Posts tagged medical condition
Articles and news from the latest research reports.
Cutis Verticis Gyrata
A 21-year-old man presented with scalp changes that had begun 2 years earlier. Physical examination revealed excessive growth of the scalp, with the formation of convoluted folds and furrows in a cerebriform pattern. The patient had intellectual impairment, although he had no symptoms of neurologic or psychiatric disorders. A 4-mm punch-biopsy specimen from the scalp revealed no inflammatory or neoplastic changes. This clinical presentation was consistent with a diagnosis of cutis verticis gyrata, which is an unusual morphologic condition of the scalp characterized by ridges and furrows resembling the brain’s surface. No intervention was attempted because the patient had no associated disorders and the condition did not bother him cosmetically. At the 1-year follow-up, there were no changes in the patient’s presentation.
Using Data to Predict Your Future Health
Have you ever gone on a trip and unexpectedly found yourself in need of medical care? What if your condition could have been predicted? Better yet, what if you already had the medicine needed to treat that condition in your luggage?
The Hierarchical Association Rule Model (HARM), which I co-developed with Tyler McCormick of the University of Washington and David Madigan of Columbia University, can help patients be better prepared by warning them (and their doctors) about the conditions they may likely experience next. The predictive modeling tool checks data about an individual patient against other patients in the database with similar situations to help determine future conditions. It also alerts patients about any higher risks they may have for certain types of conditions.