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Low back pain is one of the leading causes of years lived with disability worldwide. This Primer by Vlaeyen and colleagues reviews the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of low back pain and discusses the potential contributors, underlying mechanisms and neurobiology of back pain.
This illustrated PrimeView summarizes the pathophysiology, epidemiology, diagnosis and management of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and autosomal recessive PKD.
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and autosomal recessive PKD are progressive cilia-related disorders that often lead to chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease. This Primer provides an overview of the current knowledge of PKD pathogenesis and its treatment.
This PrimeView accompanies the Primer by Coyle and colleagues and highlights how the optimal treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome begins prenatally, by identifying pregnant women with opioid use or misuse and providing them with medical and social support.
Neonatal abstinence syndrome refers to the signs and symptoms in a neonate that are caused by the cessation of prenatal exposure (via placental transfer) to various substances. In particular, opioid use or misuse during pregnancy can lead to neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.
This PrimeView highlights the pathophysiological mechanisms of bronchiectasis: impaired mucociliary clearance and airway obstruction can promote persistent bacterial infections and dysregulated immune responses. These mechanisms can interact and self-perpetuate, leading over time to impaired lung function.
Bronchiectasis refers to dilatation in the bronchi, as detected by radiological examination. Often the result of other diseases, bronchiectasis is also a disease in its own right and can lead to chronic infections, inflammation, airway damage and, ultimately, reduced lung function and respiratory failure.
Multiple sclerosis is characterized by the formation of demyelination lesions throughout the central nervous system, leading to neurological dysfunction. This Primer provides an overview of the immunopathology, diagnosis and management of multiple sclerosis.
This PrimeView illustrates the mechanisms, diagnosis and management of gastroparesis; a chronic disorder defined by delayed gastric emptying, which is associated with symptoms of nausea and vomiting.
Gastroparesis is a chronic disorder characterized by gastric neuromuscular dysfunction, which causes delayed gastric emptying that is associated with symptoms of nausea and vomiting. This Primer describes different causes of gastroparesis and highlights specific diagnostic tests and management strategies.
This PrimeView highlights disease mechanisms and management strategies for systemic immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis, which is a disease characterized by the tissue accumulation of amyloid fibrillar aggregates and organ dysfunction.
Systemic immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis is a disease characterized by the tissue accumulation of amyloid fibrillar aggregates, which leads to organ dysfunction. This Primer discusses the molecular mechanisms of this form of amyloidosis and highlights management strategies that have improved quality of life and survival.
An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an abnormal enlargement of the infrarenal aorta. The pathophysiological mechanisms of AAAs lead to the weakening and thinning of the aortic wall, which can rupture and cause life-threatening haemorrhage.
An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an enlargement of the abdominal aorta. As the AAA grows, the aortic wall becomes progressively thin, and the risk of rupture increases; AAA rupture causes severe intra-abdominal haemorrhage and has a very high mortality.
This PrimeView highlights the mechanisms of immune-mediated neuropathies, a group of disorders that are caused by an immune response to peripheral nerve antigens, leading to muscle weakness, sensory deficits and other symptoms.
This Primer discusses the epidemiology, mechanisms, differential diagnosis and management of the immune-mediated neuropathies — a large group of disorders that includes Guillain–Barré syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy and multifocal motor neuropathy, among other disorders.
This illustrated PrimeView summarizes the biology, epidemiology, diagnosis and management of testicular germ cell tumours, which are the most common type of testicular cancer.
Testicular cancer, which is the most common malignancy among men between 14 and 44 years of age, has a cure rate of >90%. This Primer provides an overview of the biology, epidemiology, diagnosis and current treatment guidelines for testicular cancer, with a focus on germ cell tumours.
