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Family Medicine (Expert Forum)
Puzzling atypical cells, night sweats with unexplained bleeding
Answered by
Kevin Pho, MD - Internal Medicine
Kevin Pho, MD
Boston - MA
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Puzzling atypical cells, night sweats with unexplained bleeding
by RockyMountain1, Oct 30, 2005 12:00AM
Hi,
Hoping you can shed a little light on my situation. My health background includes a bilateral mastectomy for widespread DCIS, removal of a 3cm villous adenoma from my colon with 2 other polyps removed in back to back years. Lymph nodes removed from both sides of my inguinal region and cervical region that all contained atypia.
And a small 1cm nodule in my lung that the docs insist is benign. Nothing has been done for that but surveillance CT scans. My current problem is drenching night sweats for over a year duration with speckled blood on my bedsheets in the location of the night sweats. I drench my clothes all the way through to the uppermost layer of bed coverings. The blood is moderate and as I said, drops of blood resembling speckles covering a fairly large area of my bedsheets. What is your feelings and best advice on this? What could it possibly be and what specialist would be the best for me to seek out next? Any advice would be appreciated.
Hoping you can shed a little light on my situation. My health background includes a bilateral mastectomy for widespread DCIS, removal of a 3cm villous adenoma from my colon with 2 other polyps removed in back to back years. Lymph nodes removed from both sides of my inguinal region and cervical region that all contained atypia.
And a small 1cm nodule in my lung that the docs insist is benign. Nothing has been done for that but surveillance CT scans. My current problem is drenching night sweats for over a year duration with speckled blood on my bedsheets in the location of the night sweats. I drench my clothes all the way through to the uppermost layer of bed coverings. The blood is moderate and as I said, drops of blood resembling speckles covering a fairly large area of my bedsheets. What is your feelings and best advice on this? What could it possibly be and what specialist would be the best for me to seek out next? Any advice would be appreciated.
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Pho, MD, Oct 30, 2005 12:00AM
, Oct 30, 2005 12:00AM
There can be several causes of night sweats. This can include malignancy (such as lymphoma and metastases), infections (HIV, tuberculosis etc.), medication side effects, endocrine disorders (i.e. thyroid, carcinoid, or pheochromocytoma), or neurologic disorders.
A reasonable initial workup can include tests for tuberculosis (via a PPD), HIV test, blood count, and blood cultures.
If the tests continue to be non-revaling, you can consider a chest and abdominal CT scan to evaluate for lymphoma.
More specialized testing can include 24-hour urine collection for 5-HIAA, metanephrine, and catecholamines (looking for carcinoid diseases and pheochromocytoma), in addition to a serum FSH measurement if you are a menopausal woman.
These options can be discussed with your personal physician.
Followup with your personal physician is essential.
This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.
Kevin, M.D.
http://www.straightfromthedoc.com
A reasonable initial workup can include tests for tuberculosis (via a PPD), HIV test, blood count, and blood cultures.
If the tests continue to be non-revaling, you can consider a chest and abdominal CT scan to evaluate for lymphoma.
More specialized testing can include 24-hour urine collection for 5-HIAA, metanephrine, and catecholamines (looking for carcinoid diseases and pheochromocytoma), in addition to a serum FSH measurement if you are a menopausal woman.
These options can be discussed with your personal physician.
Followup with your personal physician is essential.
This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.
Kevin, M.D.
http://www.straightfromthedoc.com
