Red ear syndrome: case report and review of the literature.

Red ear syndrome (RES) is characterized by the attack-like occurrence of erythema, edema and dysesthesia of one or less frequently both ears. We report the case of a 31-year-old woman with stabbing pain and marked erythema and discrete edema of one ear, existing for 4 months, occasionally accompanied by burning and local hyperhidrosis. Differential diagnoses such as perichondritis, contact dermatitis, erysipelas and other infections were ruled out.

Attitudes towards complementary and alternative medicine in chronic pain syndromes: a questionnaire-based comparison between primary headache and low back pain.

Background: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is widely used and popular among patients with primary headache or low back pain (LBP). Aim of the study was to analyze attitudes of headache and LBP patients towards the use of CAM.

Methods: Two questionnaire-based surveys were applied comparing 432 primary headache and 194 LBP patients.