I recently saw a very interesting patient. 20 year old male college student (whom I will call Mr. X) with no known past medical history was referred to the medical clinic by his dentist for high blood pressure. During the office visit, Mr. X did not complain of any symptoms and said that he felt fine. On pressing a little further he said that at times he had headaches for which he takes over the counter painkillers. Join discussion...

But the really big case of the week, and I do not use those words LIGHTLY, was the radical panniculectomy that was performed on the 300 kg human being. For some quick math, 300 kg would be about 670 pounds avoirdupois. Join discussion...

Two excellent points. I would like to see us stop referring to the patients as customers. They are not customers, they are PATIENTS. By forcing the doctors to give them want to keep them happy you are completely negating all the years of medical school and specialized training that doctors have to learn how to diagnose and appropriately treat people who are ill and injured. If all we want is for them to be happy we don't need doctors or nurses, we can just sit a housekeeper at the front desk with a stack of pre-signed prescriptions for Vicodin and antibiotics and work excuses and have them hand them out to whoever asks that way we will be taking care of the long wait also. Join discussion...

This is a picture of a teenage boy with Gynecomastia. Obviously, gynecomastia is an abnormal enlargement of the male breasts. It happens in some teenagers - and is worse in those with obesity. Just how cruel do you think these kids are treated in high school and middle school? I have a young boy who is 13 and has marked gynecomastia which has been present for over two years. I requested a plastic surgery consult (which is usually my practice) in this situation and the surgeon agreed that he was a good candidate for a surgical fix and submitted the request to our Medicaid managed care provider. I have never had a denial of this when the situation clearly seemed to warrant this. In fact, this child had been approved to have the procedure done a year prior to now but had not gotten it done out of fears and misconceptions about the procedure. Join discussion...

Even as I questioned the value of dog labs, I wonder still more about the most hallowed and time-honored tradition of medical school: the dissection of cadavers to which all first-year students are subjected. Because the bodies have been knowingly donated, it's not really an ethical issue, except to the extent that those who've made the gift might have a more exalted view of its value than is accurate. And before I say my piece, I must admit it's just one opinion, from a ways back. I'd hope more recent, and current, students might chi Join discussion...

The long-term cancer risk of mobile phone use cannot be ruled out, experts have concluded. A major six-year research programme found a "hint" of a higher cancer risk. Join discussion...

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) was convened by the Public Health Service to rigorously evaluate clinical research in order to assess the merits of preventive measures, including screening tests, counseling, immunizations, and preventive medications. This list includes all recommendations: active, inactive, and in progress. To view a recommendation, use the alphabetic index that follows to select a topic beginning with: Join discussion...

The number of American children and adolescents treated for bipolar disorder increased 40-fold from 1994 to 2003, researchers report today in the most comprehensive study of the controversial diagnosis. Join discussion...

Hey, tough guy: It’s OK to call 911 if you think you’re having a heart attack. In fact, it can help you save precious heart muscle and lower your chances of death. But, as the WSJ’s Ron Winslow points out in this morning’s paper, a recent study in Minnesota found that only 37% of rural men who were having heart attacks arrived at the hospital in an ambulance. The rest drove themselves or got a ride from a friend or family member. Women with heart attacks did slightly better but still not great– 49% of them came by ambulance. Join discussion...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has licensed a new vaccine to protect against smallpox, a highly contagious disease with the potential to be used as a deadly bioterror weapon. The vaccine, ACAM2000, is intended for the inoculation of people at high risk of exposure to smallpox and could be used to protect individuals and populations during a bioterrorist attack. It will be included in the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Strategic National Stockpile of medical supplies. A worldwide vaccination program eradicated smallpox in the population. The last case of naturally occurring smallpox in the U.S. was in 1949 and the last case in the world was reported in Somalia in 1977. Known stockpiles of the virus are kept only in two approved labs in the United States and Russia. The CDC considers it a Category A agent, meaning it presents one of the greatest potential threats for harming public health. Join discussion...