June 1, 2000

Assessment of acute and chronic shoulder injuries can be a challenge because of the unique anatomy of the glenohumeral joint. Some injuries can be managed conservatively, but surgical treatment may be necessary.

Clinical evaluation of recurrent episodes of vulvovaginal candidiasis is critical. After the acute episode has been treated, subsequent prophylaxis (maintenance therapy) is important.

Lichen planus is an inflammatory mucocutaneous condition with a distinctive appearance. Localized disease may be treated with potent topical corticosteroids, while systemic corticosteroids are often required for generalized disease.

Office emergencies in children are not as uncommon as is usually perceived. Many physicians' offices are not optimally prepared for these critical situations.

Mitral valve prolapse is the most common form of valvular heart disease, affecting 3 to 6 percent of the population. Family physicians should be aware of the management and complications of this valvular abnormality.

Early screening for and recognition of the female athlete triad can facilitate timely intervention and prevent irreversible bone loss in female athletes.

Medication is often needed to achieve ideal cholesterol levels. Family physicians may choose from several effective classes of drugs.

This feature is part of a year-long series of excerpts and special commentaries celebrating AFP's 50thyear of publication. Excerpts from the two 1950 volumes of GP, AFP's predecessor, appear along with highlights of 50 years of family medicine.

The four illustrations highlighting this page have several things in common: all of them originated from the Birmingham, Ala., studio of Floyd E. Hosmer, all of them tell a story in medicine, and all of them have draped covers of AFP with the glow of bosky light. The earth…

Selected policy and health issues news briefs from AAFP News Now.

If your cancer patients are turning to alternative therapies, they may be in trouble, according to a recent report in Hippocrates. A recent Harvard study showed that 28 percent of 480 women with stage I or II breast cancer used alternative treatments after surgery. When…

The article on pediatric emergency preparedness by Wheeler and colleagues1 in this issue of American Family Physician should encourage many family physicians to review their office plans for management of pediatric emergencies. Because it is not possible to prepare for every…

A 72-year-old man presented with acute pulmonary edema after having had fever and constitutional symptoms for one week. He was found to have severe mitral regurgitation associated with a ruptured mitral chord and infective endocarditis. The patient required medical treatment…

CAG was surprised by an additional use a patient found for his continuous positive airway pressure equipment. This obese man with obstructive sleep apnea had recently lost more than 80 lb and felt that he had a new lease on life now that he could sleep every night. The only…

Photo Quiz presents readers with a clinical challenge based on a photograph or other image.

(Australia—Australian Family Physician, January 2000, p. 35.) The Achilles tendon has a relatively poor blood supply and a low metabolic rate. Thus, it can carry heavy loads under tension over prolonged periods without ischemic damage, but the tendon is slow to heal when injury…

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued recommendations for the prevention of Lyme disease - a disease transmitted by ticks carrying the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released an evidence-based report on the rehabilitation of children and adolescents with traumatic brain injury.

The Committee on Adolescent Health Care of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has developed an educational bulletin on the benefits and safety of oral contraceptive (OC) use in adolescents. The bulletin (ACOG Educational Bulletin No. 256) replaces…

Case study: SE is a 69-year-old man who has never been screened for colorectal cancer. After conducting a history and physical examination, it appears that he is not at high risk for colorectal cancer.

Also Received

If you have a yeast infection, you may have a thick, white discharge from your vagina. You may also have itching or discomfort. If you have a discharge, it usually doesn't smell bad. You may have a burning feeling around the outside of your vagina when you go to the bathroom or…

Lichen planus is a skin disease. Men and women get it and it occurs in every race. While it may occur at any age, it usually affects middle-aged adults.

The mitral valve controls the flow of blood between two “chambers,” or “rooms,” of your heart, called the left atrium and the left ventricle. Normally, blood flows only from the atrium to the ventricle. When the heart relaxes in between beats, the two “flaps” of the mitral…

The female athlete triad is a disorder that has three parts. It affects (1) your eating habits, (2) your menstrual periods and (3) the strength of your bones. If you have the female athlete triad, you've stopped eating normally. Your menstrual periods have stopped or have…