Spondylodiscitis due to Aerococcus viridans.

Aerococcus viridans is a microaerophilic, Gram-positive, catalase-negative coccus, found singly or in tetrads. To date, no case of spondylodiscitis due to this organism has been reported. We report what we believe to be the first case of spondylodiscitis caused by A. viridans, in a patient with decompensated liver failure, and discuss the possible pathogenesis of this rather uncommon pathogen in this case.

An eye on sexually transmitted diseases: sexually transmitted diseases and their ocular manifestations.

Ocular examination should be a part of the routine assessment of the patients seen at sexually transmitted diseases (STD) clinics due to the importance of these organs in the general wellbeing of patients. It is essential to keep an open eye on ocular signs and symptoms of patients with a history of exposure to common STD pathogens, to ensure prompt investigation and management of ocular complications of the STDs, which, if left unnoticed, otherwise could subject the patients to a great deal of anxiety and distress.

What you can see in your patient's eyes? Review of ocular manifestations of HIV in HAART era.

The early diagnosis and treatment of ocular disease to prevent morbidity and mortality of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is of paramount importance. Since the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the incidence of ocular complications of HIV has decreased and their manifestations and natural course are also modified. This has been observed in the face of emerging immune recovery, which per se has brought new difficulties in the process of diagnosing and management of the ocular disease. Conditions such as immune recovery uveitis could affect eyes with history of opportunistic disease with a potential to cause vision loss; with this regard, differentiation of the inflammatory process from infective causes is essential. The other sexually contracted diseases are also to be included in this complex picture because of their contribution to the clinical picture and also sharing common routes of transmission with HIV. There is very little doubt that visual deterioration would further deteriorate the already compromised quality of life of this group of patients. In this review, authors wish to provide evidence available in the medical literature around the visual health issues in HIV-infected patients and raise awareness towards the changing pattern of the ocular disease in the HAART era.

Neonatal herpes in herpes simplex virus type 2 and HIV-seropositive pregnant patients; the role of preventive measures in the absence of clinical disease of herpes.

There is very little knowledge about how herpes simplex virus (HSV) seropositivity of HIV-positive mothers could complicate the occurrence of neonatal herpetic disease, in the absence of genital ulcers, in this group of patients. We present a case of fatal disseminated neonatal herpes infection in a baby, born to a HIV-positive patient, and wish to discuss the potential need for changes in the management of this group of patients during pregnancy. Disseminated HSV disease is a rare, yet serious condition in newborns of HSV-infected mothers, and women with HIV infection have shown to frequently shed more HSV DNA in their genital secretions, even in the absence of active herpetic ulcers. This is the first case report of this rare association and, as a result, the evidence in support of our hypothesis has been extrapolated from other studies.

Twisted tail: spinal epidural lipomatosis responding to chemotherapy in a patient with non-small-cell lung cancer.

Spinal epidural lipomatosis is a rare condition, described in corticoadrenal hyperactivity. It is most commonly seen in association with steroid administration and occasionally with Cushing's syndrome. This is the first case report of spinal epidural lipomatosis as presenting finding in a patient with non-small-cell lung carcinoma without any evidence of endogenous or exogenous hypercortisolism. The additional interesting feature is the paraneoplastic behaviour of this condition and even more interestingly its resolution following chemo-treatment of the primary cancer. Spinal epidural lipomatosis is a benign condition, which must be considered in the differential diagnosis of spinal cord compression in this category of patients. Its pathophysiology remains to be discovered in future.