Season 5
Episode 21 - Saviors
Brief Plot Summary
Doug is admitted when he collapses at an activist rally. He has balance and motion problems along with chronic hiccups. They do a lumbar puncture to test for MS. They find neck spasms from an air leak between his lungs suggesting it's not MS. When he starts screaming in pain, they do an x-ray to find a fracture in his femur. He starts bleeding out internally and needs transfusion. House wants to do total body radiation but Taub suggests giving insulin-like growth factor to grow the tumor in order to find the cancer. He then goes into v-fib. House realizes he has sporotrichosis, an infection from rose thorns. It first infected his brain to cause his imbalance, then his frenic nerve, causing hiccups, and then to the rest of his body following the steroids which suppressed his immune system.
Doug is admitted when he collapses at an activist rally. He has balance and motion problems along with chronic hiccups. They do a lumbar puncture to test for MS. They find neck spasms from an air leak between his lungs suggesting it's not MS. When he starts screaming in pain, they do an x-ray to find a fracture in his femur. He starts bleeding out internally and needs transfusion. House wants to do total body radiation but Taub suggests giving insulin-like growth factor to grow the tumor in order to find the cancer. He then goes into v-fib. House realizes he has sporotrichosis, an infection from rose thorns. It first infected his brain to cause his imbalance, then his frenic nerve, causing hiccups, and then to the rest of his body following the steroids which suppressed his immune system.
Diagnosed Disease: Sporotrichosis - Fungal infection contracted from rose bushes
SymptomsSkin legions, nodules, lymph node inflammation, pulmonary fibrosis, coughing, pneumonia, late-stage infection spreads to joints and bone causing osteomyelitis, also spreads to CNS causing neurological symptoms
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CausesInfection from a rose bush or infection animal.
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TestsThe fungus must be cultured from blood or lumbar puncture to confirm the disease.
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Treatment/CureAntifungal medications are given and surgery may be required to heal the bone infection if any.
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Episode 22 - House Divided
Brief Plot Summary
A Seth collapses during a wrestling match after "hearing" an explosion, since he is deaf since the age of four. While doing a seizure test, he loses vision in one eye. He then has onset of neuropathy. House thinks it could be a tumor and does a brain biopsy. He now has a fever. They find an arrhythmia in the heart. House believes it could be multiple sclerosis and they start him on interferon. Seth now has lung failure. Because he used to chew tobacco, his immune system was suppressed and not chewing kicked the underlying condition of sarcoidosis into hyper-drive. Meanwhile, House has begun hallucinating Amber as his subconscious.
A Seth collapses during a wrestling match after "hearing" an explosion, since he is deaf since the age of four. While doing a seizure test, he loses vision in one eye. He then has onset of neuropathy. House thinks it could be a tumor and does a brain biopsy. He now has a fever. They find an arrhythmia in the heart. House believes it could be multiple sclerosis and they start him on interferon. Seth now has lung failure. Because he used to chew tobacco, his immune system was suppressed and not chewing kicked the underlying condition of sarcoidosis into hyper-drive. Meanwhile, House has begun hallucinating Amber as his subconscious.
Diagnosed Disease: Sarcoidosis - Autoimmune condition in which immune cells clump together as granulomas and nodules in all organs of the body, causing system-wide inflammation and dysfunction.
SymptomsAlmost all patient experience lung problems but the disease can affect any organ system. More detailed symptom list here.
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CausesNo known cause, but a cumulation of environmental and genetic factors.
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TestsNo specific test exists to diagnose sarcoidosis; other possible diseases must be ruled out first through various other tests. Nevertheless, granulomas and nodules in the lungs and other organs may indicate its onset.
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Treatment/CureThere is no cure and treatment consists of managing symptoms and inflammation. NSAIDs are useful in early stages while steroids are used as more aggressive option.
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Source Links: Wiki
Episode 23 - Under My Skin
Brief Plot Summary
A House is put Penelope's case who's lungs collapsed during ballerina practice and continue collapsing. While testing her lungs, her skin begins peeling and necrotising. Toxic epidermal necrolysis onset occurs in reaction to the antibiotics they gave her for pneumonia. Liver biopsy caused irregular tachycardia. They MRI her heart and see a shadow, which House believes could be gonorrhea and thus not show in blood tests. Testing her boyfriend confirms the diagnosis. The patient becomes septic and they attempt to give her dopamine, a vasoconstrictor to prevent further blood loss. Although they are able to get the abscess out, her hands and feet become gangrenous. The team devises a way to vasodilate the arteries in her hands and feet and restore blood flow. Meanwhile, House has ruled out all other possibilities for his hallucination and begins vicodin detox and is cured of his hallucination.
A House is put Penelope's case who's lungs collapsed during ballerina practice and continue collapsing. While testing her lungs, her skin begins peeling and necrotising. Toxic epidermal necrolysis onset occurs in reaction to the antibiotics they gave her for pneumonia. Liver biopsy caused irregular tachycardia. They MRI her heart and see a shadow, which House believes could be gonorrhea and thus not show in blood tests. Testing her boyfriend confirms the diagnosis. The patient becomes septic and they attempt to give her dopamine, a vasoconstrictor to prevent further blood loss. Although they are able to get the abscess out, her hands and feet become gangrenous. The team devises a way to vasodilate the arteries in her hands and feet and restore blood flow. Meanwhile, House has ruled out all other possibilities for his hallucination and begins vicodin detox and is cured of his hallucination.
Diagnosed Disease: Gonorrhea - An STD caused by bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
SymptomsCauses burning with urination and penile discharge in men, while women may be asymptomatic or have lower abdominal pain, vaginal discharge, or pain during intercourse. If left untreated, the bacteria can spread to the joints and heart.
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CausesContracted through sexual intercourse from bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.
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TestsBacterial culture and gram staining can identify the bacteria or newer PCR techniques.
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Treatment/CureA course of antibiotics are given to help eradicate the disease within a few weeks.
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Episode 24 - Both Sides Now
Brief Plot Summary
Scott is admitted after starting to bleed from his eye in a restaurant. He had corpus callosotomy to help his epilepsy, cutting off his brain hemispheres from each, leading to two different personalities causing some movements he is not consciously aware of. He has what is called alien hand syndrome. They try to do some neurologic tests and his liver begins failing. When he coughs blood during the liver biopsy, sarcoidosis is ruled out. House thinks it could be pancreatic cancer but MRI reveals no masses. During surgery to look for pancreatic cancer, House realizes he has intermittent arrhythmia which sends out clots to different parts of his body. Scotts girlfriend realizes that his left hand didn't like the deodorant she brought him; the deodorant is what his body is having a reaction to. Meanwhile, House realizes his detox incident was all really a hallucination and Wilson takes him to a rehab facility.
Scott is admitted after starting to bleed from his eye in a restaurant. He had corpus callosotomy to help his epilepsy, cutting off his brain hemispheres from each, leading to two different personalities causing some movements he is not consciously aware of. He has what is called alien hand syndrome. They try to do some neurologic tests and his liver begins failing. When he coughs blood during the liver biopsy, sarcoidosis is ruled out. House thinks it could be pancreatic cancer but MRI reveals no masses. During surgery to look for pancreatic cancer, House realizes he has intermittent arrhythmia which sends out clots to different parts of his body. Scotts girlfriend realizes that his left hand didn't like the deodorant she brought him; the deodorant is what his body is having a reaction to. Meanwhile, House realizes his detox incident was all really a hallucination and Wilson takes him to a rehab facility.
