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TV Checkup

We're obsessed with television. As employees of America's number one health site, we often find ourselves questioning the medicine behind our favorite medical TV shows. Do the docs on ER and House really know their stuff? And just how common is that rare disease on last night's Grey's Anatomy?

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WebMD Health News

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

HOUSE: Unexpected Droop
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Ptosis is a funny word. It has Greek origins so the 'p' is silent (say TOE-SISS). Same goes for the pterygium (a noncancerous eyeball growth) and the prehistoric pterodactyl.

As an ophthalmologist, when I hear about someone with 'ptosis' I presume they are talking about 'blepharoptosis', a droopy eyelid. Episode 82 of House, "Don't Ever Change" is all about a different kind of droop.

Former rock producer Roz Viner collapses from a fall during her Jewish wedding and breaks her leg. She demonstrates multiple paradoxical states such as pain in her noninjured leg and hypothermia when occupying a heated chamber. She repeatedly crashes and requires multiple different resuscitations - all of them timed to occur immediately before the next 4:00 minute block of commercials. Oy vey!

It seemed like this House offered disproportionately more nonmedical theatrics than typical episodes. The return of former applicant (cutthroat) Amber was an unexpected twist. Maybe one of my favorite fellowship candidates, the old nonphysician Henry Dobson, will enjoy a reprise! As earlier readers have commented, "Relax, it's just a fictional story!" They're right.

Things continue to deteriorate for Roz: bloody urine, rigid abdomen, unstable vital signs. Roz and her new husband observe their first Shabbat together but it won't be their last. Without explanation House performs a simple physical exam technique to divine the diagnosis. When hand pressure applied to the flank is released Roz again heads for the floor. Eureka!

House announces that all of Roz's problems are attributable to a droopy kidney, something called nephroptosis. The kidney was injured during the hora, the elevated chair dance that was performed after the wedding ceremony. The dislodged kidney (and neighboring adrenal gland) were responsible for the entire constellation of problems. Surgery can reposition the wandering organ.

It's good to know that your organs are not firmly anchored; they all have a little 'play' in them. The kidneys can travel an inch or so when rising to a standing position. Same applies to the spleen, the heart, even your eyeballs. Some flexibility is good for everyone.

Speaking of flexibility, are we to believe dancing the hora could dislodge a woman's kidney? "Relax, it's a fictional story!"

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Posted by: Dr. Lloyd at 2/06/2008 12:43:00 PM

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