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Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations.AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology Apr 2015Degenerative changes are commonly found in spine imaging but often occur in pain-free individuals as well as those with back pain. We sought to estimate the prevalence,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Degenerative changes are commonly found in spine imaging but often occur in pain-free individuals as well as those with back pain. We sought to estimate the prevalence, by age, of common degenerative spine conditions by performing a systematic review studying the prevalence of spine degeneration on imaging in asymptomatic individuals.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We performed a systematic review of articles reporting the prevalence of imaging findings (CT or MR imaging) in asymptomatic individuals from published English literature through April 2014. Two reviewers evaluated each manuscript. We selected age groupings by decade (20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 years), determining age-specific prevalence estimates. For each imaging finding, we fit a generalized linear mixed-effects model for the age-specific prevalence estimate clustering in the study, adjusting for the midpoint of the reported age interval.
RESULTS
Thirty-three articles reporting imaging findings for 3110 asymptomatic individuals met our study inclusion criteria. The prevalence of disk degeneration in asymptomatic individuals increased from 37% of 20-year-old individuals to 96% of 80-year-old individuals. Disk bulge prevalence increased from 30% of those 20 years of age to 84% of those 80 years of age. Disk protrusion prevalence increased from 29% of those 20 years of age to 43% of those 80 years of age. The prevalence of annular fissure increased from 19% of those 20 years of age to 29% of those 80 years of age.
CONCLUSIONS
Imaging findings of spine degeneration are present in high proportions of asymptomatic individuals, increasing with age. Many imaging-based degenerative features are likely part of normal aging and unassociated with pain. These imaging findings must be interpreted in the context of the patient's clinical condition.
Topics: Aging; Back Pain; Female; Humans; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 25430861
DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A4173 -
Journal of Vascular Surgery Jan 2022Management of carotid bifurcation stenosis in stroke prevention has been the subject of extensive investigations, including multiple randomized controlled trials. The... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Management of carotid bifurcation stenosis in stroke prevention has been the subject of extensive investigations, including multiple randomized controlled trials. The proper treatment of patients with carotid bifurcation disease is of major interest to vascular surgeons and other vascular specialists. In 2011, the Society for Vascular Surgery published guidelines for the treatment of carotid artery disease. At the time, several randomized trials, comparing carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS), were reported. Since the 2011 guidelines, several studies and a few systematic reviews comparing CEA and CAS have been reported, and the role of medical management has been reemphasized. In the present publication, we have updated and expanded on the 2011 guidelines with specific emphasis on five areas: (1) is CEA recommended over maximal medical therapy for low-risk patients; (2) is CEA recommended over transfemoral CAS for low surgical risk patients with symptomatic carotid artery stenosis of >50%; (3) the timing of carotid intervention for patients presenting with acute stroke; (4) screening for carotid artery stenosis in asymptomatic patients; and (5) the optimal sequence of intervention for patients with combined carotid and coronary artery disease. A separate implementation document will address other important clinical issues in extracranial cerebrovascular disease. Recommendations are made using the GRADE (grades of recommendation assessment, development, and evaluation) approach, as was used for other Society for Vascular Surgery guidelines. The committee recommends CEA as the first-line treatment for symptomatic low-risk surgical patients with stenosis of 50% to 99% and asymptomatic patients with stenosis of 70% to 99%. The perioperative risk of stroke and death in asymptomatic patients must be <3% to ensure benefit for the patient. In patients with recent stable stroke (modified Rankin scale score, 0-2), carotid revascularization is considered appropriate for symptomatic patients with >50% stenosis and should be performed as soon as the patient is neurologically stable after 48 hours but definitely <14 days after symptom onset. In the general population, screening for clinically asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis in patients without cerebrovascular symptoms or significant risk factors for carotid artery disease is not recommended. In selected asymptomatic patients with an increased risk of carotid stenosis, we suggest screening for clinically asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis as long as the patients would potentially be fit for and willing to consider carotid intervention if significant stenosis is discovered. For patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis of 50% to 99%, who require both CEA and coronary artery bypass grafting, we suggest CEA before, or concomitant with, coronary artery bypass grafting to potentially reduce the risk of stroke and stroke/death. The sequencing of the intervention depends on the clinical presentation and institutional experience.
Topics: Cardiovascular Agents; Carotid Stenosis; Clinical Decision-Making; Consensus; Endarterectomy, Carotid; Endovascular Procedures; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 34153348
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvs.2021.04.073 -
Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal... Dec 2019Forward head posture (FHP) is the most common cervical postural fault in the sagittal plane that is found with different severity levels in almost all populations.... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Forward head posture (FHP) is the most common cervical postural fault in the sagittal plane that is found with different severity levels in almost all populations. Despite claims that FHP may be related to neck pain, this relation seems to be controversial. Thus, our purpose is to determine whether FHP differs between asymptomatic subjects and those with neck pain and to investigate if there is a relationship between head posture and neck pain.
RECENT FINDINGS
A total of 15 cross-sectional studies were eligible for inclusion for this systematic review and meta-analysis. Ten studies compared FHP between a group of asymptomatic participants and a group of participants with neck pain and an overall mean difference (MD) of 4.84 (95% CI = 0.14, 9.54), indicating a significant between-group difference, contrary to adolescent (MD = - 1.05; 95% CI = - 4.23, 2.12). Eight studies showed significant negative correlations between FHP and neck pain intensity (r = - 0.55; 95% CI = - 0.69, - 0.36) as well as disability (r = - 0.42; 95% CI = - 0.54, - 0.28) in adults and older adults, while in adolescents, only lifetime prevalence and doctor visits due to neck pain were significant predictors for FHP. This systematic review found that age played an important role as a confounding factor in the relation between FHP and neck pain. Also, the results showed that adults with neck pain show increased FHP when compared to asymptomatic adults and that FHP is significantly correlated with neck pain measures in adults and older adults. No association was found between FHP and most of neck pain measures in adolescents.
PubMed: 31773477
DOI: 10.1007/s12178-019-09594-y -
World Neurosurgery Aug 2017Chiari malformation type 1 (CM-1) is a variation of hindbrain development that can sometimes occur in asymptomatic individuals. Conventional treatment is surgical... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Chiari malformation type 1 (CM-1) is a variation of hindbrain development that can sometimes occur in asymptomatic individuals. Conventional treatment is surgical decompression, but little is known about the natural history of patients who do not undergo surgical management. This information is critical to determine how these patients should be managed. We conducted a systematic literature review to determine the natural history of CM-1, particularly in patients who did not undergo surgery and in asymptomatic individuals, to help patients and physicians determine when surgery is likely to be beneficial.
METHODS
The literature search was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines using the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were predefined.
RESULTS
In symptomatic patients who did not undergo surgery, headaches and nausea often improved, whereas ataxia and sensory disturbance tended not to improve spontaneously. Of patients, 27%-47% had an improvement in symptoms after 15 months, and 37%-40% with cough headache and 89% with nausea who were managed nonoperatively improved at follow-up. Most asymptomatic individuals with CM-1 remained asymptomatic (93.3%) even in the presence of syringomyelia.
CONCLUSIONS
The natural history of mild symptomatic and asymptomatic CM-1 in adults is relatively benign and nonprogressive; the decision to perform surgical decompression should be based on severity and duration of a patient's symptoms at presentation. It is reasonable to observe a patient with mild or asymptomatic symptoms even in the presence of significant tonsillar descent or syringomyelia.
Topics: Adult; Arnold-Chiari Malformation; Asymptomatic Diseases; Ataxia; Causality; Comorbidity; Disease Progression; Evidence-Based Medicine; Female; Headache; Humans; Incidence; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Nausea; Risk Factors; Sensation Disorders; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 28435116
DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2017.04.082 -
AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology Dec 2015Imaging features of spine degeneration are common in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. We compared the prevalence of MR imaging features of lumbar spine... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Imaging features of spine degeneration are common in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. We compared the prevalence of MR imaging features of lumbar spine degeneration in adults 50 years of age and younger with and without self-reported low back pain.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We performed a meta-analysis of studies reporting the prevalence of degenerative lumbar spine MR imaging findings in asymptomatic and symptomatic adults 50 years of age or younger. Symptomatic individuals had axial low back pain with or without radicular symptoms. Two reviewers evaluated each article for the following outcomes: disc bulge, disc degeneration, disc extrusion, disc protrusion, annular fissures, Modic 1 changes, any Modic changes, central canal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and spondylolysis. The meta-analysis was performed by using a random-effects model.
RESULTS
An initial search yielded 280 unique studies. Fourteen (5.0%) met the inclusion criteria (3097 individuals; 1193, 38.6%, asymptomatic; 1904, 61.4%, symptomatic). Imaging findings with a higher prevalence in symptomatic individuals 50 years of age or younger included disc bulge (OR, 7.54; 95% CI, 1.28-44.56; P = .03), spondylolysis (OR, 5.06; 95% CI, 1.65-15.53; P < .01), disc extrusion (OR, 4.38; 95% CI, 1.98-9.68; P < .01), Modic 1 changes (OR, 4.01; 95% CI, 1.10-14.55; P = .04), disc protrusion (OR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.52-4.62; P < .01), and disc degeneration (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.21-4.15, P = .01). Imaging findings not associated with low back pain included any Modic change (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 0.48-5.41, P = .43), central canal stenosis (OR, 20.58; 95% CI, 0.05-798.77; P = .32), high-intensity zone (OR = 2.10; 95% CI, 0.73-6.02; P = .17), annular fissures (OR = 1.79; 95% CI, 0.97-3.31; P = .06), and spondylolisthesis (OR = 1.59; 95% CI, 0.78-3.24; P = .20).
CONCLUSIONS
Meta-analysis demonstrates that MR imaging evidence of disc bulge, degeneration, extrusion, protrusion, Modic 1 changes, and spondylolysis are more prevalent in adults 50 years of age or younger with back pain compared with asymptomatic individuals.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration; Low Back Pain; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Prevalence
PubMed: 26359154
DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A4498 -
Journal of Microbiology, Immunology,... Feb 2021Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in late December 2019, it has brought significant harm and challenges to over 200 countries and regions around...
Since the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in late December 2019, it has brought significant harm and challenges to over 200 countries and regions around the world. However, there is increasing evidence that many patients with COVID-19 are asymptomatic or have only mild symptoms, but they are able to transmit the virus to others. There are difficulties in screening for asymptomatic infections, which makes it more difficult for national prevention and control of this epidemic. This article reviews the characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of asymptomatic infections with COVID-19, hoping it would be helpful for early prevention and control of this severe public health threat worldwide.
Topics: Asymptomatic Infections; COVID-19; COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Testing; Disease Outbreaks; Humans; SARS-CoV-2; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 32425996
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2020.05.001 -
The Lancet. Infectious Diseases Jan 2020Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a fatal disease presenting with rapidly progressive dementia, and most patients die within a year of clinical onset. CJD poses a...
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a fatal disease presenting with rapidly progressive dementia, and most patients die within a year of clinical onset. CJD poses a potential risk of iatrogenic transmission, as it can incubate asymptomatically in humans for decades before becoming clinically apparent. In this Review, we sought evidence to understand the current iatrogenic risk of CJD to public health by examining global evidence on all forms of CJD, including clinical incidence and prevalence of subclinical disease. We found that although CJD, particularly iatrogenic CJD, is rare, the incidence of sporadic CJD is increasing. Incubation periods as long as 40 years have been observed, and all genotypes have now been shown to be susceptible to CJD. Clinicians and surveillance programmes should maintain awareness of CJD to mitigate future incidences of its transmission. Awareness is particularly relevant for sporadic CJD, which occurs in older people in whom clinical presentation could resemble rapidly developing dementia.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome; Female; Humans; Iatrogenic Disease; Incidence; Infectious Disease Incubation Period; Male; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Risk Assessment; Young Adult
PubMed: 31876504
DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30615-2 -
Chiropractic & Manual Therapies 2019Muscle energy techniques are applied to reduce pain and increase range of motion. These are applied to a variety of pathological conditions and on asymptomatic subjects.... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Muscle energy techniques are applied to reduce pain and increase range of motion. These are applied to a variety of pathological conditions and on asymptomatic subjects. There is however limited knowledge on their effectiveness and which protocol may be the most beneficial.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this review is to determine the efficacy of muscle energy techniques (MET) in symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects.
DESIGN
Systematic Review.
METHODS
A literature search was performed using the following database: Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, NLM Pubmed and ScienceDirect. Studies regarding MET in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients were considered for investigation. The main outcomes took into account range of motion, chronic and acute pain and trigger points. Two trained investigators independently screened eligible studies according to the eligibility criteria, extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Randomized control trials (RCT's) were analyzed for quality using the PEDro scale.
RESULTS
A total of 26 studies were considered eligible and included in the quantitative synthesis: 14 regarding symptomatic patients and 12 regarding asymptomatic subjects. Quality assessment of the studies through the PEDro scale observed a "moderate to high" quality of the included records.
CONCLUSIONS
MET are an effective treatment for reducing chronic and acute pain of the lower back. MET are also effective in treating chronic neck pain and chronic lateral epicondylitis. MET can be applied to increase range of motion of a joint when a functional limitation is present. Other techniques seem to be more appropriate compared to MET for trigger points.
Topics: Acute Pain; Asymptomatic Diseases; Chronic Pain; Humans; Manipulation, Osteopathic; Muscles; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Range of Motion, Articular; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 31462989
DOI: 10.1186/s12998-019-0258-7 -
JAMA May 2023In the US, tuberculosis remains an important preventable disease, including active tuberculosis, which may be infectious, and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), which...
IMPORTANCE
In the US, tuberculosis remains an important preventable disease, including active tuberculosis, which may be infectious, and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI), which is asymptomatic and not infectious but can later progress to active disease. The precise prevalence rate of LTBI in the US is difficult to determine; however, estimated prevalence is about 5.0%, or up to 13 million persons. Incidence of tuberculosis varies by geography and living accommodations, suggesting an association with social determinants of health.
OBJECTIVE
To update its 2016 recommendation, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) commissioned a systematic review on LTBI screening and treatment in asymptomatic adults seen in primary care, as well as the accuracy of LTBI screening tests.
POPULATION
Asymptomatic adults 18 years or older at increased risk for tuberculosis.
EVIDENCE ASSESSMENT
The USPSTF concludes with moderate certainty that there is a moderate net benefit in preventing active tuberculosis disease by screening for LTBI in persons at increased risk for tuberculosis infection.
RECOMMENDATION
The USPSTF recommends screening for LTBI in populations at increased risk. (B recommendation).
Topics: Adult; Humans; Latent Tuberculosis; Mass Screening; Risk Assessment; Tuberculosis; United States; Social Determinants of Health
PubMed: 37129649
DOI: 10.1001/jama.2023.4899 -
BMC Nephrology Jun 2022Asymptomatic hyperuricemia was found to be associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk but the potential benefits of urate-lowering therapy (ULT) remain... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Asymptomatic hyperuricemia was found to be associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk but the potential benefits of urate-lowering therapy (ULT) remain controversial. We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) with frequentist model to estimate the efficacy and safety of ULT in asymptomatic hyperuricemia.
METHODS
MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus were searched without language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) of adults with asymptomatic hyperuricemia were eligible if they compared any pair of ULTs (i.e., allopurinol, febuxostat, probenecid, benzbromarone, sulfinpyrazone, rasburicase, lesinurad, and topiroxostat) and placebo or no ULT, and had outcomes of interest, including composite renal events, major adverse cardiovascular events, serum urate levels, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), systolic blood pressure, and adverse events.
RESULTS
NMA with frequentist approach was applied to estimate relative treatment effects, i.e., risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD). A total of 23 RCTs were eligible. NMA identified beneficial effects of ULT on composite renal events and eGFR but not for other outcomes. Allopurinol and febuxostat had significantly lower composite renal events than placebo (RR 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.23 to 0.66, and RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.99, respectively). Both treatments also resulted in significantly higher eGFR than placebo (MD 3.69 ml/min/1.73 m, 95% CI 1.31 to 6.08, and MD 2.89 ml/min/1.73 m, 95% CI 0.69 to 5.09, respectively). No evidence of inconsistency was identified.
CONCLUSIONS
Evidence suggests that allopurinol and febuxostat are the ULTs of choice in reducing composite renal events and improving renal function.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
This study was registered with PROSPERO: CRD42019145908. The date of the first registration was 12 November 2019.
Topics: Adult; Allopurinol; Febuxostat; Gout; Gout Suppressants; Humans; Hyperuricemia; Network Meta-Analysis; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Uric Acid
PubMed: 35739495
DOI: 10.1186/s12882-022-02850-3