Repeat serological testing for anti-citrullinated peptide antibody after commencement of therapy is not helpful in patients with seronegative rheumatoid arthritis.

Aim: To Investigate the prevalence of seroconversion to ACPA after commencement of triple disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) treat-to-target therapy.

Background: Anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA) and rheumatoid factor (RF) define 'seropositive' rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Both predict unfavourable disease course, development of extra-articular features and treatment outcomes.

Candida costochondritis associated with recent intravenous drug use.

Candida osteoarticular infections are being reported with increasing frequency, possibly due to an expanding population at risk. However, Candida costochondritis is uncommon. We report two cases of Candida costochondritis in patients who presented with subacute-onset chest wall swelling and whose only identifiable risk factor was a history of recent intravenous drug use.

Severe, Steroid-responsive, Myositis Mimicking Necrotizing Fasciitis following Orthopedic Surgery: A Pyoderma Variant with Myonecrosis.

Postoperative pyoderma gangrenosum is a rare neutrophilic dermatosis that may be confused for necrotizing fasciitis. The inflammatory response is triggered by the trauma of surgery and thus must be managed nonsurgically. Clinical and pathological findings in the 2 diseases can be identical, leading to misdiagnosis and massive surgical defects from the ensuing surgery.

Rapidly growing mycobacteria associated with laparoscopic gastric banding, Australia, 2005-2011.

Laparoscopic gastric banding is a common bariatric procedure worldwide. Rapidly growing mycobacteria are environmental organisms increasingly seen as pathogens,often in infected prosthetic material. We report 18 cases of infection associated with laparoscopic gastric banding caused by Mycobacterium fortuitum and M.

Three cases of presumed pneumocystis pneumonia in patients receiving bortezomib therapy for multiple myeloma.

Introduction: This paper presents three probable cases of pneumocystis pneumonia in patients receiving bortezomib therapy for multiple myeloma.

Presentation Of Cases: Three patients receiving bortezomib therapy for multiple myeloma presented with dyspnoea, non-productive cough, and fevers. These patients deteriorated despite receiving broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy with piperacillin + tazobactam and azithromycin and an assortment of other antimicrobials but promptly responded to sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim therapy.

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in non-HIV-infected patients: new risks and diagnostic tools.

Purpose Of Review: Non-HIV-infected populations are increasingly identified as being at risk for developing Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP). These patients typically present with severe disease and poorly tolerate invasive diagnostic procedures. This review examines recently reported risks for PJP in non-HIV populations and summarizes new diagnostic techniques.

An outbreak of human rhinovirus species C infections in a neonatal intensive care unit.

We describe an outbreak of human rhinovirus type C infection in 7 infants in our neonatal/pediatric intensive care unit. Five infants had clinically significant apneic episodes and 5 required increased oxygen or ventilatory support. Infants shed virus detectable by polymerase chain reaction for a median of 4 weeks.

Oseltamivir resistance in adult oncology and hematology patients infected with pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus, Australia.

We describe laboratory-confirmed influenza A pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in 17 hospitalized recipients of a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) (8 allogeneic) and in 15 patients with malignancy treated at 6 Australian tertiary centers during winter 2009. Ten (31.3%) patients were admitted to intensive care, and 9 of them were HSCT recipients.