Parotid Enlargement as a Rare First Site of Manifestation in Extramedullary Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Case Report.

Parotid neoplasm in children is very rare, and most of these tumors are benign. Parotid enlargement in children is usually caused by infection or inflammation. We report a case of a 12-year-old boy who presented with the initial manifestation of bilateral parotid enlargement.

A Case on Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma With Intraluminal Tracheal Extension: A Malaysian Experience and Literature Review.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is a common malignancy originating from the thyroid gland. In rare cases, it can invade the trachea, resulting in airway obstruction. Subsequent surgical planning may be complicated as the technique selected depends on a case-by-case basis.

Successful Treatment of a Thyroid Abscess in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report.

Thyroid abscess, or acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST), is an exceedingly rare condition, particularly in the pediatric population. It often results from congenital anomalies or is secondary to infections. Despite its rarity, prompt diagnosis and management are crucial to prevent serious complications.

Associations between meteorological variation and hospitalisations for rotavirus infections in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Objectives: Rotavirus (RoV) infections have emerged as a significant public health concern around the world. Understanding the relationship between climatic conditions and hospitalisations due to RoV infections can help engage effective prevention strategies. This study aims to investigate the potential associations between meteorological variability and RoV-related hospitalisations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Disseminated Bisifusarium infection following toxic epidermal necrolysis in a child with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Fusarium is a polyphyletic genus of plant pathogens, members of which can cause opportunistic human infections with varying superficial and systemic presentations, including disseminated infections which typically occur in immunocompromised patients and have a poor prognosis. Treatment is challenging due to intrinsic resistance to many antifungal agents, and antifungal susceptibility testing is therefore essential. Early suspicion, isolation of the organism, and prompt initiation of management are crucial to improving survival.

Skin lesion classification using multi-resolution empirical mode decomposition and local binary pattern.

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in many parts of the world. As skin cancers start as skin lesions, it is important to identify precancerous skin lesions early. In this paper we propose an image based skin lesion identification to classify seven different classes of skin lesions.

Modulation of Memory and Neurochemical Changes by Resveratrol and Environmental Enrichment in Rodent Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia that affects one patient every seven seconds, with over 35 million people currently affected worldwide. The aim of the study was to investigate the modulation of memory and neurochemical responses by resveratrol and environmental enrichment (EE) in aluminium chloride (AlCl3) model of Alzheimer's disease in mice. Male mice used for the study were divided into nine groups, of seven animals each.

Characterizing veteran and PTSD service dog teams: Exploring potential mechanisms of symptom change and canine predictors of efficacy.

Psychiatric service dogs are an emerging complementary intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Initial evidence suggests that partnership with a service dog may be related to less PTSD symptom severity. However, it remains unclear how or why this might occur.

Quantifying the emotional experiences of partners of veterans with PTSD service dogs using ecological momentary assessment.

The objective of this study was to investigate the day-to-day experiences of positive and negative emotions among partners of veterans assigned service dogs for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As part of a larger clinical trial, a total of N = 87 partners of post-9/11 veterans with PTSD were recruited from a nonprofit service dog provider and participated in an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol. The sample included partners of veterans who received a PTSD service dog after baseline (n = 48, treatment group) and partners of veterans on the waitlist for a service dog (n = 39, control group).

Capillaritis as a Skin Manifestation of Hepatosplenic Gamma-Delta T-Cell Lymphoma.

We present the case of a 10-year-old boy who was admitted with 3 months of episodic febrile neutropenia and a new petechial rash. Routine bloods identified neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and a raised alanine aminotransferase. The dermatology team was consulted in light of the symmetrical petechial eruption of the upper torso.

Ultrastructure abnormalities of collagen and elastin in Arab patients with arterial tortuosity syndrome.

Arterial tortuosity syndrome (ATS) is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by elongation and tortuosity of the large- and medium-sized arteries. ATS patients display features that are also found in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) patients. ATS is caused by pathogenic mutations in the SLC2A10 gene, which encodes for the glucose transporter, GLUT10.

Use of Intravenous Pulse Steroids to Treat Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis in a Non-Compliant Asthmatic Adolescent.

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is an immune-mediated inflammatory airway disease that predominantly affects patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and, less commonly, patients with asthma. ABPA can lead to irreversible lung injury and bronchiectasis if not treated early and aggressively. Long-term oral steroids are the standard therapy of ABPA.

'the real black fungus' fungemia in a patient with COVID-19.

The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in India had brought with it a surge of 'black fungus' co-infection, which is a misnomer for mucormycosis. The present case illustrates the 'real black fungus' infection in a 50-year old male patient with COVID-19 pneumonia, who otherwise had no significant previous medical history. He was admitted on day 8 of COVID-19 illness and was intubated due to persistently low oxygen saturation.

Serum Cytokine Profile in Patients with Candidemia versus Bacteremia.

Bloodstream infections constitute a major threat for hospitalized patients in intensive care units and immunocompromised hosts. Certain serum cytokines play a decisive role in anti-microbial host defense. Cytokines may act as discriminatory biomarkers that can significantly increase in candidemia compared to bacteremia patients.

A Systematic Review of Medical Equipment Reliability Assessment in Improving the Quality of Healthcare Services.

Medical equipment highly contributes to the effectiveness of healthcare services quality. Generally, healthcare institutions experience malfunctioning and unavailability of medical equipment that affects the healthcare services delivery to the public. The problems are frequently due to a deficiency in managing and maintaining the medical equipment condition by the responsible party.

Knowledge and perception of treatment among tuberculosis patients attending primary care clinics in Malaysia.

Introduction: Tuberculosis is a disease of public health concern. It can be treated effectively with good knowledge about the disease and complete adherence to the recommended treatment regime. This study is intended to assess the level of knowledge and perception of treatment among tuberculosis patients attending primary care clinics.

Identifying the best predictive diagnostic criteria for psoriasis in children (< 18 years): a UK multicentre case-control diagnostic accuracy study (DIPSOC study).

Background: In children, psoriasis can be challenging to diagnose. Difficulties arise from differences in the clinical presentation compared with adults.

Objectives: To test the diagnostic accuracy of previously agreed consensus criteria and to develop a shortlist of the best predictive diagnostic criteria for childhood psoriasis.

Anakinra for palmoplantar pustulosis: results from a randomized, double-blind, multicentre, two-staged, adaptive placebo-controlled trial (APRICOT).

Background: Palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) is a rare, debilitating, chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects the hands and feet. Clinical, immunological and genetic findings suggest a pathogenic role for interleukin (IL)-1.

Objectives: To determine whether anakinra (an IL-1 receptor antagonist) delivers therapeutic benefit in PPP.

A lesson in clinicopathological correlation: Plaque-like myofibroblastic tumour presenting as a pruritic plaque in childhood.

Plaque-like myofibroblastic tumour (PLMT) is a rare skin condition which presents in childhood and infancy as a nodular fibrous plaque. Including our case, there are currently only 14 cases reported in the literature. Although it represents a well-defined clinicopathological diagnosis, there is significant under-reporting of this condition secondary to under-recognition and potential misdiagnosis as dermatofibroma.

Biomechanical analysis of three different types of fixators for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction via finite element method: a patient-specific study.

Complication rates of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL-R) were reported to be around 15% although it is a common arthroscopic procedure with good outcomes. Breakage and migration of fixators are still possible even months after surgery. A fixator with optimum stability can minimise those two complications.

First report of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator mutation c.1521_1523delCTT (p. Phe508del) in two Qatari patients with cystic fibrosis.

We report two cases of Qatari children with cystic fibrosis (CF) from different families presenting the homozygous CFTR 1521_1523delCTT (p. Phe508del) mutation with classic CF phenotypes. This gene mutation is considered the second CF mutation identified in Qatar.