The American Journal of Medicine Blog

Peritoneal dialysis is a home-based dialysis modality. In the US, 7.5% of the total dialysis population uses peritoneal dialysis.1 Peritoneal dialysis catheter-related peritonitis is a well-recognized complication, with an annual mortality rate as high as 16%.2 Although peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis treatment has been standardized, peritoneal dialysis catheter may require removal in cases of relapsing or refractory peritonitis […]

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a clinical condition characterized by pain and numbness involving the feet, and it occasionally spares the heels. It is often caused by physical compression by ganglion or posttraumatic change in the tunnel.1, 2 Cases of idiopathic bilateral tarsal tunnel syndrome have been reported, but not as many as expected, thereby rendering the entity […]

  A 62-year-old man was experiencing debilitating bouts of dizziness provoked by head rotation until ultimately finding relief with cervical spine fixation. He had a history of coronary artery disease, human immunodeficiency virus, tobacco use disorder, and generalized anxiety, and initially presented to a routine primary care visit with 3 weeks of episodic dizziness. During […]

To the Editor: Since the advent of the Human Genome Project, opening doors to an era of genomic medicine, the family history has become a relevant and critical tool in individualized disease prevention. The family history has lasted through the years as a key component of history-taking in medical education. Yet it continues to be […]

Concussion has been recognized as a clinical entity for more than 1000 years. Throughout the 20th century it was studied extensively in boxers,1, 2, 3 but it did not pique the interest of the general population because it is the accepted goal of the boxer to inflict such an injury on their opponent. In 2002, however, the possibility […]

A 22-year-old human immunodefiency virus–negative man was admitted to the intensive care unit for generalized seizures. The patient’s family reported a 1-month history of asthenia and intermittent confusion. Clinical examination revealed isolated inappropriateness of behavior related to a frontal lobe syndrome, without any neck stiffness or neurologic deficit. The patient’s temperature was 37°C. Results from […]