Background Gonorrhoea is the third most common sexually transmitted infection (after syphilis and non-gonococcal urethritis) seen in patients attending the Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) Clinic in Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL). Its association with poor reproductive health outcomes and the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance has made it a major public health concern. Objective To determine the antibiotic resistance pattern of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae in patients attending the GUM Clinic in HKL and its comparison with other countries. Method A retrospective study of all patients with gonorrhoea (new and recurrent) between 2001-2005. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing by standard disc diffusion method was performed to detect sensitivity to penicillin, tetracycline, kanamycin, ciprofloxacin, spectinomycin, ceftriaxone and cefuroxime. Results A total of 416 positive culture isolates of N.gonorrhoeae from 2001-2005 were reviewed. Highest level of resistance was detected to tetracycline (86.8% of 296 isolates). Resistance to penicillin was noted in 64.4% of all isolates. Penicillinase Producing N.gonorrhoeae (PPNG) accounted for 62% of cases. Both penicillin and tetracycline showed an increasing resistance trend from 2001-2005. The third commonest antibiotic resistance was to kanamycin (38.3%), followed by ciprofloxacin (10.4%). The resistance to spectinomycin was 1.7%. No resistance was detected to ceftriaxone and cefuroxime. All gonorrhea patients in GUM Clinic, HKL were treated with ceftriaxone, and subsequent cultures on follow-up were negative. We compared our results with the data obtained from the Gonococcal Resistance to Antimicrobials Surveillance Programme (GRASP)6 and the WHO Western Pacific Gonococcal Antimicrobial Surveillance Programme (GASP)7. Conclusion Penicillin and tetracycline resistance remain high in Malaysia and other Western Pacific countries. Resistance to ciprofloxacin was however lower in Malaysia compared to other countries. There was no resistance to ceftriaxone and cefuroxime. The current first line antibiotic for treating gonorrhoea in GUM Clinic, HKL is ceftriaxone.

Background: Patients with severe psoriasis, namely those requiring phototherapy or systemic treatment, have an increased risk of death. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, aetiology and risk factors for mortality among adult patients aged 18 years and above with psoriasis in Malaysia. Methods: This was a retrospective study involving adult patients notified by dermatologists to the Malaysian Psoriasis Registry between July 2007 and December 2013. Data were cross-checked against the National Death Registry. Patients certified dead were identified and the cause of death was analysed. Multivariate analysis using multiple logistic regression were conducted on potential factors associated with higher risk of mortality. Results: A total of 419 deaths were identified among the 9775 patients notified. There were four significant risk factors for higher mortality: age>40 years (age 41-60 years old, Odds Ratio (OR) 2.70, 95%CI 1.75, 4.18; age>60 years OR 7.46, 95%CI 4.62, 12.02), male gender (OR 1.72, 95%CI 1.33,2.22), severe psoriasis with body surface area (BSA) >10% (OR 1.52, 95%CI 1.19, 1.96) and presence of at least one cardiovascular co-morbidity (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.30, 2.14). Among the 301 patients with verifiable causes of death, the leading causes were infection (33.9%), cardiovascular disease (33.6%) and malignancy (15.9%). Conclusion: Infection was the leading cause of death among psoriasis patients in Malaysia. Although cardiovascular diseases are well-known to cause significant morbidity and mortality among psoriasis patients, the role of infections and malignancy should not be overlooked.
Psoriasis

Lymphoma presenting with ulceration is not typical. Wereport a case of relapsed DLBCL in a 73-year-old manpresenting with a chronic non-healing leg ulcer. He hasunderlying varicose veins with recurrent venous ulcers. This patient was diagnosed to have DLBCL six years earlier when he presented with recurrent epistaxis originating from a left nasal cavity nodule. Complete resolution was achieved after eight cycles of R-CHOP and intrathecal methotrexate. For this current problem, this patient was treated with rituximab combined with chemotherapy which resulted in healing of the ulcer.

Summary Flagellate erythema is characterized by “whiplike’’ linear streaks, usually following bleomycin chemotherapy or is associated with consumption of shiitake mushrooms, dermatomyositis, adult onset still disease as well as human immunodeficiency disease. Here, we describe a case of bleomycin-induced flagellate erythema in a patient with Hodgkin lymphoma.
Hodgkin Disease--drug therapy

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the commonest skin cancer seen worldwide. This study aims to determine the clinical pattern of BCC in the Department of Dermatology, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Introduction: Atopic eczema (AE) is a common infammatory skin dermatosis that is increasing in prevalence. However, it can present in various clinical presentations, which leads to challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of the condition, especially in a primary care setting. Te Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Atopic Eczema was developed by a multidisciplinary development group and approved by the Ministry of Health Malaysia in 2018. It covers the aspects of diagnosis, severity assessment, treatment, and referral.