Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Presenting Complaint
2 year history of intermittent right arm pain. Over the last 3 months it has progressed
in severity and had become bilateral.
Physical Examination
Amber is a well-built woman. Her vital signs were normal and there was no rash.
There was full range of motion of all of her joints, without any swelling, redness, or
warmth. Her lungs were clear, her cardiovascular and neurological examination
were normal (including cranial nerves). Abdominal examination was unremarkable.
Laboratory studies including complete blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation
rate and urinalysis were all normal. A chest x-ray and cervical spine films were also
normal. An EMG and nerve conduction velocity testing were normal.
2. For the above case history alone, what are your differential diagnoses for:
a. Her arm pain?
- Peripheral artery disease (PAD, also called peripheral vascular disease, or PVD,
which is a narrowing of arteries due to a buildup of fat cholesterol on the artery walls,
which limits blood flow to the extremities)
3. Do you think all the tests performed in the physical examination above were
necessary? Explain your answer.
- IBS DDx Yes – abdominal exam - physical examination generally does not reveal
anything unusual except sometimes tenderness over the large intestine. Doctors do
a digital rectal examination, in which a gloved finger is inserted in the person's
rectum. Women undergo a pelvic examination
- Doctors usually do more tests, such as ultrasonography of the abdomen, x-rays of
the intestines, or a colonoscopy, in older people and in people who have symptoms
that are unusual for IBS, such as fever, bloody stools, weight loss, and vomiting.
Doctors may do a test to rule out lactose intolerance or bacterial overgrowth and
also ask questions to rule out laxative abuse.
Tests rule out cardiovascular and neurological conditions including cranial nerves
4. Using the information in the case history and physical examination, what is the
more likely diagnosis from the list of differential diagnoses mentioned in question
2.
5. Using only the information in the case history and physical examination, give a
clinical impression.
- Amber a 36 year old hairdresser with a history of 2 years of intermittent pain in the
right arm that has recently progressed in severity to be bilateral. The pain would
occasionally awaken her at night and was associated with numbness, tingling and
paranesthesia’s. A working diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome is likely in this case.
- Her past medical history was negative as was her family history although a system
CASE STUDY 4 CHIR13009
review elicited a chronic problem with constipation, with occasional diarrhea. This
was occasionally associated with low abdominal pain, which improved with
defecation or passing flatus. These symptoms have been present for many years and
is consistent with a working diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Disease
- A cardiovascular, neurological and orthopedic examination was unremarkable.
Laboratory studies including complete blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation
rate and urinalysis were all normal. A chest x-ray and cervical spine films were also
normal. An EMG and nerve conduction velocity testing were normal.
- There maybe occupational stress as a hairdresser but no history of any medical
conditions complicating factors were found.
8. An x-ray of Amber showed a cervical rib? Do you think this is the cause of
Amber’s symptoms? Do you think a cervical rib would have any impact Amber’s
management plan?
-
CASE STUDY 4 CHIR13009
http://learningradiology.com/notes/chestnotes/cervicalrib.htm
NAME OF TEST For the likely diagnosis in Case 4 indicate the likely outcome
for the following tests. Indicate whether it is likely to be a
true positive, false positive, true negative, false negative
CASE STUDY 4 CHIR13009
QUESTIONS
1. Describe TOS. What is it?
CASE STUDY 4 CHIR13009
Thoracic outlet syndrome is a group of disorders that occur when blood vessels or
nerves in the space between your collarbone and your first rib (thoracic outlet) are
compressed. This can cause pain in your shoulders and neck and numbness in your
fingers
Thoracic outlet syndrome symptoms can vary, depending on which structures are
compressed. When nerves are compressed, signs and symptoms of neurological
thoracic outlet syndrome include:
Weakening grip
Lack of color (pallor) in one or more of your fingers or your entire hand
7. What are the 2 suspected mechanisms of TOS? Describe how each of these
‘mechanisms’ can lead to symptoms?
- Poor posture. Drooping your shoulders or holding your head in a forward position can
cause compression in the thoracic outlet area.
- Thoracic outlet syndrome that goes untreated for years can cause permanent
neurological damage, so it's important to have your symptoms evaluated and treated
early or take steps to prevent the disorder.
- If you're susceptible to thoracic outlet compression, avoid repetitive movements and
lifting heavy objects. If you're overweight, you can prevent or relieve symptoms
associated with thoracic outlet syndrome by losing weight.
- Even if you don't have symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome, avoid carrying heavy
bags over your shoulder, because this can increase pressure on the thoracic outlet.
Stretch daily and perform exercises that keep your shoulder muscles strong.
- Daily stretches focusing on the chest, neck and shoulders can help improve shoulder
muscle strength and prevent thoracic outlet syndrome.
- Chiropractic can offer manipulation of fixated joint structures to improve cervical
biomechanics and improve posture, reducing load on joints and improving
proprioception.
Brachial neuritis is also referred to as brachial neuropathy or a brachial plexus injury. When
acute brachial neuritis occurs, the damage to the brachial nerves comes on suddenly and
unexpectedly, without being related to any other injury or physical condition. This is also
called Parsonage-Turner syndrome or neuralgic amyotrophy.
Brachial neuritis affects mainly the lower nerves of the brachial plexus, in the arm and hand.
The brachial plexus is a bundle of nerves that travels from the spinal cord to the chest,
shoulder, arms, and hands. It usually affects just one side of the body, but it can involve
other nerves and other parts of the body, as well. Here is a brief overview of the different
types of brachial plexus injuries:
- Acute brachial neuritis. This type of brachial neuritis occurs unexpectedly on its own.
It is characterized by sharp, severe pain in the nerves of the brachial plexus, followed
by weakness or numbness. The cause of acute brachial neuritis is unknown.
- Brachial plexus injury. Some people have pain and loss of function to the brachial
plexus as the result of another type of injury. For example, babies can injure the
brachial plexus when they pass through the birth canal during labour.
- In brachial neuritis, pain, loss of function, and other damage occurs in the brachial
plexus, the bundle of nerves that travels from the spinal cord to the chest, shoulder,
arms, and hands.
- The cause of brachial neuritis is unknown. In some instances, the symptoms of
brachial neuritis seem to be related to another illness or injury. At other times,
however, the pain and weakness associated with the disease occur without any
explanation.
- In some cases, acute brachial neuritis will resolve on its own over time. Your
healthcare provider may give you corticosteroids for the pain in the meantime. If the
brachial neuritis is the result of an injury and surgery can be done in a timely fashion,
then surgery might be used to repair the nerves of the brachial plexus region.