The Aword

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Undiagnosed Cases

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Results: (BRACKETS DENOTE RESULTS IN DIAGNOSED CASES)

TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS:          29  (Female 18 Male 11)

Age range : 37-78

  • Pain: 100% (see accompanying notes)
  • Stiffness: 79 (79)%
  • Muscle cramps/twitches/spasms: 79 (81)%
  • Weakness:   69 (82)%
  • Balance difficulties:   52 (70)%
  • Numbness/tingling:  83 (86)%
  • Bladder/bowel/sexual dysfunction:   59 (68)%
  • Difficulty in thinking clearly/decision making/memory  52 (63)%
  • Depression/anxiety: 66 (63)%
  • Sleep disturbance:     69 ( 84)%
  • Increased/decreased sweating increased:  52 (63)%
  • Heat intolerance:  55 (58)%
  • Intermittent low grade fevers:   21 (28)%
  • Flu-like feeling and malaise:    62 (42)%
  • Raised ESR /white cell count: 3 (14)%
  • Enlarged lymph nodes:     14 (10)%
  • Joint pains:      62 (72)%
  • Skin rashes:        31 (32)%
  • Frequent infections: 24 (20) %
  • Sinusitis:   24 (32)%
  • Slow healing/tendency to scar easily:    31 (29)%
  • Limb/generalised swelling:   28(38)%
  • RSD:1
  • Trouble swallowing:    31 (27)%
  • Angina type chest pain (but no heart disease found): 24 (31)%
  • Weight gain:     55 (50)%
  • Reduced mobility (i.e. house/chair/bed bound?): 62 (68)%
  • Allergies (new, e.g. multiple drug allergies): 45(25)%
  • Dizziness/vertigo:    38 (44)%
  • Dry eyes/mouth:    55 (58)%
  • Bruising:     41 (39)%
  • Fatigue:      69 (76)%
  • Dental problems (tooth/gum):      31 (28)%
  • Low potassium:  1 
  • Abnormal blood tests: 14 (13)%
  • Abnormal kidney function: 7 (7)%
  • Abnormal liver enzymes: 1
  • Osteoporosis:  10 (14)%
  • Shortness of breath:  4I(32)%
  • Lung problems 2 cases: (10%)
  • Multiple pulmonary emboli Gastrointestinal problems: general 14 (41)%
  • IBS: 24 (8)%
  • Visual problems:  45 (45)%
  • (Women)  menstrual irregularities (if pre-menopausal)/early menopause/painful periods:  14 (14)%

Diagnosis of:

  • Lupus: ?1
  • Raynaud's disease:  4

Other autoimmune disease:

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis: 1
  • Thyroiditis: 2
  • +hypothyroid: 1
  • Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD): 1
  • non-specific inflammatory arthritis: 1
  • Iritis: 1;
  • Diagnosis of MS: 1

Other neurological diagnoses:

  • Epilepsy: 1
  • Muscular dystrophy: 1
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: 1

Miscellaneous conditions:

  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: 1
  • Sarcoidosis: 1
  • Paget's disease (skull): 1
  • Erythema nodosum: 1
  • Granuloma annulare:  1
  • renal calculi: 1
  • sleep apnoea 1
  • keratoconus + cataracts 1
  • cystic ovary 1


TOTAL NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS: 29

AGE GROUPS:

  • 30-40: 4
  • 40-50 :12
  • 50-60 : 7
  • 60-70 : 4
  • 70-80: 2                       

GENDER:

  • MALE: 11
  • FEMALE: 18  

RISK FACTORS:

  • TRAUMA:   2
  • STENOSIS: 6
  • SPINAL SURGERY: 16
  • OIL-BASED MYELOGRAM: 6
  • WATER-BASED MYELOGRAM: 11
  • UNSPECIFIED MYELOGRAM: 2
  • SPINAL/EPIDURAL ANAESTHETIC: 3
  • EPIDURAL STEROID INJECTION: 14
  • MENINGITIS(including chemical): 4
  • LUMBAR PUNCTURE: 1
  • SUBARACHNOID HAEMORRHAGE: 1
  • TUMOUR (brain): 1
  • DURAL TEAR/PUNCTURE/CSF LEAK: 4
  • LUMBAR SYMPATHETIC BLOCK:1


MISCELLANEOUS ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS

  • CONGENITAL ABNORMALITY (SPINAL):   1
  • SCHEUERMANN'S DISEASE:  1
  • SPINA BIFIDA OCCULTA: 1
  • PAGET'S DISEASE IN SKULL: 1
  • EPILEPSY: 1
  • MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY: 1

 

PREVIOUS SERIOUS VIRAL INFECTION

  • (EBV,HEPATITIS ETC.): 2
  • POLIOMYELITIS: 1
  • SPINAL FUNGAL INFECTION: 1

OTHER INFECTION:

  • CHLAMYDIA: 1
  • E.COLI 0157 : 1

LEVEL OF LESION(S):

  • LUMBAR: 20
  • THORACIC: 4
  • CERVICAL: 7
  • CRANIAL: 3

DIAGNOSES:

  • FAILED BACK SURGERY SYNDROME: 3
  • EPIDURAL/POST-OPERATIVE FIBROSIS:3
  • MS: 1
  • CFS: 1
  • FMS: 3
  • NEUROGENIC PAIN: 1
  • RSD: 1

MEDICATION:

  • OPIATES: 16 = 55%
  • ANTI-INFLAMMATORY: 8 = 28%
  • ANTIDEPRESSANT: 12 = 41%
  • ANTICONVULSANT (e.g. Tegretol): 6 = 21%
  • MUSCLE RELAXANT: 2
  • BENZODIAZEPINE: 3