BACKGROUND: Pelvic floor muscle exercise is effective for pelvic floor muscle dysfunction. Despite the high prevalence of pelvic floor muscle dysfunction in women in the community, pelvic floor muscle exercise recognition is low in Malaysian society; thus, this intervention is not frequently used . This study assessed the knowledge of, attitudes towards, and use of pelvic floor muscle exercise among antenatal women before and after educational classes. The study also determined factors associated with exercise practice. METHODS: An interventional study was conducted in 121 antenatal women selected through systematic random sampling between June and December 2010. Baseline knowledge of, attitude towards, and practice of pelvic floor muscle exercise were assessed using self-administered validated questionnaires at first visit and at 2 months postpartum. All participants attended two exercise education classes on their next two visits before delivery. A paired t-test and multivariate analysis were used for data evaluation. RESULTS: The mean pre-intervention scores for knowledge, attitudes, and practice were 24.98, 24.25, and 3.51, respectively, with statistically significant mean score increments after intervention (P < 0.001). The mean differences were 4.67 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.86–5.49), 3.77 (95% CI, 3.05–4.50) and 3.45 (95% CI, 2.90–4.00) for knowledge, attitudes, and practice, respectively. Lack of baseline information on pelvic floor muscle exercise was significantly associated with practice change following an educational class. CONCLUSION: Education is effective in improving knowledge of, attitude towards, and practice of pelvic floor muscle exercise. There is a need for greater effort to increase exercise awareness in our community, especially during antenatal class.
Education* ; Female ; Humans ; Malaysia* ; Multivariate Analysis ; Pelvic Floor* ; Postpartum Period ; Prenatal Education ; Prevalence

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The world is currently challenged to handle this pandemic. The common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, cough, fatigue, and shortness of breath. There are few reports on the association of SARS-CoV-2 with ocular abnormalities including conjunctivitis. We report a case of a 54-year-old woman who presented solely with conjunctivitis subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19. A lack of full history of her travel abroad was another issue leading to a delay in evaluating her COVID-19 status that increased the infection risk to her managing team. Thus, primary care practitioners should be suspicious of this atypical feature of COVID-19, thus enabling us to identify such patients at entry points. Maintaining safety measures while managing patients is also crucial.

Lucio phenomenon is a potentially fatal leprosy reaction seen in pure, primitive, and diffuse form of lepromatous leprosy. It is a globally restricted phenomenon that occurs in Mexico and Costa Rica; however, sporadic cases have been reported elsewhere. We report a rare case of a 50-year-old Indonesian, who resided in Malaysia for the past 33 years, which presented with extensive ulcers on all four limbs for 3 weeks, as well as a 16-year history of skin changes and alopecia. Full evaluation established the diagnosis of lepromatous leprosy with Lucio phenomenon. Delay in diagnosis leads to significant disabilities and disease transmission within the community. Therefore, primary care practitioners, even in non-endemic countries, should be wary of this atypical feature of leprosy to prevent complications since it is a highly curable disease.

Lucio phenomenon is a potentially fatal leprosy reaction seen in pure, primitive, and diffuse form of lepromatous leprosy. It is a globally restricted phenomenon that occurs in Mexico and Costa Rica; however, sporadic cases have been reported elsewhere. We report a rare case of a 50-year-old Indonesian, who resided in Malaysia for the past 33 years, which presented with extensive ulcers on all four limbs for 3 weeks, as well as a 16-year history of skin changes and alopecia. Full evaluation established the diagnosis of lepromatous leprosy with Lucio phenomenon. Delay in diagnosis leads to significant disabilities and disease transmission within the community. Therefore, primary care practitioners, even in non-endemic countries, should be wary of this atypical feature of leprosy to prevent complications since it is a highly curable disease.

Primary cutaneous lymphomas are rare diseases among the general population, and even rarer in children. Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most commonly diagnosed form in childhood. Several atypical clinical variants of MF have been reported, and pityriasis lichenoides-like MF (PL-like MF) is a recently described subtype. We report about a rare case of PL-like MF in an 11-year-old Malay boy with a 2-year history of multiple scaly erythematous papules associated with progressive and generalized hypopigmentation. This case report illustrates the significant dilemma in the diagnosis of the disease, particularly in the early stages, because its symptoms can mimic those of many common childhood inflammatory skin disorders. Later, the widespread hypopigmentation obscured the characteristic lesions, leading to misdiagnosis. Moreover, due to unfamiliarity of the disease, the diagnosis of PL-like MF was missed and delayed until only 2 years after the onset of the dermatosis. Therefore, primary care practitioners must have a high index of suspicion for this cutaneous neoplasm in children with persistent or worsening skin lesions, not responding to standard therapy, to ensure timely referral, diagnosis, and treatment.

Primary cutaneous lymphomas are rare diseases among the general population, and even rarer in children. Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most commonly diagnosed form in childhood. Several atypical clinical variants of MF have been reported, and pityriasis lichenoides-like MF (PL-like MF) is a recently described subtype. We report about a rare case of PL-like MF in an 11-year-old Malay boy with a 2-year history of multiple scaly erythematous papules associated with progressive and generalized hypopigmentation. This case report illustrates the significant dilemma in the diagnosis of the disease, particularly in the early stages, because its symptoms can mimic those of many common childhood inflammatory skin disorders. Later, the widespread hypopigmentation obscured the characteristic lesions, leading to misdiagnosis. Moreover, due to unfamiliarity of the disease, the diagnosis of PL-like MF was missed and delayed until only 2 years after the onset of the dermatosis. Therefore, primary care practitioners must have a high index of suspicion for this cutaneous neoplasm in children with persistent or worsening skin lesions, not responding to standard therapy, to ensure timely referral, diagnosis, and treatment.

Objective: Elderly with diabetes has been found to have a higher chance of depression. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among elderly with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Kedah. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Klinik Kesihatan Bandar, Sungai Petani, Kedah. The inclusion criteria were patients aged ≥60 years with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Those with cognitive impairment, presence of organic brain syndrome, presence of severe mental disorder and patients who are either deaf or mute were excluded. The Malay version of Geriatric Depression Scale (M-GDS-14) was used to assess the depressive symptoms. The data was analysed using descriptive statistic and multiple logistic regression. Results: A total of 511 patients participated in the study. The mean age of the respondents is 64.5 (Standard Deviation 7.0) years old. There were slightly more males (53.8%). Majority were Malay (63.0%), married (76.9%) and has a household income of less than RM1000 (67.5%). The prevalence of depression was 32.1%. The number of elderly people living with their children (Adjusted Odds Ratio, aOR0.20, 95%CI: 0.07, 0.55), elderly living with spouse, children, in law and grandchildren (aOR2.95, 95%CI: 1.18, 7.37), diabetic complication (aOR4.68, 95%CI: 2.63, 8.35) and HbA1c (aOR1.23, 95%CI: 1.09, 1.39) are significantly associated with depression. Conclusion: The level of depression was found to be high. Factors contributing to the significantly high level of depression are found to be associated with living arrangements, diabetic complication and HbA1c were significantly associated with depression.

Schizencephaly is a very rare congenital birth defect. It is characterized by a cortical brain malformation that manifests as a grey-matter-lined cleft extending from the ependyma to the pia mater. It is a rare condition, and few cases have been reported in the literature. The exact cause is unknown. Herein, we report a case of an infant presenting with left side hemiparesis. The CT scan of her brain revealed right fronto-temporal and left parieto-temporal open-lip schizencephaly; thus, urgent referral to a pediatric neurologist was made for early intervention.

Yaws is a rare skin disease endemic to tropical countries caused by Treponema pertenue. It is highly infectious and spreads through physical contact. In Malaysia, it was presumably eradicated during the 1960s, with the last reported case published in 1985. Due to its rarity, the disease often goes unrecognised and misdiagnosed. Here, we report the case of a 5-year-old aboriginal boy diagnosed with secondary yaws who presented with fever and an incidental finding of chronic painless ulcerated nodules and plaques on his lower limbs and gluteal region. His diagnosis was confirmed serologically with a venereal disease research laboratory lab test and he was successfully treated with a single dose of intramuscular benzathine penicillin G. Primary care physicians should not ignore this disease since its early recognition and appropriate treatment is vital to its eradication, especially in high-risk communities.