Medical Students Blog

House, MD: Season 5

Season 5 of House MD began airing on September 16, 2008. From September to December 2008, it aired every Tuesday at 8.00 PM EST. House MD was moved to Monday 8.00 PM EST starting January 19, 2009. The season finale “Both Sides Now” was shown last May 11, 2009. The season finale was really a cliffhanger. House thought all along that he slept with Cuddy. But the fact is Cuddy never went home with him and he spent the night popping Vicodin instead of detoxing.

Kutner appeared, presumably for the last time, as part of House’s hallucination. The hallucination arc has been on going for three episodes and the finale is the best among the hallucination story arc.

No explanation on Kutner’s suicide. I guess the writers would just leave it as that. Kutner’s suicide is really a blow to all House MD fans. House checked in a rehab facility and I guess this is where Season 6 would begin.

The link for the Season 5 finale is up. Again thanks to Simon of HouseMDVideos.com for providing excellent online links to all the House MD episodes. We would have to wait for at least 4 more months for Season 6. But until then, catch all the Season 5 episodes below.

Season 5: September 16, 2008 to present

Acromegaly: Know it Before it Know you

Acromegaly

Acromegaly is the Greek word for "extremities" and "enlargement." When the pituitary gland produces excess growth hormones, this results in excessive growth - called acromegaly. The excessive growth occurs first in the hands and feet, as soft tissue begins to swell. Acromegaly affects mostly middle-aged adults. Untreated, the disease can lead to severe illness and death.

symptoms

Symptoms of acromegaly vary depending on how long the patient has had the disease. The following are the most common symptoms of acromegaly. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

swelling of the hands and feet
facial features become coarse as bones grow
body hair becomes coarse as the skin thickens and/or darkens
increased perspiration accompanied with body odor
protruding jaw
voice deepening
enlarged lip, nose, and tongue
thickened ribs (creating a barrel chest)
joint pain
degenerative arthritis
enlarged heart
enlargement of other organs
strange sensations and weakness in arms and legs
snoring
fatigue and weakness
headaches
loss of vision
irregular menstrual cycles in women
breast milk production in women
impotence in men

The symptoms of acromegaly may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Always consult your physician for a diagnosis.

diagnosis

Due to the subtlety of the symptoms, acromegaly is often not diagnosed until years later. In addition to a complete medical history and medical examination, diagnostic procedures for acromegaly may include:

serial photos taken over the years (to observe physical changes in the patient)
x-rays (to detect bone thickening)
blood tests (to check the growth hormone level)

Treatment for acromegaly:

Specific treatment for acromegaly will be determined by your physician based on:

your age, overall health, and medical history
extent of the disease
your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
expectations for the course of the disease
your opinion or preference

Treatment of acromegaly depends on the cause of the disease. Ninety percent of acromegaly cases are caused by benign tumors on the pituitary gland. Because the tumor is compressing the pituitary gland, the hormone production can be altered. Some other acromegaly cases are caused by tumors of the pancreas, lungs, or adrenal glands.

The goal of treatment is to restore the pituitary gland to normal function, producing normal levels of growth hormone.

Treatment may include removal of the tumor, radiation therapy, and injection of a growth hormone blocking drug.

Left untreated, acromegaly can lead to diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The disease also increases a patient's risk for cardiovascular disease and colon polyps that may lead to cancer.

Anencephaly: Newborn Deformity

ANENCEPHALY
is a neural tube defect (a disorder involving incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord, and/or their protective coverings). The neural tube is a narrow sheath that folds and closes between the 3rd and 4th weeks of pregnancy to form the brain and spinal cord of the embryo. Anencephaly occurs when the "cephalic" or head end of the neural tube fails to close, resulting in the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull, and scalp. Infants with this disorder are born without both a forebrain (the front part of the brain) and a cerebrum (the thinking and

ordinating area of the brain). The remaining brain tissue is often exposed--not covered by bone or skin. The infant is usually blind, deaf, unconscious, and unable to feel pain. Although some individuals

with anencephaly may be born with a rudimentary brain stem, the lack of a functioning cerebrum permanently rules out the possibility of ever gaining consciousness. Reflex actions such as respiration (breathing) and responses to sound or touch may occur. The cause of anencephaly is unknown. Although it is believed that the mother's diet and vitamin intake may play a role, scientists believe that many other factors are also involved.

treatment

There is no cure or standard treatment for anencephaly. Treatment is supportive.

prognosis

The prognosis for individuals with anencephaly is extremely poor. If the infant is not stillborn, then he or she will usually die within a few hours or days after birth. [Editor's Note: The unborn child may have been diagnosed as having anencephaly, but be born with a less severe form of the disease, allowing the infant to live for years or more