These are two short letters titled back mouse published in The Journal of Family Practice in 1993, in response to the article of Peter Curtis “In the search of ‘Back Mouse'”.
“Back mouse”
Fischer PM
Fam Pract. 1993 Oct;37(4):328. PubMed PMID: 8280252.
These is a short letter titled Back Mouse.
Paul M. Fisher, MD, signs as the editor of The Journal of Family Practice in Augusta, Georgia.
He starts mentioning that Peter Curtis was his old mentor and an iconoclast. When he received the paper of Curtis –In the Search of “Back Mouse”– he was not surprised.
Fisher mentions that the fibrous nodules in patients with back pain are frequently ignored. He thought that it would be a RARE case, since he had never heard about them.
The same day he was writing the letter he visited a 70-year-old man, with several previous episodes of back pain. He had past diagnoses of “lumbar disc” and “back strain”.
Each recurrent episode of back pain had been precipitating by BENDING and it did last several days. The current episode was lasting for 2 days.
Because he received Peter’s paper, he checked the man for a back mouse. He found a 5-cm subcutaneous mass in the lumbar region.
He realized that he had palpated mice many times and assumed that they were muscles in spasm.
He followed Peter’s advice; he did multiple needle sticking with one injection with lidocaine.
The patient had instantaneous relief and he jumped off the table pain-free.
“He finishes the letter saying: Thank you, Dr. Curtis.”
In the same page there is a letter to the editor.
Roy G. Gravesen, MD from Johns Hopkins Health System in Baltimore, Maryland, signs it.
He starts saying that he is pleased to have seen the article about “the back mouse” from Peter Curtis in June’s issue.
He states that he has found that these nodules are a relatively frequent cause of low back pain over his 38 years as family physician. But he has just seen ONE ARTICLE during this time.
He comments that many times the patient has been seen for chronic low back pain over many months or years by others physicians, including orthopaedists, without resolution of the problem. THUS, HE BECAME THE “HERO” in many cases!
His technique is to inject lidocaine and corticosteriod directly into the nodule by MULTIPLE NEEDLE PUNCTURES.
Published in June 2018 By Marta Cañis Parera 
