This book chapter provides an overview of chronic endometritis (CE), a condition which is increasingly recognized as being associated with recurrent implantation failure, recurrent miscarriage, and fetal demise. The diagnosis of CE is challenging due to the presence of various cell types in the endometrial stroma, making the identification of plasma cells essential. The optimal timing and diagnostic evaluation of endometrial biopsy are still being researched, while immunohistological staining may improve the identification of plasma cells. Hysteroscopy and endometrial culture may also aid in diagnosis and guide antibiotic selection. Although antibiotic treatment has shown improved pregnancy outcomes in cases of CE, there is no established ideal regimen. Overall, this chapter provides valuable information on CE and highlights the need for continued research to improve diagnosis and treatment.

Miscarriage is the most common complication of pregnancy and is associated with significant emotional, social and economic impact. The diagnosis of miscarriage is made with transvaginal ultrasound examination following rigid diagnostic criteria which ensures a safe and accurate assessment for all women. This chapter outlines the evolution of national and international guidance on the ultrasound diagnosis of miscarriage highlighting when and why changes in practice have occurred. Diagnostic criteria are illustrated with ultrasound images and practical guidance is offered through inclusion of an annotated flowchart incorporating the most up to date evidence to protect women from the risk of inappropriate intervention. Once the diagnosis of miscarriage is made options for treatment include expectant, medical and surgical management. The chapter outlines fundamental information to discuss with women to facilitate informed decision making and provides guidance on the practical aspects of management of miscarriage.

This chapter explores the experience of receiving a diagnosis (or reaching a point of self-diagnosis) and how this diagnosis impacted the participants and their self-identity. It examines the extent to which they have developed (or are developing) a positive autistic identity, and the terminology they use to describe themselves and their diagnosis.

The term “acute leukemia” actually covers a large number of different diseases. This is mostly related to the lineage involved, yet, even in a single lineage, differences exist according to the differentiation stage where maturation blockade occurred or to the type of chromosomal/molecular anomalies associated with the disease. This chapter provides a guide of how immunophenotypic anomalies, typically identified very early in the diagnosis process, can orient further cytogenetic or molecular investigations, allowing for a faster integrated diagnosis and better focused patient management.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by the American Psychiatric Association as persistent deficits in social communication and interactions and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. There are many potential etiological causes for ASD. In the United States, the combined prevalence of ASD per 1,000 children was 23 in 2018. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends screening specifically for ASD during regular doctor visits at 18 and 24 months to ensure systematic monitoring for early signs of ASD. Most reported concerns from parents relate to abnormal childhood developmental trajectory and history of unusual behaviors, with variability in ages when features suggestive of ASD are most noticeable. Behavioral interventions for ASD focus on minimizing the effects of developmental delays and maximizing speech/language, motor, social-emotional, and cognitive skills. Medications can be used to target comorbid conditions or problematic behaviors that interfere with progress or pose safety concerns. The financial burden on families of children with ASD is correlated with the existing societal financial safety net. Poorer outcomes are expected when the family carries a substantial share of the cost to support the development of children with ASD, especially in lower-income households.

The diagnostic process is a crucial aspect of medical practice. Psychiatric diagnosis involves information gathering, mental state assessment, hypothesis integration with laboratory or imaging when needed, and data interpretation. Clinical reasoning operates through two systems: System 1, characterized by intuitive pattern recognition; and System 2, which employs meticulous critical thinking. These systems complement each other, with System 1 being faster but riskier while System 2 offers a more planned approach. Today, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) are the two primary diagnostic manuals. Despite their imperfections and reliance on symptom descriptions, the DSM and ICD remain indispensable tools in psychiatry for communication, research, and clinical decision-making.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is one of the most important and potentially incapacitating mental disorders, typically characterized by the alternation of depressive symptoms with periods of elevated mood, called manic or hypomanic episodes. The present chapter provides an overview of the main aspect of this psychiatric condition, including its clinical presentation, diagnosis, pathophysiology, and therapeutic aspects. While the diagnosis and management of BD can be challenging, ongoing research has led to considerable advances in its understanding. It is expected that those advances will bring about improvements in the identification and treatment of this mental illness.

Early encounters with patients provide a valuable opportunity to understand their presenting complaints and needs. In order to do this effectively, it is important to have a structured approach to evaluating their symptoms. Using a step-by-step approach, this chapter instructs you how to understand a patient’s initial presenting complaints and assess their needs in an initial assessment. This includes setting the scene with the patient, evaluating their insomnia using a structured sleep interview, and using observation to obtain helpful and pertinent clinical information in collaboration with your patient.

this chapter reads Romeo and Juliet in the context of early modern medical communities in which people of all social groups worked together, for better or ill, to diagnose the diseases of the young. It reads the play’s interest in plants and medicines, in the illnesses of childrne (especially greensickness) and argues that narrative structure of Romeo and Juliet enacts for the audience similar communal diagnostic processes as those used outside the theatre.

This chapter explores how differing expectations and experiences manifest in diagnostic interactions in the memory clinic. We do this by microanalysing communication in dementia diagnosis feedback meetings, focusing on instances of misalignment between doctors and the person living with dementia. We examine three videos from a dataset of 101 recordings from two areas in the UK, collected as part of the ShareD study. We present different interactional contexts where the person receiving a dementia diagnosis choose to align or misalign with the doctors’ interactional projects of diagnosis delivery, prescribing medication and recommending support. Examination of these instances suggests that misalignment between the assessment of symptoms may, at least in part, reflect interactional facework in the face of dementia as a challenge to self-identity.