Staple Line Reinforcement Using SEAMGUARD® versus Suture Over Sewing During Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy for Super Morbidly Obese Patients: A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial.

Itroduction: Although theoretically a simple procedure, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) can be followed by life-threatening complications. Early postoperative complications include staple line bleeding and leakage. Staple line reinforcement (SLR) has been used to decrease these complications. There are various methods for reinforcement of staple line such as suture over sewing, placing omental flap, using buttressing material, and spraying fibrin glue along the staple line. However, it is controversial whether SLR reduces the rate of staple line complications or not. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective randomized clinical trial included 200 super morbidly obese patients randomized into two groups: Group 1 with reinforcement of the staple line by SEAMGUARD® (Gore Medical, Newark, Delaware) and Group 2 with reinforcement of the staple line using suture over sewing. RESULTS: The mean operative time was significantly shorter in Group 1 than Group 2 (62.6 ± 14.5 vs. 84.7 ±15.8 min, p=0.02). Intraoperative blood loss was significantly lower in Group 1 than Group 2 (17.1± 19.1 vs. 56.8 ± 27.9ml, p=0.00). Staple line hematomas were significantly higher in Group 2. There was no difference in postoperative bleeding between the two groups. No leak was reported in both groups. The cost was higher in Group 1. CONCLUSION: Reinforcing the staple line in laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy using suturing is equal to SEAMGUARD® in all aspects except shorter operative time and lower intraoperative blood loss with SEAMGUARD®.

Current Approaches to Four Challenging Pain Syndromes.

During a conference of pain specialists, some of the experts addressed the potential management of four prevalent but difficult painful conditions, namely, chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP), knee osteoarthritis, chest trauma, and facet joint arthropathy. In all cases, the conditions posed challenges in accurate diagnoses as well as safe, effective treatments, especially using locoregional blocks. It is not clear why some surgical patients develop CPSP and others do not, although some risk factors have been identified. More importantly, the transitional phase of pain from acute to chronic deserves greater scrutiny. It appears as if more aggressive and more effective perioperative and postoperative analgesia could help mitigate or possibly prevent CPSP. Knee osteoarthritis is prevalent but is often managed pharmacologically and then with joint replacement; many patients simply live with the condition which can be viewed as a disease of the entire joint. New approaches with intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid, platelet-rich plasma, and botulinum toxin may provide safe, effective, and durable pain control. Chest trauma can be extremely painful and a source of morbidity, but its management tends to rely on watchful waiting and drug therapy. New approaches to regional nerve blocks can be beneficial and may reduce troublesome symptoms such as the inability to cough or clear the lungs. Facet joint arthropathy is very prevalent among older people but is not completely clarified. It may be the source of intense pain with limited management strategies. The role of nerve blocks in facet joint arthropathy is an important new addition to the armamentarium of pain management, particularly for geriatric patients.

Post-traumatic radial nerve neuroma: A case report.

Introduction: Radial nerve neuromas (RNNs) are mostly post-traumatic conditions that occur after a complete or partial section of a nerve. Here we report a case of post-traumatic RNN with good functional progression after intense physical rehabilitation. Case presentation: A 49 years old patient with a post-complete section of the radial nerve underwent intensive physical rehabilitation with two sessions of ultrasound-guided injections of 10 % glucose saline around the neuroma. 12 months later, the patient improved his wrist and hand finger extension functions. Conclusion: Several surgical and non-surgical therapies have been proposed for the treatment of neuromas. However, no consensus currently exists, and management is frequently adapted to each patient.

Ultrasound-Guided Interventions for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common peripheral entrapment, and recently, ultrasound-guided perineural injection (UPIT) and percutaneous flexor retinaculum release (UPCTR) have been utilized to treat CTS. However, no systematic review or meta-analysis has included both intervention types of ultrasound-guided interventions for CTS. Therefore, we performed this review using four databases (i.e., PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane) to evaluate the quality of evidence, effectiveness, and safety of the published studies on ultrasound-guided interventions in CTS. Among sixty studies selected for systemic review, 20 randomized treatment comparison or controlled studies were included in six meta-analyses. Steroid UPIT with ultrasound guidance outperformed that with landmark guidance. UPIT with higher-dose steroids outperformed that with lower-dose steroids. UPIT with 5% dextrose in water (D5W) outperformed control injection and hydrodissection with high-volume D5W was superior to that with low-volume D5W. UPIT with platelet-rich plasma outperformed various control treatments. UPCTR outperformed open surgery in terms of symptom improvement but not functional improvement. No serious adverse events were reported in the studies reviewed. The findings suggest that both UPIT and UPCTR may provide clinically important benefits and appear safe. Further treatment comparison studies are required to determine comparative therapeutic efficacy.

Pulsed Radiofrequency for Postherpetic Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Case Report.

Trigeminal postherpetic neuralgia has been reported to cause chronic headaches and facial pain. There are various modalities of treatment ranging from pharmacological to surgical treatment. However, these are frequently accompanied by undesirable side effects and minimal efficacy. Pulsed radiofrequency has been used to treat chronic pain but it is often seen as an unconventional treatment for postherpetic neuralgia. Nonetheless, the literature supports its use for alleviating pain with minimal complications. This case demonstrates that pulsed radiofrequency can successfully treat intractable pain secondary to postherpetic neuralgia affecting all three trigeminal dermatomes.

Motor-Sparing Neural Ablation with Modified Techniques for Knee Pain: Case Series on Knee Osteoarthritis and Updated Review of the Underlying Anatomy and Available Techniques.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is ubiquitous. However, effective pain managements for patients with grades 3 or 4 KOA for whom conservative treatments are unsuccessful, but for whom surgery is not an option, remain lacking. This case series presented two motor-sparing interventional pain treatment modalities for five such patients. Three of the patients with a mean total WOMAC score of 41 underwent thermal radiofrequency (RF) ablation using a modified motor-sparing approach. One-week and four-week post-RF, the total score dropped to 27 (by 34%) and 19 (dropped 53.7%), respectively. Two other similar patients with a mean total WOMAC score 96 underwent chemical neurolysis using a motor-sparing approach with modified landmarks. The WOMAC score dropped to 58.5 (by 39.1%) and 49 (dropped by 49.0%), one-week and four-week postchemical neurolysis, respectively. A narrative review of the currently available approaches is also provided, with the conclusion that neural ablation using the modified landmarks approach may achieve better pain control and preserve the motor functions for patients with severe KOA for whom conservative treatment was unsuccessful and who are not candidates for surgery.

Integrated process approach for degradation of p-cresol pollutant under photocatalytic reactor using activated carbon/TiO2 nanocomposite: application in wastewater treatment.

Over the years, biodegradation has been an effective technique for waste water treatment; however, it has its own limitations. In order to achieve a higher degradation efficacy, integrated processes are being focus in this area. Therefore, the present study is targeted towards the coupling of biodegradation and photocatalytic degradation of p-cresol. The biodegradation of p-cresol was performed via lab isolate Serratia marcescens ABHI001. The obtained results confirmed that ~85% degradation of p-cresol was accomplished using Serratia marcescens ABHI001 strain in 18 h. Consequently, degradation of remaining residue (remaining p-cresol concentration initially used) was also examined in a batch reactor using activated carbon-TiO2 nanocomposite (AC/TiO2-NC) as a catalyst under the exposure of UV radiation. The AC/TiO2-NC was processed via sol-gel technique and characterized by various techniques, namely Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The investigation allowed p-cresol degradation further augment up to ~96% with the help of spectrophotometer trailed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). This study demonstrates that integrated process (biodegradation-photodegradation) is the cost-effective bioremediation process to overcome such kinds of pollutant issues.

Screw Impingement Causing Massive Swelling of the Sciatic Nerve: A Case Report.

Sciatic nerve (SN) injuries after hip fracture dislocation are described and are not uncommon. Several factors can lead to SN injury after hip surgery; among other factors, screw plates of synthesis materials can immigrate and lead to nerve impingement. We report a case of a 22-year-old male with a history of posterior wall fracture and hip dislocation after a motorway accident. Ultrasonography showed massive swelling of the SN with a cross-sectional area measured at 1.50 cm2 upstream to screw impingement. The reoperation option was judged too risky by the orthopedic surgeons; currently, the patient is undergoing platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections around the nerve swelling and to the lifter muscles of the foot.

The Booster Effect of a Single Quarterly Dose of Hyaluronic Acid in Knee Osteoarthritis: Five-Year Results of a Registry-Based Study.

Objective Viscosupplementation by hyaluronic acid (HA) is well established non-surgical treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). This registry-based study investigated the booster effect of a quarterly intra-articular single knee injection (30mg/2ml) for five years. Methods Sixty patients, including 29 males and 31 females, with a mean ± SD age 61.07 ± 9.15 with Kellgren-Lawrence grade I-III KOA, have been selected from a registry of interventional treatments for musculoskeletal pain conditions. To be eligible, patients had to be treated with a single quarterly intraarticular injection of HA with a follow-up of at least five years and assessed with Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) at baseline and after each HA injection in the first 24 months and at 36, 48, and 60 months. Results Sixty of 63 patients enrolled in this study completed the 60 months of follow-up. Patients had a marked improvement in knee function and pain, expressed by the significant reduction in WOMAC (T0 48.62±8.95 vs. T11 10.75±4.36; p<0.0001) and NRS scores (6.38±1.06 vs. T11 0.95±0.89 p<0.0001) from the baseline to the end of the follow-up period. Conclusion A quarterly injection of HA provides a rapid, safe, and stable long-term reduction of pain and improvement of function in elderly people with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis along a five-year period of treatment and follow-up. Further investigations are necessary to confirm these findings.

Efficacy of Ultrasound-Guided Injection of Botulinum Toxin, Ozone, and Lidocaine in Piriformis Syndrome.

Background: Piriformis syndrome (PS) is a painful musculoskeletal condition characterized by a deep gluteal pain that may radiate to the posterior thigh and leg. This study was designed to compare the effectiveness of ozone and BTX to lidocaine injection in treating piriformis syndrome that was resistant to medication and/or physical therapy. Study design: Between November 2018 and August 2019, we involved eighty-four subjects diagnosed with piriformis syndrome in a double-blinded, prospective, randomized comparative study to receive an ultrasound-guided injection of lidocaine (control group), botulinum toxin A, or local ozone (28 patients each group) in the belly of the piriformis muscle. Pain condition evaluated by the visual analog score (VAS) was used as a primary outcome, and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) as a secondary outcome, before, at one month, two months, three months, and six months following the injection. Results: The majority (58.3%) of patients were male, while (41.7%) were female. At one month, a highly significant decrease occurred in VAS and ODI in the lidocaine and ozone groups compared to the botulinum toxin group (p < 0.001). At six months, there was a highly significant decrease in VAS and ODI in the botulinum toxin group compared to the lidocaine and ozone groups (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Botulinum toxin may assist in the medium- and long-term management of piriformis syndrome, while lidocaine injection and ozone therapy may help short-term treatment in patients not responding to conservative treatment and physiotherapy.

Efficacy of Acupuncture, Intravenous Lidocaine, and Diet in the Management of Patients with Fibromyalgia: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Introduction: This network meta-analysis aimed to assess the efficacy of acupuncture, intravenous lidocaine, and diet compared with other comparators such as physiotherapy and sham/placebo in fibromyalgia patients. Materials and Methods: We searched Embase, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for relevant studies till September 2021. The included studies were randomized controlled clinical trials. For the network meta-analysis, we used the R software. Results: There were 23 included RCTs. The total sample size was 1409 patients. Compared with the sham/placebo group, the network analysis showed the highest improvement in the quality of life in the acupuncture group standardized mean difference (SMD) = -10.28, 95%-CI [-14.96; -5.59]), and then in the physiotherapy group (SMD = -7.48, 95%-CI [-14.72; -0.23]). For the pain, there was a significant reduction with acupuncture (SMD = -1.69, 95%-CI [-2.48; -0.89]), compared with sham/placebo. Regarding depression, it showed a significant reduction with acupuncture (SMD = -9.64, 95%-CI [-16.13; -3.14]) compared with sham/placebo. Finally, for stiffness, it showed no significant differences in the stiffness between acupuncture (SMD = -8.52, 95%-CI [-20.40; 3.36]), fluoxetine (SMD = -6.52, 95%-CI [-29.65; 16.61]), and physiotherapy (SMD = -4.64, 95%-CI [-22.83; 13.54]) compared with sham/placebo. Conclusions: The acupuncture showed a significant effect in the management of fibromyalgia patients. It reduced pain, depression, and enhanced the quality of life. While physiotherapy showed a significant improvement in the quality of life only. In contrast, intravenous lidocaine and diet showed no significant differences when compared with sham/placebo.

Efficacy of Botulinum Toxin, Local Anesthetics, and Corticosteroids in Patients With Piriformis Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Piriformis syndrome (PS) is a painful condition caused by entrapment of the sciatic nerve within the piriformis muscle. PS is typically unilateral and mainly occurs related to entrapment of the sciatic nerve. Treatments include physiotherapy, analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, behavioral modifications, injection therapy with local anesthetics (LAs) and steroids, epidural injection, botulinum toxin (BT) injection, and surgery. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy of BT, LA, and corticosteroid (CS) injections in relieving pain in patients affected by PS. STUDY DESIGN: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the "Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions" and the "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Metaanalyses (PRISMA)" guidelines. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted through PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Scopus through April 2021 for studies investigating the efficacy of BT, LA, or CS injection in improving pain in patients with PS. After screening retrieved studies, data were extracted from included studies and pooled. Overall results were reported as standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Analysis was performed using RevMan software version 5.4. RESULTS: Sixteen studies were included in this systematic review, and 12 of them were included in the quantitative synthesis. The pain scores decreased significantly after treatment with BT (SMD = -2.00; 95% CI [-2.84, -1.16], P < 0.001), LA and CS (SMD = -4.34; 95% CI [-5.77, 2.90], P < 0.001), LA (SMD = -3.73; 95% CI [-6.47, -0.99], P = 0.008), CS (SMD = -2.78; 95% CI [-3.56, -2.00], P < 0.001), and placebo injection (SMD = -0.04; 95% CI [-0.07, -0.01], P = 0.002). BT injection was less effective than LA and CS together (P = 0.006), more effective than placebo (P = 0.001), and similar to LA (P = 0.24) and CS (P = 0.18), when injected alone. LIMITATIONS: A wide variety of study designs were utilized to obtain the largest sample size available. Many of the included studies lack randomization, and some are retrospective in nature. These limitations may introduce bias into the analyzed data and affect the results. Many studies had a low sample size and are of moderate quality, limiting the generalizability of the results. Also, we could not conduct a direct meta-analysis due to the lack of sufficient double-arm studies comparing different types of injection therapies. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with PS, satisfactory pain improvement can be obtained by BT, LA plus CS, LA, or CS injection therapy. Injection of LA plus CS showed the best efficacy.

Short-Term Outcomes and Predictors of Effectiveness of Tocilizumab in Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (sJIA) is a unique category of juvenile arthritis in which interleukin 6 plays a major pathogenic role. This study aimed to describe the therapeutic short-term outcomes among patients with sJIA starting tocilizumab (TCZ) therapy and to identify possible predictors of treatment response. Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study including 65 patients with sJIA meeting ILAR classification criteria with active disease despite conventional therapy that were treated by TCZ between August 2019 and October 2020 as the first-line biological therapy. Clinical and serological parameters were recorded at baseline and after 1 year of TCZ therapy. Results: After 1 year, 25% of the patients achieved minimal disease activity and 35% achieved clinically inactive disease. A significant reduction of the 10-joint juvenile arthritis disease activity score and acute phase reactants was also observed. Patients with younger age (≤7 years), shorter disease duration (≤3 years), lower disease activity, and higher serum ferritin and systemic manifestations showed more favorable results. Conclusion: Patients with sJIA showed favorable disease outcomes with TCZ treatment for 1 year, especially if the drugs were administered earlier in the disease course and in younger patients with a more pronounced inflammatory status. Our results may help to define the profile of patients with sJIA who are more likely to benefit from IL-6 blockade.

Peripheral neuropathy in systemic lupus erythematosus: what can neuromuscular ultrasonography (NMUS) tell us? A cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate peripheral nerve involvement in patients with SLE with neuromuscular ultrasonography (NMUS) and understand its role in investigating SLE-related peripheral neuropathy. METHODS: This is an observational cross-sectional study on patients with SLE and healthy controls. Five nerves in each patient were examined bilaterally with NMUS, and the cross-sectional area (CSA) of each nerve at certain sites was estimated. The mean CSA at each site, for each nerve, in each group was statistically analysed and compared between groups. RESULTS: 370 nerves were evaluated in 37 patients. By nerve conduction study (NCS), 36 patients had polyneuropathy (80.6% mixed type, 19.4% sensory). Significant mean CSA enlargement was present among the ulnar nerve at the Guyon's canal and mid-humerus (both p=0.001); tibial nerve at the distal leg and proximal to the tarsal tunnel (p=0.003 and p=0.001, respectively); and peroneal nerve at the popliteal fossa (p=0.042). The mean CSA showed high specificity compared with NCS. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that CSA could be a complementary tool to NCS for studying peripheral neuropathy in SLE. Furthermore, NMUS provides data on the different pathophysiological aspects of nerve involvement in SLE. Future studies using more than one sonographic parameter in combination with NCS and nerve histopathology are recommended to further investigate SLE-related neuropathy.Trial registration number NCT04527172.

Role of point of care ultrasound in COVID-19 pandemic: what lies beyond the horizon?

The pandemic of COVID-19 requires rapid and easy access to reliable imaging modalities for diagnosis and follow up. Considering the cost-effectiveness of the imaging used, ultrasound is a non-ionizing, portable and bedside imaging modality with a high diagnostic impact in emergencies and intensive care units in pandemics, but it is operator dependent. In our article, we provide a comprehensive review of the role of point-of-care ultrasound in the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection and its impact on the lungs, cardiovascular system, eyes and abdominal organs. Moreover, ultrasound can provide real-time diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, such as the placement of a central catheter and aspiration of pericardial effusion. Awareness of health care professionals in the front-line fighting COVID-19 infection in emergency rooms, clinics, and in intensive care units is important and will help rapid and targeted management decisions.

Treatment algorithm for COVID-19: a multidisciplinary point of view.

The novel coronavirus (Sars-CoV-2) pandemic has spread rapidly, from December to the end of March, to 185 countries, and there have been over 3,000,000 cases identified and over 200,000 deaths. For a proportion of hospitalized patients, death can occur within a few days, mainly for adult respiratory distress syndrome or multi-organ dysfunction syndrome. In these patients, clinical signs and symptoms, as well as laboratory abnormalities, suggest a cytokine storm syndrome in response to the viral infection. No current targeted treatment is yet available for COVID-19, an unknown disease up to 2 months ago, which challenges doctors and researchers to find new drugs or reallocate other treatments for these patients. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, a growing body of information on diagnostic and therapeutic strategies has emerged, mainly based on preliminary experience on retrospective studies or small case series. Antivirals, antimalarials, corticosteroids, biotechnological and small molecules, convalescent plasma and anticoagulants are among the drugs proposed for the treatment or in tested for COVID-19. Given the complexity of this new condition, a multidisciplinary management seems to be the best approach. Sharing and integrating knowledge between specialists, to evaluate the correct timing and setting of every treatment, could greatly benefit our patients. We reviewed the literature, combining it with our experiences and our specialist knowledge, to propose a management algorithm, correlating the clinical features with laboratory and imaging findings to establish the right timing for each treatment.Key Points• Critically ill COVID-19 patients show signs of cytokine storm syndrome.• No current targeted therapy is available, but a lot of drugs are in tested.• A multidisciplinary approach is crucial to manage COVID-19.• Choosing the correct timing of treatment is of pivotal importance to avoid the most severe complications.

Potential value of serum Progranulin as a biomarker for the presence and severity of micro vascular complications among Egyptian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) calls for evolving a concomitant screening strategies for early disease detection and prediction of the complications. Progranulin (PRGN) was recently introduced as a biomarker of inflammation in T2DM. However, little data have been published as regarding progranulin in relation to diabetic micro angiopathy among Egyptian patients with T2DM. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate and evaluate serum progranulin as a biomarker for the presence and severity of micro vascular complications among Egyptian patients with T2DM. METHODS: A total of 90 age and sex matched participants were included in this cross sectional study. They were divided into group 1 included 30 non diabetic healthy controls and group 2 included 60 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, diabetic patients were categorized into two subgroups depending on the presence or absence of microvascular complications. Evaluation for diabetic nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy were determined. Furthermore, laboratory investigations were performed and serum progranulin levels were measured by a quantitative sandwich enzyme linked immune sorbent assay. RESULTS: The mean serum PRGN levels were significantly elevated in type 2 diabetic patients (20.90 ± 6.38 ng/ml) compared to control group (9.20 ± 1.41 ng/ml) (p < 0.001). Moreover,the serum PRGN levels were increased parallel to the severity of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) with significantly highest detectable values were in macro albuminuric group of diabetic nephropathy as well as proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) groups (P < 0.001). Besides, it worth mentioning that, the level of Serum progranulin started to increase significantly in stage 2 DN in spite of normal level of albuminuria. There were highly significant positive correlation between serum PRGN and disease duration, body mass index (BMI),fasting blood sugar (FBS), HbA1c, Total cholesterol (TC),triglyceride (TG), serum creatinine, ACR (r = 0.918, 0.623, 0.430, 0.539,0.910,0.842,0.759, 0.903, resp., P < 0.001) and a significant positive correlation with low density lipoprotein (LDL) (r = 0.344),but there was a highly significant negative correlation between serum PRGN and eGFR (r = -0.866, P < 0.001) in the studied diabetic patients. CONCLUSION: Progranulin might be considered as a biomarker for diabetic micro angiopathy and its severity. In addition, there is a group of diabetic patients with decreased eGFR but without albuminuria in which serum PRGN level was indicated to be used as an early biomarker of diabetic nephropathy.

Ultrasound-Guided Intervention for Treatment of Trigeminal Neuralgia: An Updated Review of Anatomy and Techniques.

Orofacial myofascial pain is prevalent and most often results from entrapment of branches of the trigeminal nerves. It is challenging to inject branches of the trigeminal nerve, a large portion of which are shielded by the facial bones. Bony landmarks of the cranium serve as important guides for palpation-guided injections and can be delineated using ultrasound. Ultrasound also provides real-time images of the adjacent muscles and accompanying arteries and can be used to guide the needle to the target region. Most importantly, ultrasound guidance significantly reduces the risk of collateral injury to vital neurovascular structures. In this review, we aimed to summarize the regional anatomy and ultrasound-guided injection techniques for the trigeminal nerve and its branches, including the supraorbital, infraorbital, mental, auriculotemporal, maxillary, and mandibular nerves.

Ultrasound-guided methotrexate injection for De Quervain disease of the wrist: what lies beyond the horizon?

De Quervain disease (DQVD) is one of the most common causes of lateral wrist pain and can lead to significant disability. The current case involves a right-handed, middle-aged, female patient with severe lateral wrist pain due to DQVD. Her pain was not responsive to oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, rehabilitation, and repeated corticosteroid injections. Because she refused surgical intervention, we performed ultrasound-guided methotrexate injections (four times). After the injections, dramatic pain relief, functional improvement, and reduction of the thickness of the retinaculum and tendons in the first dorsal extensor compartment of the wrist were noted. This case report highlights the potential usefulness of ultrasound-guided methotrexate injection for recalcitrant DQVD of the wrist.