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DO NOT SEND YOUR PATIENT TO A NEURO-SURGEON TO OPERATE FOR COMPRESSION PARAPARESIS DIAGNOSED BY IMAGING
OP KAPOOR
Ex. Hon. Physician, Jaslok Hospital and Bombay Hospital, Mumbai, Ex. Hon. Prof. of Medicine, Grant Medical College and JJ Hospital, Mumbai 400 008.
It is worth knowing that in a "vague" diagnosis where a neuro-surgeon is in a hurry to operate and explore, the following one dozen conditions which are all curable with drugs, must be excluded. This should be the responsibility of the Family Physician. The diseases are:
1.Tuberculosis
2.A patch of demyelination
3.SLE
4.Syphilis
5.HIV infection
6.Vit. B-12 deficiency
The other conditions are more common in normal population and are easy to exclude. These are:-
7. Diabetes
8. Hypertension
9. Excess intake of alcohol
10. Heavy smoking
11. Addictions like Cocaine which can cause vasculitis, which is as good as a vascular obstruction produced by diabetes, hypertension, alcohol and smoking.
12. Finally, history of consumption of gutka and heavy tobacco which leads to Folic Acid and B12 deficiency.
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