Abdominal Pain

After a five-year absence, Pittsburgh returned to indoor soccer yesterday.Team president Bernie Mullen said he will head a group known as Pittsburgh Soccer Inc., which has the funds to operate the Major Soccer League expansion team three years.MSL commissioner Earl Foreman said Pittsburgh would play in the Eastern Division, which includes the Baltimore Blast.The Pittsburgh Spirit dropped out of the then-Major Indoor Soccer League in 1986 after seven seasons.Foreman said the Eastern and Western divisions would be re-aligned before next season because of the entry of Pittsburgh and the possible addition of Buffalo for the 1991-92 season.

Appendicitis refers to an acute inflammatory process involving the appendix, which is a small, worm-like appendage of the first part of the colon, writes Dr. Jason Roland, co-director of minimally invasive and laparoscopic surgery at Good Samaritan Hospital. Anyone with an appendix is at risk for developing it. Here's how to spot and treat the condition: •Appendicitis occurs when the single orifice leading into the appendix becomes clogged, either with stool (known as a fecalith)

The following is the text of a letter to parents, dated Friday, April 5, that was sent home with students attending 14 Harford County public schools where a recalled food product, Pepperoni Pizzatas by Rich Products Corp., was served to students earlier in the week: Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s): As a follow-up to the call that was made yesterday evening regarding the food product recall, we wanted to be sure you were aware of the recall details, possible symptoms associated with consumption of contaminated food products and contact information for school system departments that can assist with questions and concerns.

NEW YORK - Obese teenagers who took the weight loss drug orlistat while making lifestyle changes gained less weight over 54 weeks, on average, than a control group of teens who changed behaviors but took a dummy pill, a new study found. Overall, teenagers taking orlistat experienced a reduction in body mass index, a critical measure of whether one's weight falls within a healthy range for one's height, while those in the placebo group saw their BMIs rise. Weight increased by about a pound on orlistat and by almost seven pounds for the placebo group.

Diverticulitis occurs when small, bulging pockets - or diverticula - occur within the colon and become infected. In most cases a slight or micro-perforation occurs. The majority of the time, the healthy body confines the infection to a very small space, and with time and a course of antibiotics, the infection will resolve itself. Dr. John L. Newman, a gastroenterologist with Anne Arundel Gastroenterology Associates, writes about diverticulitis. •Diverticulosis, the presence of the pocket without infection, is very common as we grow older.

Human Genome Sciences made double-barreled announcements yesterday about its protein wound-healer repifermin, saying the treatment showed promise and was "well-tolerated" in Phase II tests on skin-ulcer patients and - separately - that it had been approved for Phase II testing on patients with a painful gastrointestinal disease. Dr. David C. Stump, the company's senior vice president for drug development, called the two developments "great announcements for our product." But the company's shares dropped $9.25, or nearly 11.5 percent, to close at $71.25 on the Nasdaq stock market as the overall market fell.

COLLEGE PARK - Maryland tailback Bruce Perry, last year's Offensive Player of the Year in the Atlantic Coast Conference, will likely return to action tomorrow against Duke. A groin injury has kept him out of the lineup. Terps coach Ralph Friedgen made the announcement last night after the 5-2 team's final full practice before it travels to Durham, N.C. "I don't think he'll probably play a full game," Friedgen said when asked how much Perry would play. "It'll be limited and it will depend a lot on how he does and how the game's going.

WASHINGTON -- Six months after she turned pro, 17-year-old Lindsay Davenport of Palos Verdes, Calif., got a taste of the big leagues here last night.Davenport and her partner, Gabriela Sabatini of Argentina, were out-dueled by Spain's Aranxta Sanchez Vicario and Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-3, before 4,026 fans on the third night of the Elizabeth Arden Women's Tennis Association Challenge at the William H. G. FitzGerald Tennis Center.Lutherville's...

Q : I have suffered from pains all over my body for about thre years. Several doctors who examined me and did numerous tests failed to pinpoint the problem, and my husband thinks I am just neurotic. Several weeks ago I saw an arthritis specialist who made the diagnosis of fibromyalgia. It would help me and my family if you would explain fibromyalgia.A: Fibromyalgia, once called fibrositis, is a common condition that affects women about 10 times more often than men, most often between the ages of 30 and 60. The hallmark of the disorder is chronic pain in the muscles and tendons (fibrous tissues connecting muscles to bones)

Pain is the No. 1 reason people seek medical help. Acute-onset pain suggests a medical emergency and immediate medical assistance is necessary. Chronic pain has a significant impact on human life. According to Dr. Zhaoming Chen, the best way to control chronic pain is a multidisciplinary approach that includes complementary and alternative medicine. Chen, chairman of the American Association of Integrative Medicine and a physician at St. Agnes Hospital, offers several easy ways to help people deal with pain.