DEAR DR. GOTT: I was diagnosed with retroperitoneal fibrosis (Ormond’s disease) following a CT scan. My family doctor has never had a patient with this condition in all of his 35 years. Can and will you comment, please?
DEAR READER: I can believe your doctor hasn’t seen a patient with the condition. Neither have I, but then I’ve only been practicing for 40 years!
This rare disorder may be due to an unknown cause or secondary to a number of causes, including radiation therapy, cancer, infections and drugs, or this may have been triggered by the long-term use of medications such as methysergide, beta-blockers, bromocriptine, methyldopa and some analgesias. [Read more...]