The common cold is an acute respiratory tract infection characterized by mild coryzal symptoms, rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, and sneezing. Although the incidence of the cold cannot be clearly defined because of seasonal and locational variability, it is estimated to vary from 3-6 cases per person per year. Children younger than 1 year have experienced an average [...]

Transmission of molluscum contagiosum has been reported by direct skin contact and has occurred in wrestlers, patients of a surgeon with a hand lesion, and children sharing baths, towels, gymnasium equipment, and benches. Autoinoculation also occurs as evidenced by linear arrays of lesions on infected individuals. Molluscum contagiosum can likely be vertically transmitted, similarly to other [...]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy of the liver. Hepatocellular carcinoma is now the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with over 500,000 people affected.  The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma is highest in Asia and Africa, where the endemic high prevalence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C strongly predisposes to the development of [...]

Patients with porcelain gallbladder are usually asymptomatic, and the condition is usually found incidentally on plain abdominal radiographs, sonograms, or computed tomography (CT) images.
Surgical treatment of porcelain gallbladder is based on results from studies performed in 1931 and 1962, which revealed an association between porcelain gallbladder and gallbladder carcinoma.
Porcelain gallbladder is an uncommon condition; recognizing [...]

Most studies demonstrate a spontaneous miscarriage rate of 10-15%. However, the true rate of early pregnancy loss is close to 50% because of the high number of chemical pregnancies that are not recognized in the 2-4 weeks after conception. Most of these pregnancy failures are due to gamete failure (eg, sperm or oocyte dysfunction).
In internal [...]

Retinal detachment occurs when subretinal fluid accumulates in the potential space between the neurosensory retina and the underlying retinal pigment epithelium.
Symptoms

Photopsias refer to the perception of flashing lights by the patient. It probably arises from the mechanical stimulation of vitreoretinal traction on the retina. It may be induced by eye movements and appears to [...]

Sudden visual loss is a common complaint among patients of different ages with variable presentations. Some patients describe it as a gray-black curtain that gradually descends or as blurring, fogging, or dimming of vision. It usually lasts a few minutes but can persist for hours. The frequency varies from a single episode to many episodes [...]

Pharyngitis is defined as an infection or irritation of the pharynx and/or tonsils. The etiology is usually infectious, with most cases being of viral origin. These cases are benign and self-limiting for the most part. Bacterial causes of pharyngitis are also self-limiting, but are concerning because of suppurative and nonsuppurative complications. Other causes include allergy, trauma, [...]

Conjunctivitis is one of the most common nontraumatic eye complaints resulting in presentation to the office. The term describes any inflammatory process that involves the conjunctiva.

In classic presentations, patients complain of eyelids sticking together on waking.
They may describe itching and burning or a gritty foreign-body sensation.
Pus sliding across the eye may distort vision, though visual [...]

5-Fluorouracil remains the backbone of chemotherapy regimens for colon cancer, both in the adjuvant and metastatic setting. In the past 10 years, it was established that combination regimens provide improved efficacy and prolonged progression-free survival in patients with metastatic colon cancer.
In addition to 5-fluorouracil, oral fluoropyrimidines such as capecitabine (Xeloda) and tegafur are increasingly used [...]

The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ACOG) has updated their practice guidelines regarding pharmacologic intervention for breast cancer risk reduction. Some of the highlights are are listed below:

Tamoxifen use for 5 years reduces risk for at least 10 years in premenopausal women, particularly estrogen receptor (ER) – positive invasive tumors.

Women 50 years or younger have [...]

The BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutations, on chromosome 17 and 13, respectively, account for the majority of autosomal dominant inherited breast cancers.
Both genes are believed to be tumor suppressor genes whose products are involved with maintaining DNA integrity and transcriptional regulation.
Mutation rates may vary by ethnic and racial groups.

For BRCA1 mutations, the highest rates occur [...]

A large number of drugs are currently available for reducing BP. Greater than 2/3 of all patients treated for hypertension will need more than one agent.  For example, in ALLHAT, 60 percent of those whose BP was controlled to <140/90 mmHg received two or more agents, and only 30 percent overall were controlled on one [...]