Australasian Medical Journal
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A case of conjunctival malignant melanoma with local recurrence
Get PDFMalignant melanoma of the conjunctiva is a rare tumour of middle and old age. It is seen predominantly in whites, and is rare in those of pigmented ethnicity. Its clinical presentation varies, and making a clinical diagnosis may be difficult. The tumour is potentially fatal and displays a high rate of recurrence, which can be attributed to delay in diagnosis, as well as inadequate surgical approach. The literature on this melanoma is scanty, even in the West, particularly regarding the precise surgical technique. We report a case of malignant melanoma of the conjunctiva which showed a local recurrence one year after the primary surgery. However, there was no evidence of distant metastasis on either occasion. This case highlights the need for care in making a diagnosis, meticulous attention to the surgical technique, and careful follow-up to detect further disease activity
Difficulties in diagnosing tuberculosis of the cervix in a post menopausal woman: case report and literature review.
Get PDFTuberculosis (TB) of the cervix is a rare disease, especially in developed countries. We presented a patient with primary TB of the cervix with no concurrent immune deficiency or HIV infections. The case clinically mimicked carcinoma of the cervix. Difficulties in diagnosis have been discussed. Given the recent increase in migration patterns including travel from TB endemic areas, an abnormal-looking cervix should be regarded with a degree of suspicion for TB
Classification of Cancer-related Death Certificates using Machine Learning
Get PDFBackgroundCancer monitoring and prevention relies on the critical aspect of timely notification of cancer cases. However, the abstraction and classification of cancer from the free-text of pathology reports and other relevant documents, such as death certificates, exist as complex and time-consuming activities.AimsIn this paper, approaches for the automatic detection of notifiable cancer cases as the cause of death from free-text death certificates supplied to Cancer Registries are investigated.Method A number of machine learning classifiers were studied. Features were extracted using natural language techniques and the Medtex toolkit. The numerous features encompassed stemmed words, bi-grams, and concepts from the SNOMED CT medical terminology. The baseline consisted of a keyword spotter using keywords extracted from the long description of ICD-10 cancer related codes.ResultsDeath certificates with notifiable cancer listed as the cause of death can be effectively identified with the methods studied in this paper. A Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier achieved best performance with an overall F-measure of 0.9866 when evaluated on a set of 5,000 free-text death certificates using the token stem feature set. The SNOMED CT concept plus token stem feature set reached the lowest variance (0.0032) and false negative rate (0.0297) while achieving an F-measure of 0.9864. The SVM classifier accounts for the first 18 of the top 40 evaluated runs, and entails the most robust classifier with a variance of 0.001141, half the variance of the other classifiers.ConclusionThe selection of features significantly produced the most influences on the performance of the classifiers, although the type of classifier employed also affects performance. In contrast, the feature weighting schema created a negligible effect on performance. Specifically, it is found that stemmed tokens with or without SNOMED CT concepts create the most effective feature when combined with an SVM classifi
Interactive CaringTV® supporting elderly living at home
Get PDFBackgroundInteractive CaringTV® is a Finnish innovation that was developed by Laurea University of Applied Sciences in 2006. CaringTV was developed through action research during three research projects. The aim of interactive CaringTV is to support the health and well-being of elderly people living in their own homes. Method The Safe Home project was based on action research, user-driven methods, and a case study. User-driven methods were applied in planning, implementing and evaluating the programme and eServices e.g. testing and evaluating peer support, including eConsultation as the methods for supporting clients´ coping with life in their own homes. Cost-effectiveness and process modelling were studied through the case study. ResultsThe user-driven approach and the collected data formed the basis for the interactive programme. The online CaringTV programme included content to: support everyday life for the elderly, safety, and activities of daily living, support social relationships, participate in rehabilitation and physical exercises, manage self-care, and health issues. Active participation in the CaringTV programme provided functional ability and everyday coping as well as a meaningful activity in everyday life.ConclusionCaringTV is an interactive platform to support elderly in their everyday life and help them cope at home. User-driven methods enable participants´ active involvement in planning interactive and online programmes and eServices via CaringTV. The ultimate goal of the CaringTV is to support elderly´s health, wellbeing and interaction. CaringTV empowers elderly people to take responsibility for their own health care as part of healthy ageing
Clinical profile and visual outcome of ocular injuries in a rural area of western India
Get PDFBackgroundOcular trauma is a major cause of visual impairment and morbidity worldwide.AimsTo identify the various type of ocular injury in a rural area, determine the presence of any associated visual damage and assess the final visual outcome after treatment.MethodHospital-based, prospective study conducted over a period of two years. A total of 60 patients of ocular trauma were included.ResultsOcular injuries were more commonly seen in adult (55 per cent) patients who were associated with agricultural work (43.33 per cent). They were more common in male patients (71.67 per cent). Closed globe injury (68.33 per cent) was more common than open globe injury (31.67 per cent). Both in open and closed globe injuries, the commonest object causing injury was a wooden stick. Just 26.7 per cent of the patients had a visual acuity better than 6/60 at presentation; while after completed treatment at two months follow-up, 68.3 per cent had best corrected visual acuity better than 6/60.ConclusionAgricultural trauma is an important cause of monocular blindness in rural India. The visual outcome depends upon the site and size of the injury and the extent of the ocular damage
Unusual complication of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in a five year old child
Get PDFMycoplasma pneumoniae is common agent causing community acquired pneumonia in children. However, the course of illness is usually benign and is rarely associated with pulmonary complications. We report a five-year-old child with massive pleural effusion and empyema secondary to Mycoplasma pneumonia infection. This potential yet rare source of infection should be considered in young patients where resolution of symptoms from pneumonia is delayed
Suprapubic Cartilaginous Cyst- A Case report
Get PDFSuprapubic cartilaginous cyst (SPCC) is a rare condition known to occur in postmenopausal multiparous women. It is due to the degeneration of the pubic symphysis. Due to its slow progression and rarity in occurrence, it is often misdiagnosed. Presentation includes a painless mass in the suprapubic region, urinary retention, recurrent urinary tract infections, dysuria and dyspareunia. Knowledge of this condition is of great importance, as this is a benign condition that is managed conservatively, thereby avoiding unnecessary procedures. Surgical resection has not shown to have any additional benefit. Once suspected, MRI is ideal for diagnosis. This case report discusses a SPCC with punctuate calcifications and a locule of gas within it. This is the first documented case of a SPCC with punctuate calcifications
Acute Bacterial Meningitis in an infant- A rare cause
No full textWe report a case of Salmonella paratyphi B meningitis in a 90 day-old male infant who was admitted with complaints of fever, vomiting and one episode of vacant stare. Clinically, the infant was found to be toxic and dull with a bulging anterior fontanelle. Subsequently, blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures demonstrated the presence of Salmonella Paratyphi B organism