, and can range from relatively mild to severe. In both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, disease flares may alternate with periods of remission.

No cure for psoriatic arthritis exists, so the focus is on controlling symptoms and preventing damage to your joints. Without treatment — and regular exercise — psoriatic arthritis may be disabling.

Read more detail, like symptoms, cause, etc at:

Macular Dystrophy Overview

Glenn Beck, the Fox News host, told the audience that he is suffering from Macular Dystrophy and he could lose his sight completely.

What is Macular Dystrophy?

Macular dystrophy is an autosomal recessive condition, which is the least common but the most severe of the 3 major stromal corneal dystrophies. It is characterized by multiple, gray-white opacities that are present in the corneal stroma and that extend out into the peripheral cornea. Examples of macular dystrophy are shown in the images below.

Pathophysiology

The cornea is the clear outer coat of the front of the eye. A dystrophy of the cornea is defined as a bilateral noninflammatory clouding of the cornea. Corneal dystrophies can be placed into 3 categories based on their location within the cornea. Anterior corneal dystrophies affect the corneal epithelium and may involve the Bowman membrane. Stromal corneal dystrophies (which include macular dystrophy) affect the central layer of the cornea, the stroma. Posterior corneal dystrophies involve the Descemet membrane and the endothelium.¹

Most corneal dystrophies have an onset prior to age 20 years; exceptions include map-dot-fingerprint dystrophy and Fuchs corneal dystrophy. Most corneal dystrophies are dominantly inherited; exceptions are macular dystrophy, type 3 lattice dystrophy, and the autosomal-recessive form of congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy.

Subgroups of macular dystrophy can be identified by immunohistochemical methods. Keratan sulfate was not detected in the serum of patients with histopathologically confirmed macular corneal dystrophy. Because keratan sulfate in the serum appears to be predominantly derived from the normal turnover of cartilage,² these studies strongly suggest that the defect in keratan sulfate synthesis in macular corneal dystrophy is not restricted to corneal cells and that this condition is one manifestation of a systemic disorder of keratan sulfate.

Frequency (United States)

Macular dystrophy is uncommon.

Mortality/Morbidity

Corneal changes become visible in the first decade of life; a significant reduction in vision usually occurs by age 20-40 years. Eye pain from recurrent corneal erosions can occur but is much less common than in patients with lattice or granular dystrophies.

Sex

No sexual predilection has been reported.

Age

Corneal changes become visible in the first decade of life; vision may be significantly reduced by age 20-40 years

Read more detail about Macular Dystrophy at:

Next Page »