Medial medullary stroke due to neurosyphilis in a newly diagnosed HIV-positive man.

This case report presents the clinical record of a 37-year-old man who presented with a dense right hemiplegia, found to be caused by a left medial medullary stroke. The cause of the stroke was unclear, and bacterial endocarditis was initially suspected. However, he was ultimately found to have neurosyphilis on a background of undiagnosed human immunodeficiency virus and was treated with benzylpenicillin. This case report reviews the diagnosis of neurosyphilis and highlights the importance of considering neurosyphilis as a rare but important cause of stroke, especially given the increasing prevalence of syphilis in Australia

Antimicrobial resistance in urine and skin isolates in Timor-Leste.

High rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are seen throughout Southeast Asia. However, limited AMR data exist for Timor-Leste, which is situated on the south-eastern portion of the Malay Archipelago. The purpose of this study was to identify AMR in bacteria isolated from urine and skin swabs from patients in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste. Urine and skin swabs were collected from symptomatic patients in Timor-Leste and were processed for bacterial culture. Isolates were processed in Australia using a VITEK?2 system for bacterial identification and to determine antimicrobial susceptibility according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. A total of 154 urine isolates and 57 skin isolates were analysed. Of the Enterobacteriaceae, 35% were resistant to ceftriaxone with an extended-spectrum ?-lactamase (ESBL)-producing phenotype. Carbapenem resistance was not observed in any of the Gram-negative isolates. Of the Staphylococcus aureus isolates, 11% were of the community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) phenotype. A moderately high proportion of Gram-negative urine isolates in Timor-Leste demonstrate phenotypic ESBL production, and a relatively low proportion of S. aureus isolates were methicillin-resistant. Improved understanding of AMR rates in Timor-Leste can help guide antimicrobial prescribing and inform antimicrobial stewardship strategies

Epidemiology, management and outcomes of Cryptococcus gattii infections: A 22-year cohort.

BackgroundCryptococcus gattii is a globally endemic pathogen causing disease in apparently immune-competent hosts. We describe a 22-year cohort study from Australia's Northern Territory to evaluate trends in epidemiology and management, and outcome predictors.MethodsA retrospective cohort study of all C. gattii infections at the northern Australian referral hospital 1996-2018 was conducted. Cases were defined as confirmed (culture-positive) or probable. Demographic, clinical and outcome data were extracted from medical records.Results45 individuals with C. gattii infection were included: 44 Aboriginal Australians; 35 with confirmed infection; none HIV positive out of 38 tested. Multifocal disease (pulmonary and central nervous system) occurred in 20/45 (44%). Nine people (20%) died within 12 months of diagnosis, five attributed directly to C. gattii. Significant residual disability was evident in 4/36 (11%) survivors. Predictors of mortality included: treatment before the year 2002 (4/11 versus 1/34); interruption to induction therapy (2/8 versus 3/37) and end-stage kidney disease (2/5 versus 3/40). Prolonged antifungal therapy was the standard approach in this cohort, with median treatment duration being 425 days (IQR 166-715). Ten individuals had adjunctive lung resection surgery for large pulmonary cryptococcomas (median diameter 6cm [range 2.2-10cm], versus 2.8cm [1.2-9cm] in those managed non-operatively). One died post-operatively, and 7 had thoracic surgical complications, but ultimately 9/10 (90%) treated surgically were cured compared with 10/15 (67%) who did not have lung surgery. Four patients were diagnosed with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome which was associated with age 1:512.ConclusionC. gattii infection remains a challenging condition but treatment outcomes have significantly improved over 2 decades, with eradication of infection the norm. Adjunctive surgery for the management of bulky pulmonary C. gattii infection appears to increase the likelihood of durable cure and likely reduces the required duration of antifungal therapy