1.Cryptococcal osteomyelitis of the femur: A case report and review of literature
Zainal, A.I.* ; Wong, S.L. ; Pan, K.L. ; Wong, O.L. ; Tzar, M.N.
Tropical Biomedicine 2011;28(2):444-449
Fungal osteomyelitis is a rare opportunistic infection. It exhibits some clinical and
radiological similarities to several other bone pathologies. A diagnostic delay may result in
significant increase in morbidity. We report a case of a 37-year-old man with underlying
hypogammaglobulinaemia presented with isolated cryptococcal osteomyelitis of the femur.
2.Bullous cellulitis as an extraordinary manifestation of a Vibrio cholerae O1 Ogawa infection
Ummu, S.F. ; Ding, C.H. ; Wahab, A.A. ; Tzar, M.N.
Tropical Biomedicine 2023;40(No.2):170-173
Vibrio cholerae is a gram-negative bacterium synonymous with its namesake disease, cholera. Thus,
gastrointestinal symptoms are the norm and V. cholerae is very rarely associated with skin and soft tissue
infections. We describe a case of a 63-year-old Chinese woman with multiple medical comorbidities on
corticosteroid therapy who developed fever and a painful swelling on her left leg after being pricked by
a branch while gardening. There was no abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhea. A diagnosis of bullous
cellulitis was made clinically, and blood was sent for bacteriological culture. A beta-hemolytic commashaped gram-negative bacillus was isolated from the blood. It was also oxidase-positive and produced an
acid/alkaline (A/K) reaction on triple sugar iron agar. It was identified biochemically as Vibrio cholerae.
After additional testing, it was found to be of the O1 serogroup and Ogawa serotype. The infection
resolved following a 10-day course of high-dose co-trimoxazole therapy.