Melanoma - goes where it wants and does what it pleases. A case report of primary gastric melanoma.

Melanoma is a common global cancer, however, extracutaneous forms are most often from metastasis. Primary extracutaneous forms are rare, with primary gastric melanoma exceedingly so, with approximately only 50 cases reported worldwide in the literature. The mainstay of management is surgical resection with minimal data on adjuvant therapy.

Increased recognition of Q fever aortitis as a chronic manifestation of Q fever in tropical North Queensland, Australia.

Aortitis is a life-threatening, manifestation of chronic Q fever. We report a series of 5 patients with Q fever aortitis who have presented to our hospital in tropical Australia since 2019. All diagnoses were confirmed with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing of aortic tissue.

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in a young child.

A girl in her early childhood presented to a regional otolaryngology outpatient clinic with classic signs of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). She reported episodic dizziness when rolling in a supine position. She did not convey any other associated audiovestibular symptoms.

Overview of stab injuries in Far North Queensland: A new insight into the demographics, injury patterns and management.

Background: Cairns Hospital is the northernmost tertiary referral hospital in Far North Queensland (FNQ) and manages trauma from a large catchment area. A large burden of stab injuries occurs in at-risk patient groups, such as Indigenous and mental health patients, in this region. This research aims to present an overview of the demographics, injury patterns, management and outcomes for stabbings injuries in FNQ.

The impact of acute surgical unit rostering on National Emergency Access Targets during the COVID-19 pandemic: a single hospital experience.

Background: Surgical departments have been dramatically impacted by the novel coronavirus 19 (COVID-19) pandemic, with the cancellation of elective cases and changes to the provision of emergency surgical care. The aim of this study was to determine whether structural changes made within our facility's surgical department during COVID-19 altered National Emergency Access Target (NEAT) times and impacted on patient outcomes.

Methods: Emergency surgical cases over a 4-month time period were retrospectively collected and statistically analysed, divided into pre- and mid-COVID-19 pandemic.

Fistulating diverticular disease masquerading as a peri-anal abscess: a laparoscopic approach to management.

We present a rare case of complicated sigmoid diverticulitis presenting as a peri-anal abscess from an extra-sphincteric fistulous tract. This presentation of a colocutaneous peri-anal abscess is extremely rare, with only a handful of cases described in the literature. Most are managed with an open sigmoid colectomy, however, this case was successfully managed laparoscopically.

Hot tub lung machine.

Hot tub lung (HTL) is a pulmonary disease where a hypersensitivity pneumonitis is caused by exposure and inhalation of aerosolized non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) traditionally from hot water steam. HTL can affect both immunocompromised and healthy individuals, and diagnosis is dependent on high clinical suspicion in conjunction with high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and microbiological evidence. We present, to our knowledge, the only case of HTL occurring from an indoor swimming pool affecting five members of a family, in which one member was not a resident of the household.

A systematic review of cytokines in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis/systemic exertion intolerance disease (CFS/ME/SEID).

Background: Cytokines in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (CFS/ME/SEID) patients compared with healthy controls have been extensively studied. However, the evidence regarding whether a baseline difference between CFS/ME/SEID patients and the normal population remains unclear. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature regarding cytokines in CFS/ME/SEID and whether there is a significant difference in cytokine levels between this patient group and the normal population.

Polyarteritis nodosa presenting atypically as appendicitis and pyelonephritis in a single patient.

A 17-year-old man presented to the emergency department 10 days postlaparoscopic appendicectomy with ongoing lower abdominal pain. The pain was associated with fevers, chills, sweating and constipation. There were no other associated symptoms.

A Systematic Review of Probiotic Interventions for Gastrointestinal Symptoms and Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and irritable bowel (IB) symptoms have been associated with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of these symptoms in CFS/ME, along with any evidence for probiotics as treatment. Pubmed, Scopus, Medline (EBSCOHost) and EMBASE databases were searched to source relevant studies for CFS/ME.