Back pain is a common reason for seeking primary care from older and younger people. Early spinal imaging by a therapist is indicated to eliminate potentially dangerous causes of pain. Independent magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography examination at the patient’s initiative in the absence of “red flags” back pain in most cases does not come close to identifying the obvious cause of pain syndrome, and it creates the preconditions for the formation of an exaggerated picture of the disease in the patient himself, driving him into the “trap” of chronic pain. Attention of the polyclinic doctor to the clinical symptoms detailed in the article, following the standard algorithms of diagnosis will allow timely suspicion of “red flags” back pain, avoid hyperdiagnosis of the cause, and minimize the risk of its chronization. The algorithm for treatment of acute and chronic episodes of pain should include informing the patient about the favorable outcome in the vast majority of cases, optimizing the physical activity of the patient, the use of complex drug therapy, the basis of which are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (predominantly selective), muscle relaxants and other pathogenetically based medicines.

Back pain in young people (14–35 years old) may have causes rooted in adolescence or even earlier childhood. Diagnosis in this case can present considerable difficulties for a therapist and general practitioner, since “nonspecific back pain” may hide pathological conditions inherent in childhood. The degree of compensation for scoliosis, hereditary abnormalities in the development of the spine, the severity of early degenerative processes, and metabolic diseases of the skeleton that were not identified during school years determine a non-standard scope of diagnostic and therapeutic measures for the doctor. These include collecting a family history and screening the patient for the presence of inflammatory back pain according to the 2009 ASAS criteria, a survey on the hospital anxiety and depression scale, a morphometric assessment of the stigma of dysembryogenesis and an assessment of hypermobility syndrome, advanced laboratory diagnostics with determination of indicators of mineral-calcium metabolism, X-ray diagnostics with functional tests, the use of magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography of the spine in the absence of radicular symptoms. The patient’s active involvement in non-drug restorative treatment significantly improves his prognosis, and pharmacological support should have a health-saving direction and consider the presence of low-intensity inflammation in the pathogenesis of the disease. The choice of therapy for a reproductively active cohort of patients is made in favor of drugs with the maximum safety profile, which include, among others, selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Introduction. One of the distinguishing features of systemic vasculitis is their manifestation under the guise of a lesion of one or another organ system, which is often multi-organ in nature with signs of systemic inflammation. The latter is interpreted primarily as part of an infectious or paraneoplastic process, which causes a delay in the diagnosis.The aim of the study was to present the diversity of the clinical picture in vasculitis associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), the speed and large volume of diagnostic measures with the effective cooperation of therapeutic and surgical specialists, radiologists on the way to verifying granulomatosis with polyangiitis in a young woman.Materials and methods. Patient K., 46 y. o., was hospitalized in the Otolaryngology Department of the N.I. Pirogov City Clinical Hospital No. 1 of the Moscow Health Department with complaints of hearing loss, pain and stuffiness in the left ear, unproductive cough, hoarseness and fever up to 38.5 °C. According to the radiography (RG) of the chest organs, right-sided pneumonia was detected. Conducted antibiotic therapy without effect. As part of the differential diagnostic search, the following nosologies were excluded: infective endocarditis, sepsis, tuberculosis, primary multiple or central lung cancer complicated by paracancer pneumonia, metastatic lesion, infectious, brucellosis spondylodiscitis.Results. In the blood test, attention was drawn to a decrease in the level of hemoglobin to 111 g / l, an increase in the rate of erythrocyte sedimentation to 45 mm / h and the level of C-reactive protein to 142 mg / l, microhematuria according to the general urine analysis. Instrumental research methods – RG of 16.02.22, MSCT of the chest organs on 17.02.22, 27.02.22, 10.03.22 showed progressive bilateral focal pneumonia with a focus of consolidation in the middle lobe, EchoCG, ultrasound of the abdominal cavity and small pelvis, RG of the temporal bone, bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage and microscopic analysis, for atypia and bacteriological culture. A gynecological examination and a smear from the cervical canal for microscopic analysis were performed, atypical cells, consulted by a phthisiatrician (no data for tuberculosis), consulted three times by a thoracic surgeon (exclusion of volumetric formation of the middle lobe of the right lung). Given the history and clinical presentation (female gender, young age, bilateral otitis media, hoarseness, and destructive nature of pneumonia), granulomatosis with polyangiitis was suspected, and tests for ANCA were prescribed. A transthoracic biopsy of the right lung was performed. A rheumatologist prescribed induction pulse therapy with corticosteroids, and after serological and histological confirmation (antibodies to Proteinase-3 Anti-PR3 > 200 IU / ml, productive pneumonitis, granulomas without signs of tuberculosis), immunosuppressive therapy with cyclophosphamide. Against the background of pathogenetic treatment, a pronounced clinical and laboratory effect was noted.Conclusion. In this clinical situation, the simultaneous involvement of specialists of various profiles, the performance of a large number of laboratory and instrumental studies in dynamics, the absence of delay in histological verification made it possible to quickly exclude common diseases in the population and suspect systemic vasculitis, establishing a correct diagnosis within 5 weeks of the hospitalization period.

Back pain (BP) due to degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a severe, often disabling condition. The aim of this study was to determine the association between the expression level of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17), angiogenesis markers (VEGF-A and CD31) in intervertebral disc (IVD) tissue and IVD degeneration in young people with discogenic BP. In patients who underwent discectomy for a disc herniation, a clinical examination, magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine, histological and immunohistochemical analyses of these factors in IVD were performed in comparison with the parameters of healthy group samples (controls). Histology image analysis of IVD fragments of the DDD group detected zones of inflammatory infiltration, combined with vascularization, the presence of granulation tissue and clusters of chondrocytes in the tissue of nucleus pulposus (NP). Statistically significant increased expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, VEGF-A and CD31 was evident in the samples of the DDD group compared with the controls, that showed a strong correlation with the histological disc degeneration stage. Our results denote an immunoinflammatory potential of chondrocytes and demonstrates their altered morphogenetic properties, also NP cells may trigger the angiogenesis.

Back pain (BP) is a major public health problem worldwide with high prevalence and disability. In most cases are associated with degenerative spinal disease (degenerative disc disease, DDD), myofascial syndrome, facet joint syndrome, spinal spondylosis, scoliotic deformation, sacroilial joint dysfunction, lumbar stenosis and other causes. The article describes the basics of the doctor’s approach to the diagnosis of back pain, describes the main strategies of patients routing. The algorithm proposed here includes detection of dangerous conditions, verification of inflammatory rhythm of BP according to criteria ASAS 2009, revealing of persistent phenotype of the lower back pain, stratifying patients for the risk of chronic lower back pain StarT Back in mechanical rhythm; multidisciplinary approach with inclusion of the rheumatologist in specialists team, and after initial consultation the therapist gives direction to the rheumatologist, if necessary. A therapist who treats a patient with persistent BS and a high risk of chronization without symptoms of “red flags” should prescribe an magnetic resonance imaging of the spine. The detection of total lesion of the vertebral motor segments in the case of severe back pain is the basis for the diagnosis of spinal osteoarthritis and subsequent prescription of non-medicamentous and pharmacological therapy, including SYSADOA, in particular Alflutop. The developed algorithm allows to quickly diagnose spinal osteoarthritis at a young age and to suspect axial spondylitis. Presented triad of MR-traits associated with persistent phenotype pain, which will help the therapist to establish the diagnosis of spinal osteoarthritis. The algorithm clearly describes the routing of patients to related specialists (rheumatologist, neurologist, etc.) according to the identified data.

Back pain (BP) due to degenerative spinal injury is a severe, often disabling disease and it tends to decrease age of onset. The cellular and molecular basis of the disc and adjacent structures degradation remains in the focus of pathophysiologists and pathomorphologists close attention. The aim of the study was to determine the expression level of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17) and angiogenesis markers (VEGF-A and CD31) in intervertebral disc (IVD) tissue, their association between each other and between disc degeneration in young people with discogenic BP. In patients who underwent discectomy for a disc herniation, a clinical examination, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine, histological and immunohistochemical analyses of these factors in the disc tissue were performed in comparison with the parameters of healthy group samples (controls). Histology image analysis of IVD fragments of the degenerative disc disease (DDD) group detected zones of inflammatory infiltration, combined with vascularization, the presence of granulation tissue and clusters of chondrocytes in the tissue of nucleus pulposus (NP). Statistically significant expression of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17 and VEGF-A (especially on the chondrocytes surface) and CD31 (in the disc matrix) was evident in the samples of the DDD group compared with the controls (p < 0.0001), that showed a strong correlation with the histological disc degeneration stage (r > 0.5; p < 0.0001). This denotes a high immunoinflammatory potential of chondrocytes and demonstrates their altered morphogenetic properties. The coincidence of the spatial expression of IL-1β and IL-17 in the perivascular zone endothelium and in the vascular lumen (p < 0.01) was found, which point at the inflammatory synergy of these cytokines. High expression of VEGF-A prevailed on the surface of chondrocytes in cell clusters compared to the matrix (p < 0.0001), indicating that the NP cells trigger the angiogenesis. The absence of CD31 in the cracks of NP with high expression in the disc matrix states the secondary nature of IVD defects due to degeneration, and not due to vascular ingrowth. A high number of patients with Modic changes according to MRI data shown the contribution of cytokines to the formation of reactive spondylitis and the clinical course of BP. These results obtained will help to development molecular/cellular targets and basic strategies for therapy of BP with DDD in the early stages in young people. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. ### Funding Statement This study was funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: Ethics Committee of Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University gave ethical approval for this work (protocol 13 dated November 30, 2020). I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines and uploaded the relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material as supplementary files, if applicable. Yes All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors.

The aim of the investigation was to describe a clinical case of the development of interstitial lung lesions in a 57-year-old man with a large left atrial myxoma, which had a reverse development after myxomectomy.Materials and methods. Patient V., 57 years old, was hospitalized in the therapeutic department of the City Clinical Hospital No. 1 named after N. I. Pirogov in connection with bilateral polysegmental pneumonia. A month before hospitalization, he underwent an outpatient examination for progressive dyspnea. Myxoma of the heart was diagnosed. Due to the progression of respiratory failure and the appearance of fever, he was hospitalized. Amidst the multistage antibiotic therapy, there was a torpid course of lung pathology with syndromes of bilateral dissemination and “ground glass”, bilateral lymphadenopathy of the mediastinum, high pulmonary hypertension, and systemic inflammatory reaction syndrome. Thromboembolism of the branches of the pulmonary artery, tuberculosis, sepsis, infective endocarditis, neoplastic processes of pulmonary and other localization were excluded.Results. The clinical picture corresponded to interstitial lung lesions within the framework of paraneoplastic syndrome in heart myxoma. It was decided to urgently carry out myxomectomy.Conclusion. The clinical case demonstrates the development of a rare variant of paraneoplastic syndrome in left atrial myxoma, which was suspected during the patient’s treatment for bilateral polysegmental pneumonia. The progression of the pulmonary lesion was explained by active interstitial inflammation and was supported by the immunological activity of the heart tumor.The performed myxomectomy, despite the persisting syndrome of systemic inflammatory reaction and infiltration of the lung tissue, led in 2 weeks to complete resolution of interstitial lung lesions and pulmonary hypertension, which confirmed the causal relationship between myxoma of the heart and involvement in the pathological process of the lungs.

Цель: оценить состояние жировой и спинальной мышечной массы с помощью магнитно-резонансной томографии (МРТ), его взаимосвязь с дегенеративным поражением позвоночника (ДПП) у пациентов пожилого, среднего, молодого возрастов с болью в спине (БС).

Back pain is one of the main global health problems with a high level of prevalence and patients’ disability. In most cases, it is associated with degenerative spine damage (degenerative disc disease), dorsopathy, discopathy (M51 and M53 according to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision), affecting all levels of the intervertebral disc (IVD) (cytological, chemical and biochemical) as a whole as well as biological molecules that regulate homeostasis of the disc intercellular substance (growth factors, pro-inflammatory cytokines, enzymes). A key point in IVD dehydration is that catabolic processes predominate over anabolic ones due to changed gene expression in the corresponding biologically active molecules, disc angiogenesis and neoinnervation of the structures of the fibrous ring and pulpous nucleus. The latter is responsible for chronic pain in patients.Cells supporting homeostasis in nucleus pulpous, chondrocytes, continuously synthesize and restore proteoglycans and hyaluronic acid in nucleus pulpous, restoring shock-absorbing functions of the vertebral-motor segment. Decreased activity and death of chondrocytes in the avascular disc structure is a serious problem for reparative medicine. In accordance with IVD molecular-cellular mechanisms, numerous approaches to treat degenerative disc disease are being developed, each of which, influencing one of the links in the pathogenesis, has a direct or indirect effect on IVD repair.The article describes morphology, pathogenesis and genetics of degenerative disc disease, as well as main modern strategies of biological therapy: tissue engineering, biologically active substances locally used in IVD matrix, including PRP therapy (Platelet Rich Plasma therapy), methods of gene (using the viral vector) and cell therapy, as well as experience in the local use of genetically engineered biological products. Most successful studies are a combination of cell and gene therapy with the use of synthesized matrices.

The aim of the present report is to describe a clinical case of toxocariasis. 37-year-old man was admitted to Pirogov Municipal Clinical Hospital No.1 in Moscow. He was presented with intense generalized abdominal pain. Three months before the described hospitalization, the patient had acute bronchitis, then pneumonia. During the examination there were found hyperthermia, ascites, shortness of breath, sweating, hypereosinophilia. Patient lost 8 kilos over the last 6 months. There were arisen many hypotheses, however, after a more detailed survey about patient's life it turned out that he travelled a lot. So that the parasitosis became the main conjecture, which later was confirmed by serological tests.

Objective: to describe a clinical case of neurosyphilis diagnosed in a therapeutic inpatient facility.Materials and methods. Female patient T., 61, was hospitalized in the therapeutic department of a general hospital with referral diagnosis of “Stage II hypertensive heart disease, risk 4. Hypertensive crisis of 03.12.2015” with complaints of general fatigue, episodes of transient memory loss with full recovery, unstable blood pressure level. The patient was examined: She underwent treponemal and nontreponemal serological tests for antibodies against Treponema рallidum, hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus; electrocardiogram; angiography of carotid and vertebral arteries; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain with contrast; serological and microscopic examinations of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).Results. The patient»s medical history described episodes of transient global amnesia with full memory recovery, more frequent in the last year; arterial hypertension; chronic urinary tract infection; and chronic cholecystitis with frequent courses of antibacterial therapy (ceftriaxone). Since 1986, a positive serological reaction for syphilis was observed (Wassermann reaction (WR) +++) due to a history of primary syphilis. Considering reliable history of syphilis, positive serum confirmation tests for syphilis (nontreponemal: rapid plasma reagin test 3+; treponemal: passive hemagglutination reaction 4+, antibodies against T. pallidum (total) – present), history of neuropsychological symptoms (transient amnesia) and acute neurological symptoms before hospitalization (transient ischemic attack), brain MRI data (2 lesions of cerebral circulation disorders of ischemic type in the cortical branches of left and right mesencephalic arteries), a diagnosis of neurosyphilis was proposed, and lumbar puncture was performed for confirmation. Inflammatory characteristics of the CSF (cytosis 19/3, neutrophilia up to 12 cells, insignificant lymphocytosis up to 7 cells) and positive confirmation serological reactions (nontreponemal test: serum microprecipitation reaction negative, treponemal test: immunoassay: total antibodies – positivity coefficient (PC) 4.3; immunoglobulin G – PC 2.8) were indications for standard therapy for the “neurosyphilis” diagnosis with subsequent serological control of the CSF and serum.Conclusion. The clinical case demonstrates complexity of neurosyphilis diagnosis due to a lack of pronounced clinical manifestations of the disease and advisability of a multidisciplinary approach to treatment of these patients.

To date, cardiovascular diseases occupy the first place in the structure of total morbidity and mortality in many countries. In 2013 in the Russian Federation from cardiovascular disease died 1 million 799 thousand people, from the bottom 529.8 thousand from coronary heart disease, the primary role belongs to myocardial infarction and its complications. Currently, the "gold standard" for the diagnosis of coronary heart disease, including myocardial infarction, remains coronary angiography; the main objectives of coronary angiography are to assess the features of the coronary anatomy, determination of the possibility of endovascular treatment of myocardial infarction and revascularization by stent implantation. Despite the constant improvement of technology and the progress made in relation to pharmacological support, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an invasive manipulation, which is associated with a certain risk. Diagnostic criteria for myocardial infarction 4a type include increasing the level of troponin above 5 rules of 99th the upper threshold reference values within 48 hours after the PCI procedure, in patients with normal troponin increased (≤ 99th the upper threshold reference values), or a level of troponin 20 % or more in patients with initial high level troponin combined with evidence of prolonged myocardial ischemia. Stent when performing percutaneous coronary interventions, accompanied by the activation of thrombogenic reactions, can lead to thrombosis and development 4b type. To the diagnostic signs of the myocardial infarction 4b type are the stent thrombosis, angiographic proven and/or at autopsy, in combination with increased troponin level at least one greater than the 99th the upper threshold reference values. Stent when performing PCI, accompanied by the activation of thrombogenic reactions, can lead to thrombosis and development myocardial infarction 4b type. The diagnostic signs myocardial infarction 4b type are the stent thrombosis, angiographic proven and/or at autopsy, in combination with increased troponin level at least one greater than the 99th the upper threshold reference values. You should consider the fact that the setting of drug-eluting stents increases the period of their endothelization after implantation, which in turn increases the likelihood of late thrombosis and is an indication for long-term dual antiplatelet therapy. The article describes the varieties of myocardial infarction associated with PCI, an algorithm for the diagnosis and management of patients in accordance with current clinical recommendations.

Cardiac surgery is the only radical method of treatment of valvular defects (congenital or acquired): valve preservation procedures or prosthetics operations. 250 000 – 280 000 valve prostheses are implanted every year worldwide, while the number of prosthetic valves operation increases by an average of 5–7 % per year (biological prostheses – 8–11 %, mechanical prostheses – 3–5 %). Selection of biological or mechanical types of prosthesis, its location, the presence of associated risk factors for embolic events, such as atrial fibrillation, previous embolism, left ventricular dysfunction, hypercoagulable states determine patient management tactics. Particularly high risk of prosthetic thrombosis and thromboembolic complications can be seen in case of mechanical prosthesis implantation. Numerous prospective and retrospective clinical studies have proven high effectiveness of anticoagulants for reduction the risk of cardioembolic complications. The degree of anticoagulation (optimal international normalized ratio (INR)) is determined by risk factors for prosthetic thrombosis and thromboembolic complications in a patient, as well as thrombogenicity of the prosthesis by itself; INR may range from 2.5 to 4.0. International recommendations take into account the presence/absence of additional risk factors for thromboembolism, and based on warfarin administration with the achievement of target INR values combined with low-dose aspirin. Administration of novel direct oral anticoagulation remedies in patients with prosthetic heart valves has not been studied sufficiently up to date and is contraindicated. Thus, warfarin currently is a drug of choice for the prevention of thromboembolic complications in patients with prosthetic heart valves.