HIP DISCOMFORT

[Jeanne]

GOOD DAY:

I have been experiencing right hip discomfort for over 1 year.  It began with a pain on my outer hip and thus became difficult to sleep on the affected side.  Oddly enough the pain began when I was on a tapering dose of Methylprednisolone for a virus in my right ear which was diagnosed as sudden sensorneural hearing loss.  An temporal MRI with contrast was done as well. Nothing diagnostic for the hearing loss. My hearing loss has not changed during my 8 month follow up.  I have had an mri w/contrast of the lumbar area which did not reveal any significant abnormality either.  I also had a plain film of the pelvic area which did not reveal anything.  Although through the months the pain has somewhat subsided.  My orthopedist did the basic neurologic exam and deterimined it was bursitis.  Can bursitis be so chronic and could this give you subsequent discomfort in the rear calf as well as the buttock on the same side?  I have no muscle weakness when I work out only that my leg fatigues quicker.  I have normal blood labs. such as cbc, sed rate, glucose.  Anything to offer that may have been overlooked would be appreciated. I am an otherwise healthy 40 year old female.

[CCF Neuro[P] MD RPS]

Dear Jeanne:

Sorry to hear about your hip problem.  Pain in the outer hip can also be from an entrapment syndrome.  It is often seen in overweight people, diabetics, pregnant women, or people who wear either tight clothes or belts. The pain would follow a dermatome of L2-L3.  Bursitis can also cause pain, but would be more generalized in the hip, but I guess could be outer hip but would not follow the above dermatome.  The chronic pain might cause a very mild gait change and thereby involving the knee or calf in your case.  I do not know what might be the cause of your early fatigue with exercise.  Sorry, without being able to see and examine you, my trying to give you help is severely restricted.

CCF Neuro MD

[COMMENT BY JEANNE]

Please forgive my medical terminology but the Mri/with contrast of the head focused on the ears but pictures were obtained of the head as well.  I was seen by neuro-otology.