Undoubtedly the practice of palliative care has radically changed and continues to be influenced by the development and use of new, biological agents in cancer. Medscape has surveyed health care professional for their views on the top 5 advances in Oncology in the last 50 years. Can you guess? Do you agree with their choices? The below is taken from http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/831867?nlid=65887_2201
It’s always a great pleasure to learn a new word and I had such a pleasure this week with “analgesia dolorosa”. In fact, two new terms as it’s also known as analgesia algera.
A pain specialist colleague (thanks C) used the term in reference to a patient who had presented with chest wall numbness and such severe nipple pain on light touch that he has difficulty wearing shirts. He went on to be diagnosed with a metastatic malignancy infitrating his thoracic vertebrae.
So, analgesia dolorosa is different from hyperalgesia which is an increased pain sensation from a normally painful stimulus, and I guess a variation on allodynia which is pain from a normally non painful stimulus.
Drop it in to a ward round near you and amaze your colleagues!
Sonia
palliverse.com 