From Wikidoc - Reading time: 12 min
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1];Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Hadeel Maksoud M.D.[2]
Abbreviations: ABG = Arterial blood gases, ANA = Antinuclear antibodies, BUN = Blood urea nitrogen, CRP = C-reactive protein, CT = Computed tomography, DRA = Dual energy radiographic absorptiometry, DRE = Digital rectal exam, ERCP = Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, ESR = Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, HSV = Herpes simplex virus, IVP = Intravenous pyelography, KUB = Kidney, bladder, ureter, LDH = Lactate dehydrogenase, LFT = Liver function test, MRA = Magnetic resonance angiography, MRC = Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, MRI = Magnetic resonance imaging, MRU = Magnetic resonance urography, NSAIDs = Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, PCR = Polymerase chain reaction, PET - FDG = Positive emission tomography - fluorodeoxyglucose, PET = Positive emission tomography, PID = Pelvic inflammatory disease, PSA = Prostatic specific antigen, PTC = Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography, RUQ = Right upper quadrant, SPECT = Single-photon emission computed tomography, TFT = Thyroid function test, VZV = Varicella zoster virus
| Classification of pain in the back based on etiology | Diease | Clinical Manifestation | Diagnosis | Comments | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symptoms | Signs | Lab findings | Imaging | ||||||||||||||||||
| Onset | Duration | Quality of pain | Radiation | Stiffness | Fever | Rigors and chills | Headache | Nausea and vomiting | Syncopy | Weight loss | Motor weakness | Sensory deficit | Pulse Deficit | Heart Murmur | Bowel or bladder dysfunction | Horner's syndrome | |||||
| Neurological | Arachnoiditis[1] | Acute | Hours | Dull aching pain | Head, neck and back | +/- | + | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | - | - | +/- | +/- | CSF
Culture and sensitivity
Nucleic acid tests
|
Radiography
|
|
| Epidural abscess[2][3] | Acute | Variable | Dull, throbbing pain | Locally | - | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | - | - | +/- | +/- | CBC
ESR
Culture and sensitivity
Immunohistochemical staining
|
MRI
CT
Radiography
|
| |
| Classification of pain in the back based on etiology | Diease | Clinical Manifestation | Diagnosis | Comments | |||||||||||||||||
| Symptoms | Signs | Lab findings | Imaging | ||||||||||||||||||
| Onset | Duration | Quality of pain | Radiation | Stiffness | Fever | Rigors and chills | Headache | Nausea and vomiting | Syncopy | Weight loss | Motor weakness | Sensory deficit | Pulse Deficit | Heart Murmur | Bowel or bladder dysfunction | Horner's syndrome | |||||
| Bone | Chronic recurrent focal osteomyelitis[4][5][6] | Chronic | Years | Dull aching pain | Local | +/- | + | + | - | - | - | +/- | - | - | - | - | - | - | CBC
Culture and sensitivity
|
Radiography
MRI
CT
Ultrasound
Nuclear imaging
|
|
| Discitis[7][8] | Chronic | Years | Dull aching or throbbing | Local | - | + | +/- | - | +/- | - | +/- | +/- | +/- | - | - | +/- | - | CBC
Culture and sensitivity
|
MRI
Radiography
Nuclear imaging
|
| |
| Sacroilitis[9][10] | Acute or chronic | Variable | Dull aching or throbbing | Hips and legs | +/- | + | +/- | - | - | - | +/- | +/- | +/- | - | - | +/- | - | CBC
ESR
CRP
Procalcitonin
Culture and sensitivity
|
MRI
CT
Radiography
Nuclear imaging
|
| |
| Vertebral compression fracture[11][12][13] | Acute | Minutes to hours | Sudden, severe, sharp | Shoulders, arms, hips and legs | +/- | - | - | +/- | +/- | +/- | - | +/- | +/- | - | - | +/- | - | CBC
Urine analysis
Serum protein electrophoresis
ESR
|
Radiography
CT
MRI
DRA scanning
PET scanning
|
| |
| Classification of pain in the back based on etiology | Diease | Clinical Manifestation | Diagnosis | Comments | |||||||||||||||||
| Symptoms | Signs | Lab findings | Imaging | ||||||||||||||||||
| Onset | Duration | Quality of pain | Radiation | Stiffness | Fever | Rigors and chills | Headache | Nausea and vomiting | Syncopy | Weight loss | Motor weakness | Sensory deficit | Pulse Deficit | Heart Murmur | Bowel or bladder dysfunction | Horner's syndrome | |||||
| Referred pain | Cholelithiasis[14][15] | Acute or subacute | Minutes or hours | Sharp | Tip of right shoulder | - | +/- | +/- | - | + | - | +/- | - | - | - | - | - | - | CBC
LFT
|
Radiography
CT
MRI
Ultrasound
Scintigraphy
ERCP
PTC
|
|
| Pancreatitis[16][17][18] | Acute or chronic | Variable | Severe, sharp or dull aching | Abdomen | - | +/- | +/- | - | + | +/- | +/- | - | - | - | - | - | - | Amylase and lipase
LFT
CBC
Serum electrolytes
BUN and creatinine
Triglycerides
|
KUB radiography
Ultrasound
CT
MRC
ERCP
|
| |
| Pneumonia[19][20][21] | Acute or chronic | Variable | Variable | Chest, back and abdomen | - | + | + | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | - | - | - | - | - | - | CBC
Blood culture
|
Radiography
CT
|
| |
| Rheumatoid arthritis[22][23][24] | Chronic | Years | Severe, aching | Variable | + | - | - | - | - | - | +/- | - | - | - | - | - | - | ESR and CRP
CBC
ANA
Anti−cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) and anti−mutated citrullinated vimentin (anti-MCV)
|
Radiography
MRI
Ultrasound
|
| |
| Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome[25][26] | Acute | Minutes to hours | Sudden, severe, sharp | Back and/or flanks | - | + | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | - | - | - | - | - | - | CBC
Serum electrolytes
Plasma glucose Serum cortisol
Plasma ACTH
|
CT
|
| |
| Classification of pain in the back based on etiology | Diease | Clinical Manifestation | Diagnosis | Comments | |||||||||||||||||
| Symptoms | Signs | Lab findings | Imaging | ||||||||||||||||||
| Onset | Duration | Quality of pain | Radiation | Stiffness | Fever | Rigors and chills | Headache | Nausea and vomiting | Syncopy | Weight loss | Motor weakness | Sensory deficit | Pulse Deficit | Heart Murmur | Bowel or bladder dysfunction | Horner's syndrome | |||||
| Tumors | Ewing's sarcoma[27][28][29] | Chronic | Months to years | Dull aching | Variable | +/- | +/- | +/- | - | - | - | + | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Tests are used to rule out other pathologies; CBC
Blood cultures
ESR and CRP
LDH
Cytogenetic studies
Immunohistochemical markers
|
Radiography
MRI
PET - FDG
|
|
| Leukemia[30][31][32][33] | Acute or chronic | Weeks to years | Aching | Variable | - | +/- | +/- | - | - | - | + | - | - | - | - | - | - | CBC
Coagulation study
Peripheral blood smear
Blood chemistry profile
Blood culture
|
|
| |
| Lymphoma[34][35][36][37] | Chronic | Months to years | Aching | Variable | - | +/- | +/- | - | - | - | + | - | - | - | - | - | - | Typically no specific lab findings, however, the following routine tests are performed;
|
Radiography
CT
Bone scan
Gallium scan
MRI
PET - FDG
Ultrasound
|
| |
| Prostate cancer[38][39] | Chronic | Months to years | Severe, sharp | Lower abdomen, hips, groin and legs | - | +/- | +/- | - | - | - | +/- | - | - | - | - | +/- | - | PSA
Acid and alkaline phosphatase
Serurm creatinine and LFT
Urine analysis
|
Ultrasound
MRI
|
| |
| Classification of pain in the back based on etiology | Diease | Clinical Manifestation | Diagnosis | Comments | |||||||||||||||||
| Symptoms | Signs | Lab findings | Imaging | ||||||||||||||||||
| Onset | Duration | Quality of pain | Radiation | Stiffness | Fever | Rigors and chills | Headache | Nausea and vomiting | Syncopy | Weight loss | Motor weakness | Sensory deficit | Pulse Deficit | Heart Murmur | Bowel or bladder dysfunction | Horner's syndrome | |||||
| Miscellaneous | Depression[40][41][41] | Chronic | Months to years | Severe to mild aching | Variable | +/- | - | - | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | - | - | - | - | - | - |
|
CT and MRI
PET
SPECT
|
|
| Herpes zoster[42][43][44] | Acute or chronic | Variable | Severe, stabbing, electric-like | Dermatomal | - | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | +/- | - | +/- | - | - | - | - | Tzanck smear
Direct fluorescent antibody test and/or PCR
|
MRI
Lumbar puncture and cerebrospinal fluid analysis
|
||