Pilonidal abscess in the breast: a case report.

Pilonidal sinus is a common entity, most often occurring in the natal cleft. Pilonidal sinus with abscess formation has also been described in hairdressers in the interdigital space. We report a case of pilonidal abscess of the breast in a hairdresser, a rarely reported site, which requires awareness on the clinician's part of this occupational risk, for appropriate management and post-surgery advice on prevention.

Primary care physicians' challenges in ordering clinical laboratory tests and interpreting results.

Background: The number and complexity of clinical laboratory tests is rapidly expanding, presenting primary care physicians with challenges in accurately, efficiently, and safely ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests. The objective of this study was to identify challenges primary care physicians face related to diagnostic laboratory testing and solutions they believe are helpful and available to them.

Methods: In this study, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a random sample of general internal medicine and family medicine physicians from the American Medical Association Masterfile were surveyed in 2011.

Steroid-responsive polyradiculopathy in association with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

An 80-year-old woman presented with simultaneous increasing muscle weakness and nephrotic syndrome. A renal biopsy confirmed focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Her neurological diagnosis best fitted with a Guillain-Barre-like syndrome.

A summary of deliberations on strategic planning for continuous quality improvement in laboratory medicine.

On September 24-26, 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened the 2007 Institute on Critical Issues in Health Laboratory Practice: Managing for Better Health to develop an action plan for change for the immediate and long-term future. A wide variety of stakeholders, including pathologists, pathologist extenders, clinicians, and researchers, examined means to improve laboratory service communication, quality parameters, and potential future laboratory contributions to health care. In this summary document, we present the identified gaps, barriers, and proposed action plans for improvement for laboratory medicine in the 6 quality domains identified by the Institute of Medicine: safety, effectiveness, patient centeredness, timeliness, efficiency, and equity.