OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence and potential influence factors that contribute to chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) in elderly patients with urinary tract tumors who underwent laparoscopic procedures. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted to collect the clinical data of 182 elderly patients with urinary tract tumors who were ≥65 years and underwent laparoscopic surgery from October 2021 to March 2022 in Peking University Third Hospital. The patients'demographic information, medical history and the severity of postoperative pain were collected. Telephone follow-ups were made 6 months after surgery, and the patients' CPSP conditions were recorded. The diagnostic criteria of CPSP were referred to the definition made by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP): (1) Pain that developed or increased in intensity after surgical procedure and persisted for at least 3 months after surgery; (2) Pain that localized to the surgical field or projected to the innervation territory of a nerve situated around the surgical area; (3) Pain due to pre-existing pain conditions or infections and malignancy was excluded. The patients were divided into two groups based on CPSP diagnosis. Risk factors that predisposed the patients to CPSP were identified using univariate analysis. A multivariate Logistic regression model using back-forward method was designed, including both variables that significantly associated with CPSP in the univariate analysis (P < 0.1), and the variables that were considered to have significant clinical impact on the outcome. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixteen patients with urinary tract tumors who had undergone laparoscopic surgery were included, of whom, 34 (15.7%) were excluded from the study. For the remaining 182 patients, the average age was (72.6±5.2) years, with 146 males and 36 females. The incidence of CPSP at the end of 6 months was 31.9% (58/182). Multiva-riate regression analysis revealed that age ≥75 years (OR=0.29, 95% CI: 0.12-0.73, P=0.008) was the protecting factors for postoperative chronic pain in the elderly patients with urinary tract tumors undergoing surgical treatment, while renal cancer (compared with other types of urinary tract tumors) (OR=3.68, 95% CI: 1.58-8.58, P=0.003), and the 24 h postoperative moderate to severe pain (OR=2.57, 95% CI: 1.14-5.83, P=0.024) were the independent risk factors affecting CPSP. CONCLUSION Age < 75 years, renal cancer and the 24 h postoperative moderate to severe pain are influence factors of the occurrence of CPSP after laparoscopic surgery in elderly patients with urinary tract tumors. Optimum postoperative multimodal analgesia strategies are suggested to prevent the occurrence of CPSP.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Chronic Pain/diagnosis* ; Laparoscopy/adverse effects* ; Pain, Postoperative/etiology* ; Kidney Neoplasms/complications* ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell/complications* ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: To identify risk factors for interstitial cystitis (IC), a chronic bladder disorder that may have a significant detrimental impact on quality of life, in the general population and in individuals with depression. METHODS: This was a comparative study using a US claims database. Adults who had records of a visit to the health system in 2010 or later were included. The outcome was the development of IC within 2 years after the index date. The index date for the general population was the first outpatient visit, and for individuals with depression, it was the date of the diagnosis of depression. IC was defined using the concepts of ulcerative and IC. We included all medical conditions present any time prior to the index visit as potential risk factors. RESULTS: The incidence of IC was higher in individuals with depression than in the general population. Of the 3,973,000 subjects from the general population, 2,293 (0.06%) developed IC within 2 years. Of the 249,200 individuals with depression, 320 (0.13%) developed IC. The characteristics of the individuals who developed IC were similar in both populations. Those who developed IC were slightly older, more likely to be women, and had more chronic pain conditions, malaise, and inflammatory disorders than patients without IC. In the general population, subjects who developed IC were more likely to have mood disorders, anxiety, and hypothyroidism. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of IC was higher in individuals with depression. Subjects who developed IC had more chronic pain conditions, depression, malaise, and inflammatory disorders.
Adult ; Anxiety ; Chronic Pain ; Cystitis, Interstitial ; Depression ; Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Incidence ; Inflammation ; Mood Disorders ; Outpatients ; Quality of Life ; Risk Factors ; Ulcer ; Urinary Bladder

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) in young male patients in South Korea, especially focusing on the association with military service. METHODS: From January 2007 to May 2017, we investigated the electronic medical records of 430 consecutive patients, aged 18 to 30 years, who visited Seoul National University Hospital Pain Center, with a suspected diagnosis of CRPS at the initial visit. The following patient details were available for analysis: demographic and disease-related variables, relevance to military service, medications, and the treatment modalities received. RESULTS: Out of 430 patients, 245 (57.0%) were diagnosed with CRPS, of which, 200 were male patients and 45 were female patients. Of the male patients, 95 (47.5%) developed CRPS during military service. CRPS during military service was more likely to result from sprain/strain, and the incidence of CRPS was significantly higher in the lower extremities in patients from the military service group than in those from the non-military service group. During the follow-up period, 37.9% of male CRPS patients (n = 61/161) were treated successfully. Patients with moderate to severe initial pain intensity, and diagnosed during their military service, showed better outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated that manifestation of CRPS in the young Korean population was more common in male and among those male CRPS patients, about half the cases developed during the military service period.
Chronic Pain ; Diagnosis ; Electronic Health Records ; Epidemiology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Korea ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Military Medicine ; Military Personnel ; Neuralgia ; Pain Clinics ; Retrospective Studies ; Seoul ; Stress, Psychological

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to describe the diagnostic yield of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in patients with isolated elevated levels of amylase and/or lipase. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted at a large academic medical center from 2000 to 2016. Patients were selected based on having elevated amylase, lipase, or both, but without a diagnosis of pancreatitis or known pancreatobiliary disease. Patients were excluded if they had abnormal liver function tests or abnormal imaging of the pancreas. RESULTS: Of 299 EUS procedures performed, 38 met inclusion criteria. Symptoms were present in 31 patients, most frequently abdominal pain (87%). In 20 patients (53%), initial EUS most commonly found chronic pancreatitis (n=7; 18%), sludge (5; 13%), or new diagnosis of pancreas divisum (3; 8%). In the asymptomatic patients (7), 3 had a finding on EUS, most importantly sludge (2), stone (1), and pancreas divisum (1). No patients were diagnosed with a mass or pancreatic cyst. During the follow up period, 6 patients (22%) had cholecystectomy. CONCLUSIONS: In our study of patients with isolated elevations in amylase and/or lipase without acute pancreatitis who underwent EUS, approximately 50% had a pancreatobiliary finding, most commonly chronic pancreatitis or biliary sludge.
Abdominal Pain ; Academic Medical Centers ; Amylases ; Bile ; Cholecystectomy ; Diagnosis ; Endosonography ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lipase ; Liver Function Tests ; Pancreas ; Pancreatic Cyst ; Pancreatitis ; Pancreatitis, Chronic ; Retrospective Studies ; Sewage ; Ultrasonography

Endometriosis is a common gynecological condition characterized by chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea and subfertility. However, the pathophysiology of the disease remains unclear and accurate non-invasive diagnostic methods are unavailable. Although clinical symptoms, serum biomarkers, and imaging studies, such as transvaginal ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging are useful diagnostic aids, laparoscopy remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of endometriosis. The treatment of endometriosis should be individualized and a multi-disciplinary approach is recommended based on degree of disease-associated symptoms, patient characteristics and preferences, reproductive plans, and desired quality of life. Surgical management is effective for subfertility, chronic pain, and ovarian endometriomas. The principle of surgery is removal of all ectopic endometrial lesions while ensuring that no lesions are missed. Currently, numerous medical treatment options are available to manage endometriosis-associated symptoms; however, all modalities are suppressive rather than curative. Further studies are needed to clarify the exact pathophysiology of endometriosis to enable the development of non-invasive diagnostic tools for early detection and to indicate potential therapeutic targets for this chronic and frustrating disease.
Biomarkers ; Chronic Pain ; Diagnosis ; Dysmenorrhea ; Endometriosis ; Female ; Humans ; Infertility ; Laparoscopy ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pelvic Pain ; Quality of Life ; Ultrasonography

The application of arthroscopy is becoming increasingly widespread due to the development of surgical instruments and techniques. Subtalar pathology can cause chronic pain in the hindfoot, but it is often misdiagnosed as a lesion of the adjacent ankle joint, which can lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Subtalar arthroscopy and posterior endoscopy are good methods to confirm and treat the posterior pathology of the subtalar joint and posterior ankle joint.
Ankle Joint ; Arthroscopy* ; Chronic Pain ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Endoscopy* ; Pathology ; Subtalar Joint ; Surgical Instruments

Chronic appendicitis is caused by inflammation of the appendix for several weeks, and the patients have symptoms such as mild nausea, abdominal pain, and tenderness. Diagnosis of chronic appendicitis is difficult because the symptoms are mild and vague compared to the acute appendicitis. In radiologic examination, appendicitis usually appears dilatation with diffuse wall thickening of appendix. Surgical treatment of the appendix (appendectomy) could be recommended against complications such as acute appendicitis or perforation. We have incidentally experienced an unusual case of chronic appendicitis without symptoms, and report its radiologic findings and clinical manifestations.
Abdominal Pain ; Appendectomy ; Appendicitis* ; Appendix ; Asymptomatic Diseases ; Chronic Disease ; Diagnosis ; Dilatation ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Nausea

Groove pancreatitis is a rare form of chronic pancreatitis that affects the groove area adjacent to the second part of the duodenum. Clinical and biochemical features often overlap with other subsets of chronic pancreatitis, while the imaging features resemble that of carcinoma of the head of pancreas. We present a 38-year-old man with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and loss of weight who underwent ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT to rule out a pancreatic malignancy. PET/CT imaging features of groove pancreatitis are distinct from the other subsets of chronic pancreatitis, such as alcoholic and autoimmune pancreatitis, and helpful in the diagnosis and planning further management of the patient.
Abdominal Pain ; Adult ; Alcoholics ; Diagnosis ; Duodenum ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Head ; Humans ; Nausea ; Pancreas ; Pancreatitis ; Pancreatitis, Chronic ; Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography ; Vomiting

Gastroparesis is one of complications in diabetic patients which need different management with diabetic patients without complication. Diabetic gastroparesis is a chronic disease and has clinical symptoms such as early satiety, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Patients with diabetic gastroparesis have a high risk of malnutrition, which may result in poor quality of life. Therefore, in patients with have a gastrointestinal disorder, such as delayed gastric emptying in the early stages of malnutrition, we should consider diagnosis and management for diabetic gastroparesis. This review focused on diagnosis, symptoms and proper nutritional management of patients with diabetic gastroparesis. To reduce gastrointestinal disorders, patients with diabetic gastroparesis provide information on the type of food, the number of meals, the intake of fats, the intake of dietary fiber, and the intake of vitamin minerals.
Abdominal Pain ; Chronic Disease ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diagnosis ; Dietary Fiber ; Fats ; Gastric Emptying ; Gastroparesis* ; Humans ; Malnutrition ; Meals ; Minerals ; Miners ; Nausea ; Quality of Life ; Vitamins ; Vomiting

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the prevalence of unrecognized depression in patients with chronic pain, but with no history of psychiatric diseases. METHODS: Patients with chronic pain who did not have a history of psychiatric disease were selected for this study. The Beck Depression Index (BDI) was used to evaluate depression. Participants' socio-demographic characteristics and pain-related characteristics were also recorded. RESULTS: The study included 94 consecutive patients with chronic pain (28 men and 66 women). Based on the BDI scores, 33/94 (35.1%) patients with chronic pain had comorbid depression. The prevalence of depression was significantly higher in our cohort than it was in the general population (P < 0.001). The standardized incidence ratio, adjusted for age and sex, was 2.77 in men and 2.60 in women. Patients who were unmarried (odds ratio [OR] = 3.714, P = 0.044), and who had subjective sleep disturbance (OR = 8.885, P < 0.001), were more likely to have moderate to severe depression. Patients with high education levels (OR = 0.244, P = 0.016), and who were economically active (OR = 0.284, P = 0.023), were less likely to have moderate to severe depression. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that unrecognized depression in patients with chronic pain is common. Therefore, pain physicians should actively seek to identify these problems rather than relying on the patient to volunteer such information.
Age Factors ; Ambulatory Care Facilities ; Chronic Pain ; Cohort Studies ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Depression ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Marital Status ; Mental Disorders ; Pain Clinics ; Prevalence ; Single Person ; Volunteers