Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Y Y Ong.
Clear cell carcinoma of the lung is a rare entity. We report the first case seen locally. The patient is symptomatic, presenting with a large pulmonary tumour. Histologically, there were clusters of large tumour cells with ample clear cytoplasm and absence of mucin, glandular and squamous differentiation. Urine analysis, blood carcinoembryonic antigen level and abdominal CT scan were normal.
To ascertain the profile of medical intensive care unit (MICU) utilization in the Singapore General Hospital, a prospective survey studying 162 consecutive patients admitted to MICU was conducted over a four-month-period spanning September through December 1990. While there was no racial predilection, male admissions (n = 98) outnumbered female (n = 64) by a ratio of 3:2. Male admissions averaged 56.7 +/- 1.9 years (mean +/- SEM) vs 56.4 +/- 2.69 years in female (p = 0.98). Sepsis comprised 25.3% (n = 41) of admissions during this period of which chest infection (n = 26) made up 63%. The superinfection rate was 3% comprising colonization of endotracheal and peritoneal dialysis tubes by Candida and Acinetobacter. There was a surprisingly high number of culture negative infections. These amounted to 43.9% (n = 18) out of 41 admissions for sepsis as the primary indication and 57.1% of admissions in which sepsis was an accompaniment of the main indication. The mean duration of ICU stay was 7.17 +/- 1.5 days for sepsis vs 4.7 +/- 0.5 days for admissions other than sepsis. Although this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.79) it corroborates the prevalent impression that patients with sepsis tend to require longer intensive care. The overall mortality was 37% (n = 60). The mortality for septic patients (42.5%) is alarmingly high. This contrasts with a mortality rate of 34.7% for non-septic patients. The issue of culture negative sepsis needs to be addressed. As it stands, septic patients stay longer than non-septic ones.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cough is a recognised side effect of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors although its exact mechanism is still unknown. Reports on the side effect of ACE inhibitors on asthma have been conflicting. These drugs either had no effect on bronchial reactivity or resulted in an increase in pre-existing hyperreactivity. We report a case of a non-asthmatic patient who had lisinopril-induced cough and bronchial hyperreactivity.
Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is a relatively rare disease. Its etiology is unknown but it has been found associated with various opportunistic infections as well as immunological conditions. The clinical and radiological features may be indistinguishable from other respiratory disorders and diagnosis is often dependent on histology. Its course can vary from progressive deterioration to spontaneous improvement and treatment with bronchopulmonary lavage may not always be necessary. Many theories regarding pathogenesis have been put forward and most of these centre upon the roles of alveolar macrophages. We describe a case of Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis in a local Oriental male and reviewed the current understanding of its pathogenesis.
We report a case of ectopic ACTH syndrome in a 50-year old woman with small cell carcinoma of the lung. Ectopic ACTH syndrome from small cell carcinoma often presents with hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis and muscle wasting. This patient presented with Cushingnoid features which is unusual in such cases.
There has been an increased incidence of melioidosis in Singapore. The disease affects mainly males, older patients and a disproportionately higher number of Indians and Malays. Possible predisposing illness include diabetes mellitus. Most patients are bacteraemic. Mortality rate is 72% for bacteraemic patients, as compared to 32% for non-bacteraemic patients. Local strains of Pseudomonas pseudomallei have been consistently sensitive to ceftazidime, chloramphenicol and piperacillin, and nearly always sensitive to tetracycline.
Aplastic anaemia is a rare complication of Acute Viral Hepatitis. This complication occurs during the resolving phase of the hepatitis or can be delayed as long as six months after resolution. Most cases reported were associated with Non A and Non B hepatitis. We report a case associated with Acute Hepatitis B. The onset of aplasia during the acute phase of hepatitis, and patient's subsequent progression to fulminant hepatitis were the interesting features of this case.
Cutaneous and oral mucosal metastases from gastric carcinoma are very uncommon. It is even more uncommon and unusual to have a patient with gastric carcinoma whose mode of presentation is that of "skin nodule" (cutaneous metastases). We report one such patient, who was first seen in a skin clinic, then in a dental clinic, and finally was referred to a medical clinic. Current literature on cutaneous metastases of gastric carcinoma is reviewed in this case report.
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) is a rare cholestatic condition seen locally. Its etiology is unknown and it is commonly associated with ulcerative colitis, another rare condition seen locally. In this report, 2 patients with PSC, both Indian males, had ulcerative colitis and in one PSC was diagnosed some 15 years later. An interesting feature common to both patients was that of intra-hepatic ductal involvement. Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram (PTC) and Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatogram (ERCP) showed characteristic stricturing and beading of the intra-hepatic ducts.
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Eight cases of abdominal tuberculosis from the Department of Medicine, Singapore General Hospital are reported to illustrate the varied clinical manifestations of the disease. Presentation ranged from asymptomatic hepatomegaly to acute abdomen (intestinal obstruction/perforation). Chronic non-specific symptomatology (fever, weight loss, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, jaundice) was commonest. There were three patients with hepatic tuberculosis, two with tuberculous mesenteric lymphadenitis and three with intestinal tuberculosis, two of whom had concomitant tuberculous peritonitis. Only three patients had coexisting pulmonary tuberculosis. The diagnosis was unsuspected at presentation in four patients. Initial provisional diagnoses included typhoid, abdominal lymphoma, hepatic malignancy, chronic hepatitis and iatrogenic gut perforation. All patients responded totally to conventional antituberculous therapy.
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Hepatocellular carcinoma afflicts mainly Chinese Singaporeans 75/77 (97.4%), of which 71/77 (92.2%) of the patients are males. It is rare below the 3rd decade of life (1.3%), with the peak incidence occurring in the 5th to 7th decade of life (68.5%). Common presenting features are hepatomegaly (85.7%), jaundice (63.6%), and right hypochondrial pain (51.9%). Liver function tests were abnormal in 98.7%. Alpha-foetoprotein were positive in 61/77 (79.2%) of patients. Hepatitis B surface Antigen were positive in 43.75 (57.3%) of patients. Radiology and ultrasound studies demonstrated that 70.1% had lesions involving both lobes at diagnosis. Only 4/77 (5.1%) had surgical resections of the tumour. 50/65 (76.9%) died within six months of diagnosis, 11/65 (16.9%) survived for one year, 1/65 (1.5%) for 1 1/2 years, 1.65 (1.5%) for 2 years and 2/65 (3.0%) for more than 2 1/2 years; the longest survivor is still alive, at 4 1/2 years after diagnosis.
Fifty consecutive patients (32 males and 18 females) with cholestatic jaundice were examined by grey-scale ultrasound from June 1981 to June 1983. All patients were studied without access to case notes. All patients had a diagnosis established by subsequent liver biopsy, clinical course, surgery or autopsy. Using the presence or absence of a dilated biliary system as the criterion, intrahepatic or extrahepatic cholestasis was correctly differentiated in 48 of the 50 patients, giving an overall accuracy of 96%. All 16 patients with intrahepatic cholestasis were correctly identified. Two of the 34 patients with extrahepatic cholestasis, each of whom had biliary stones, were misdiagnosed as intrahepatic cholestasis. In the 34 patients with extra-hepatic cholestasis, site of obstruction was defined in 55.9%, and specific aetiology diagnosed in 44.1%. Ultrasound proves to be an accurate method for the evaluation of cholestatic jaundice, and would have a definite value as a screening test before proceeding to invasive studies.
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Forty consecutive cases of liver abscess from the Department of Medicine III, Singapore General Hospital, from 1978 to July 1983 were reviewed. Nineteen (47.5%) were amoebic, 15 (37.5%) pyogenic and 6 (15%) of unknown aetiology. Of the first 20 cases from 1978 to 1980, amoebic abscesses (60%) predominated. An increased incidence of pyogenic abscess constituting 50% was seen in the next 20 cases. Though all racial groups were affected, a predilection among Indians was seen. Males outnumbered females (4:1), and peak incidence occurred in the 40 to 70 age group (62.5%). Fifty percent presented early (less than one week of symptoms) to hospital. Common physical signs were fever (97.5%) and hepatomegaly (92.5%). Investigations showed leucocytosis in excess of 10,000 WBCs/cmm (87.5%), an ESR of 80 mm/hr (80%) and an elevated alkaline phosphatase of at least twice normal (73.6%). Single abscesses (72.5%) located in the right lobe were more likely to be amoebic. Where abscesses were multiple, they were more likely to be pyogenic (63.6%). Two-thirds of the pyogenic abscesses were due to either Klebsiella species or E. coli. Medical treatment consisted of broad spectrum antibiotics, usually in combination with metronidazole. Aspiration or drainage (open or closed) was employed when indicated. These were carried out more often for pyogenic than amoebic abscesses. Amoebic abscesses responded faster to treatment compared to pyogenic abscesses. Mortality in the first 20 cases prior to 1981 was 30%, being mainly confined to pyogenic abscesses. However, after 1981, there has been no mortality in the ensuing 20 cases.
The authors performed a comparative study of the values of 18 serum constituents of blood specimens taken simultaneously from the arm into which an intravenous solution was flowing, using a site distal to the intravenous needle, and from the other arm. Subjects of the study were 15 patients at the Norwalk Hospital. Statistical analysis showed no clinically significant difference between the levels in the two arms except for elevation of glucose in the "iv arm" when the intravenous solution contained glucose.