This small study of patients in Townsville suggests that with good secondary penicillin prophylaxis compliance there is regression of some cardiac lesions over time in people with rheumatic heart disease. Furthermore the natural history of acute rheumatic fever in the Indigenous population is progressive requiring strict adherence to secondary penicillin prophylaxis. Prospective studies or use of data from the nationwide RHD register and standardised reporting of cardiac echocardiograms will provide more robust evidence.
Paratesticular leiomyosarcomas are rare and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality, if inadequately diagnosed or treated. We present a case of paratesticular leiomyosarcoma in an 88-year-old man presenting with a left scrotal mass with ultrasound revealing that the mass is extratesticular. Left radical orchidectomy was performed and pathological examination of the resected specimen confirmed the diagnoses of high grade leiomyosarcoma with surgical margins clear of tumour. The patient was free of metastatic disease on further imaging and has been disease-free for 18 months. A review of the literature regarding paratesticular leiomyosarcoma presentation, diagnosis, and treatment is also discussed.
Chronic non-granulomatous supraglottitis (CNGS) is a rare disorder of the supraglottic larynx, characterised by chronic supraglottic inflammation in the absence of granulomata, vasculitis, neoplasia, autoimmune disease or infective changes on histology. We present the case of a male adolescentwho attended with progressively worsening exertional dyspnoea, stridor and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnoea. Flexible nasendoscopy revealed marked supraglottic subepithelial thickening sparing the glottis and subglottis, confirmed on microlaryngoscopy. MRI of the head and neck demonstrated diffuse, homogenous supraglottic oedema. At the peak of his symptomology, the patient was admitted for further investigations and intravenous steroid therapy, and switched to prolonged oral steroids on discharge. Tracheostomy was avoided. After 3 months, he was successfully weaned from steroids to azathioprine with gradual symptomatic improvement. This case represents the first successful use of a steroid-sparing agent in the management of CNGS.
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