Computerised data of 110,236 Singaporean males aged 15 to 25 (mean 17.75) years who underwent compulsory medical examination from April 1987 to January 1992 were used to estimate the prevalence and severity of myopia among young Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian Singaporean males with different educational levels. The prevalence and severity of myopia amongst the groups with different educational levels were compared. These groups were fairly well-matched for important known confounding factors such as age, sex, race and degree of urbanisation of place of residence. Our data showed a positive association between educational attainment and both the prevalence and severity of myopia. Both the prevalence of myopia and the proportion of myopes with severe myopia were in general higher among those with more years of formal education.
Adolescent ; Adult ; China ; ethnology ; Cohort Studies ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Educational Status ; Humans ; India ; ethnology ; Malaysia ; ethnology ; Male ; Myopia ; epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Refraction, Ocular ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore ; epidemiology ; Visual Acuity

Bacterial Infections ; complications ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Factitious Disorders ; complications ; Fever of Unknown Origin ; diagnosis ; etiology ; psychology ; Humans ; Vasculitis ; complications ; Virus Diseases ; complications

Bite wounds are often mistakenly considered innocuous. However, they are frequently complicated by infection which may be serious. We describe a case of Pasteurella multocida septicaemia with myopericarditis following a dog bite. Treatment of the infection as well as active support of myocardial function led to a successful outcome.
Adult ; Animals ; Bites and Stings ; microbiology ; Dogs ; Hand Injuries ; microbiology ; Humans ; Male ; Pasteurella Infections ; pathology ; Pasteurella multocida ; Pericardial Effusion ; microbiology ; Pericarditis ; microbiology ; Sepsis ; pathology ; Wound Infection ; pathology

A 24-year-old lady with recurrent upper abdominal pain, underwent surgery for cholelithiasis based on imaging diagnosis by ultrasound scanning. At laparotomy, the gall bladder could not be found either in its normal or ectopic locations. The diagnosis of agenesis of the gall bladder was confirmed by operative cholangiography. Duplication cysts of the hepatic flexure were discovered in the position normally occupied by the gall bladder. The stony hard faeces in the cysts were probably interpreted as gallstones on ultrasound. This rare condition is discussed and the importance of intraoperative cholangiography is stressed.
Adult ; Cholelithiasis ; diagnosis ; Colonic Diseases ; complications ; pathology ; Cysts ; complications ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gallbladder ; abnormalities ; Humans

Desmoplastic round cell tumour is a very rare tumour of childhood and young adults, and is not usually suspected as an explanation of intraabdominal or pelvic tumour. We report two cases of desmoplastic round cell tumour of the abdomen in the paediatric age group, occurring in two boys, an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old. We aim to demonstrate the imaging findings and to emphasise the importance of including this tumour in the differential diagnosis of childhood intraabdominal and pelvic tumours.
Abdominal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; Adolescent ; Biopsy ; Carcinoma, Small Cell ; diagnosis ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Fatal Outcome ; Humans ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Twenty-three patients with ulcerative colitis are reported from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sixteen were newly diagnosed over a six-year period between 1982 and 1987. The disease was commoner in men (16 men : 7 women). The peak age of onset was in the third decade. The ethnic distribution of the patients was 10 Malays, eight Indians and five Chinese making the disease relatively commoner amongst Indians. The extent of colonic involvement varied and six (26%) had a total colitis. Extra-intestinal manifestations were seen in seven patients. Diagnosis was delayed for over 10 years in four. Colorectal cancer was not seen. There was no mortality. Ulcerative colitis remains an uncommon disease amongst Malaysians. During the same period, only four male patients with Crohn's colitis were seen.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; ethnology ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Malaysia ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sex Factors

Thirty-two adult female ASA I patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists' grading) undergoing voluntary termination of pregnancy (VTP) under general anaesthesia were randomly divided into three groups. Patients received 0.6 mg/kg pentazocine intravenously five minutes prior to induction of anaesthesia along with either isotonic saline, or promethazine 0.5 mg/kg or metoclopramide 0.2 mg/kg. Anaesthesia was induced with intravenous thiopentone and maintained with nitrous oxide in oxygen and boluses of thiopentone. Vomiting and sedation were scored at the end of anaesthesia, one hour later and at the time of discharge. The mean vomiting score was comparable in the three groups. Though the mean dose of thiopentone used was significantly less in the promethazine group, the sedation scores and the duration of stay in the clinic were comparable in all the groups. It is concluded that promethazine and metoclopramide in the doses used are ineffective as antiemetic agents in outpatient gynaecological patients.
Abortion, Induced ; methods ; Adult ; Ambulatory Surgical Procedures ; methods ; Analysis of Variance ; Anesthesia, General ; adverse effects ; Chi-Square Distribution ; Dilatation and Curettage ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Metoclopramide ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Pregnancy ; Promethazine ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Statistics, Nonparametric ; Vomiting ; etiology ; prevention & control

Twenty bilio-enteric anastomoses were performed or managed from May 1990 to December 1992. Recurrent pyogenic cholangitis (RPC) and pancreatic cancer were the commonest conditions which required drainage procedures. Roux-en-Y hepatico-jejunostomy (RHJ) was performed in 9 patients, 4 for RPC, one for pancreatic cancer, another for a cholangiocarcinoma, 2 following excision of choledochal cyst and one hepatico-jejunostomy was part of a Whipple reconstruction. Roux-en-Y side to side choledocho-jejunostomy (CDJ) was performed in one patient. Choledocho-duodenostomy (CDD) was performed in 6, 4 for obstructive jaundice due to choledocholithiasis, one for RPC and one in a choledochal cyst. One patient operated elsewhere presented with complications after a CDD. Palliative cholecysto-jejunostomy (CYJ) was carried out in 4 patients with pancreatic malignancy. All benign conditions were treated by hepatico-jejunostomy and choledocho-duodenostomy, while three patients with malignant conditions were treated by hepatico-jejunostomy. Permanent subcutaneous access loops were provided when recurrent problems were anticipated, 4 in RPC and one after subtotal resection of a cholangiocarcinoma. Based on this study, we found Roux-en-Y hepatico-jejunostomy a versatile drainage procedure, which was useful in both benign and malignant diseases.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anastomosis, Roux-en-Y ; Anastomosis, Surgical ; methods ; Child ; Cholecystostomy ; Choledochostomy ; Common Bile Duct ; surgery ; Common Bile Duct Diseases ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Hepatic Duct, Common ; surgery ; Humans ; Intestine, Small ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pancreatic Neoplasms ; surgery ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

A majority of the clinical use of positron emission tomography (PET)-computed tomography (CT) is related to cancer management. Its application in evaluating inflammatory diseases and pyrexia of unknown origin is becoming popular. We reviewed the fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET-CT findings of an 80-year-old woman with nonspecific clinical presentation consisting of generalised malaise, moderately high fever and weight loss. Prior CT and magnetic resonance imaging were not helpful in providing a clinical diagnosis. The diagnosis was Horton's arteritis, and the patient responded well to high-dose steroids.
Aged, 80 and over ; Arteritis ; diagnosis ; Diagnostic Imaging ; methods ; Female ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Inflammation ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; instrumentation ; methods ; Steroids ; therapeutic use ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods ; Treatment Outcome

Health Surveys ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Incidence ; International Classification of Diseases ; Pneumococcal Infections ; epidemiology ; Singapore ; epidemiology