February 1, 2003

Most dental pain is caused by caries, pericoronitis, periodontal disease, or trauma. This article discusses the underlying pathology, diagnosis, and management of dental emergencies.

Immunosuppressed patients can experience severe illness caused by reactivation of latent cytomegalovirus. Highly active antiretroviral therapy has decreased the incidence of cytomegalovirus retinitis but has resulted in a new set of ophthalmologic complications induced by…

Early recognition and treatment of hip fracture are important in reducing morbidity and mortality and preserving quality of life. When initial radiographic findings are indeterminate, other imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging or bone scanning, can be useful…

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have become the drugs of choice in the treatment of depression. Selecting an appropriate antidepressant depends on the pharmacologic profile, secondary actions, and tolerability of these agents.

The main objective of evaluating thyroid nodules is to exclude malignancy. Laboratory evaluation may include thyroid-stimulating hormone testing and fine-needle aspiration. Surgery remains the primary treatment for malignant lesions, and ablation by postoperative radioactive…

AFP depends on your feedback to help us understand your needs as readers. We collect your thoughts and ideas from written surveys, structured focus groups or interviews, casual conversations, e-mails, telephone calls, and letters. We appreciate your comments and find your kind…

IOM Report Targets 20 Key Areas for Transforming Health Care System | New AHRQ Fact Sheet Provides Tips for Preventing Medical Errors in Children | CDC Report Indicates Continued Decline in Number of Uninsured Children | Deadline for Medicare Participation Forms Is Feb. 28…

“Oh, boy.” China may soon run out of girls. According to figures published in BMJ, 116.86 boys are born in China for every 100 girls. A normal ratio would be about 102 boys to 100 girls. The Chinese have a traditional preference for male children, especially in rural areas, to…

It is likely that foster children will be seen in the family physician's office. Approximately 550,000 children are in foster care in the United States,1(p2) and the number is increasing, especially in children under the age of five years.2 Often, foster children come to the…

The second-year medical student had taken a meticulous history from a 30-year-old man whose chief complaint was headache. When JOH came into the mobile clinic's examination room, however, the story changed. What started out sounding almost like temporal arteritis turned into a…

Low-fat diets are no better than low-calorie diets in achieving weight loss in overweight or obese people. In studies, the average weight loss after 18 months on either diet was less than 5 lb.

What are the effects of treatments for depression in children and adolescents? Which treatments are effective to improve long-term outcomes?

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

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently published a scientific statement on cardiovascular health in childhood. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, making it responsible for about 500,000 deaths each year.

Folic Acid and Prevention of Neural Tube Defects | ACOG Assessment of Cervical Cytology Screening | Surgeon General's Report on Women and Smoking | ACOG Opinion on Use of Enoxaparin During Pregnancy

Physicians may find it incredible that some parents are reluctant to immunize their children despite the tremendous successes of vaccines in decreasing the morbidity and mortality of childhood diseases.

Cytomegalovirus (say: “si-toe-meg-ah-low-vi-russ”) or CMV is a virus that infects cells and causes them to become enlarged. Many people are infected with CMV and don't even know it. People are usually infected by the time they are two years old or during their teenaged years…

A thyroid nodule is a lump in the thyroid gland in your neck.