Ultrasonographic assessment of optic nerve: does it help in lupus-induced optic neuropathy?

Objective: Evaluating the potential role of neuromuscular ultrasonography (NMUS) in assessing optic nerve affection in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), compared with healthy controls and other conventional strategies in diagnosing optic neuropathy.

Methods: We conducted an observational cross-sectional study comparing patients with SLE and a healthy group. We measured the optic nerve diameter (OND) and optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and calculated the OND/ONSD ratio and side-to-side difference.

Radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy as an additional treatment modality for spastic equinus deformity in chronic hemiplegic patients. A randomized controlled study.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of radial extracorporeal shock wave therapy (r ESWT) as an additional treatment modality for spastic equinus deformity in chronic hemiplegic patients.

Methods: 100 eligible stroke patients with calf muscles spasticity were randomized into 2 groups. Group I: 50 patients exposed to rESWT 1.

Post-traumatic radial nerve neuroma: A case report.

Introduction: Radial nerve neuromas (RNNs) are mostly post-traumatic conditions that occur after a complete or partial section of a nerve. Here we report a case of post-traumatic RNN with good functional progression after intense physical rehabilitation.

Case Presentation: A 49 years old patient with a post-complete section of the radial nerve underwent intensive physical rehabilitation with two sessions of ultrasound-guided injections of 10 % glucose saline around the neuroma.

Ultrasound-Guided Interventions for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common peripheral entrapment, and recently, ultrasound-guided perineural injection (UPIT) and percutaneous flexor retinaculum release (UPCTR) have been utilized to treat CTS. However, no systematic review or meta-analysis has included both intervention types of ultrasound-guided interventions for CTS. Therefore, we performed this review using four databases (i.

Screw Impingement Causing Massive Swelling of the Sciatic Nerve: A Case Report.

Sciatic nerve (SN) injuries after hip fracture dislocation are described and are not uncommon. Several factors can lead to SN injury after hip surgery; among other factors, screw plates of synthesis materials can immigrate and lead to nerve impingement. We report a case of a 22-year-old male with a history of posterior wall fracture and hip dislocation after a motorway accident.

The Booster Effect of a Single Quarterly Dose of Hyaluronic Acid in Knee Osteoarthritis: Five-Year Results of a Registry-Based Study.

Objective Viscosupplementation by hyaluronic acid (HA) is well established non-surgical treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). This registry-based study investigated the booster effect of a quarterly intra-articular single knee injection (30mg/2ml) for five years. Methods Sixty patients, including 29 males and 31 females, with a mean ± SD age 61.

Pulsed Radiofrequency for Postherpetic Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Case Report.

Trigeminal postherpetic neuralgia has been reported to cause chronic headaches and facial pain. There are various modalities of treatment ranging from pharmacological to surgical treatment. However, these are frequently accompanied by undesirable side effects and minimal efficacy.

Efficacy of Botulinum Toxin, Local Anesthetics, and Corticosteroids in Patients With Piriformis Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Piriformis syndrome (PS) is a painful condition caused by entrapment of the sciatic nerve within the piriformis muscle. PS is typically unilateral and mainly occurs related to entrapment of the sciatic nerve. Treatments include physiotherapy, analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, behavioral modifications, injection therapy with local anesthetics (LAs) and steroids, epidural injection, botulinum toxin (BT) injection, and surgery.

Efficacy of Acupuncture, Intravenous Lidocaine, and Diet in the Management of Patients with Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

This network meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficacy of acupuncture, intravenous lidocaine, and diet compared with other comparators such as physiotherapy and sham/placebo in fibromyalgia patients. We searched Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for relevant studies till September 2021. The included studies were randomized controlled clinical trials.

Motor-Sparing Neural Ablation with Modified Techniques for Knee Pain: Case Series on Knee Osteoarthritis and Updated Review of the Underlying Anatomy and Available Techniques.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is ubiquitous. However, effective pain managements for patients with grades 3 or 4 KOA for whom conservative treatments are unsuccessful, but for whom surgery is not an option, remain lacking. This case series presented two motor-sparing interventional pain treatment modalities for five such patients.

Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy Combined With Botulinum Toxin for Post-stroke Spasticity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Stroke is considered one of the main causes of adult disability and the second most serious cause of death worldwide. The combination of botulinum toxin type A (BTX) with rehabilitation techniques such as modified constraint-induced movement therapy (mCIMT) has emerged as a highly efficient intervention for stroke patients to start synchronized motor function along with spasticity reduction. The current systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in order to evaluate the available literature about the safety and efficacy of constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) combined with BTX in stroke patients with upper limb spasticity.

Peripheral neuropathy in systemic lupus erythematosus: what can neuromuscular ultrasonography (NMUS) tell us? A cross-sectional study.

Objective: To evaluate peripheral nerve involvement in patients with SLE with neuromuscular ultrasonography (NMUS) and understand its role in investigating SLE-related peripheral neuropathy.

Methods: This is an observational cross-sectional study on patients with SLE and healthy controls. Five nerves in each patient were examined bilaterally with NMUS, and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of each nerve at certain sites was estimated.

Short-Term Outcomes and Predictors of Effectiveness of Tocilizumab in Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA) is a unique category of juvenile arthritis in which interleukin 6 plays a major pathogenic role. This study aimed to describe the therapeutic short-term outcomes among patients with sJIA starting tocilizumab (TCZ) therapy and to identify possible predictors of treatment response. We conducted a prospective observational study including 65 patients with sJIA meeting ILAR classification criteria with active disease despite conventional therapy that were treated by TCZ between August 2019 and October 2020 as the first-line biological therapy.

Correction: Is the heart rate variability monitoring using the analgesia nociception index a predictor of illness severity and mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19? A pilot study.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Is the heart rate variability monitoring using the analgesia nociception index a predictor of illness severity and mortality in critically ill patients with COVID-19? A pilot study.

Introduction: The analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) has proven to be an important tool for the management of autonomous nerve system in both surgical and critically ill patients. We conducted this study to show the different spectral frequency and time domain parameters of HRV as a prospective predictor for critically ill patients, and in particular for COVID-19 patients who are on mechanical ventilation. The hypothesis is that most severely ill COVID-19 patients have a depletion of the sympathetic nervous system and a predominance of parasympathetic activity reflecting the remaining compensatory anti-inflammatory response.

Role of point of care ultrasound in COVID-19 pandemic: what lies beyond the horizon?

The pandemic of COVID-19 requires rapid and easy access to reliable imaging modalities for diagnosis and follow up. Considering the cost-effectiveness of the imaging used, ultrasound is a non-ionizing, portable and bedside imaging modality with a high diagnostic impact in emergencies and intensive care units in pandemics, but it is operator dependent. In our article, we provide a comprehensive review of the role of point-of-care ultrasound in the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection and its impact on the lungs, cardiovascular system, eyes and abdominal organs.

Treatment algorithm for COVID-19: a multidisciplinary point of view.

The novel coronavirus (Sars-CoV-2) pandemic has spread rapidly, from December to the end of March, to 185 countries, and there have been over 3,000,000 cases identified and over 200,000 deaths. For a proportion of hospitalized patients, death can occur within a few days, mainly for adult respiratory distress syndrome or multi-organ dysfunction syndrome. In these patients, clinical signs and symptoms, as well as laboratory abnormalities, suggest a cytokine storm syndrome in response to the viral infection.

Short-Term Teriparatide for Bone Marrow Edema Secondary to Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Case Reports on Efficacy After Two Years of Follow-Up.

Bone marrow edema secondary to chronic pain syndrome after knee trauma is a disabling condition that presents with localized pain, allodynia, edema, decreased range of motion and osteopenia. The management includes a variety of medications and rehabilitation. The treatment of refractory diseases is challenging for most physicians.

Ultrasound-Guided Intervention for Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia: An Updated Review of Anatomy and Techniques.

Orofacial myofascial pain is prevalent and most often results from entrapment of branches of the trigeminal nerves. It is challenging to inject branches of the trigeminal nerve, a large portion of which are shielded by the facial bones. Bony landmarks of the cranium serve as important guides for palpation-guided injections and can be delineated using ultrasound.

Ultrasound-guided methotrexate injection for De Quervain disease of the wrist: what lies beyond the horizon?

De Quervain disease (DQVD) is one of the most common causes of lateral wrist pain and can lead to significant disability. The current case involves a right-handed, middle-aged, female patient with severe lateral wrist pain due to DQVD. Her pain was not responsive to oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, rehabilitation, and repeated corticosteroid injections.