MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study was conducted between July 2012 and December 2013. Stool samples of 59 dyspeptic patients who underwent upper endoscopy were evaluated for H. pylori stool antigen.
RESULTS: From the 59 patients who participated in this study, there were 36 (61%) males and 23 (39%) females. H. pylori was diagnosed in 24 (40.7%) gastric biopsies, 22 (91.7 %) of these being positive for the Atlas H. pylori antigen test. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy were 91.7%, 100%, 100%, 94.6% and 96.6% respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The Atlas H. pylori antigen test is a new non-invasive method which is simple to perform and avails reliable results in a few minutes. Thus it can be the best option for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection due to its high sensitivity and specificity.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the risk of the contralateral mucosa in patients presenting with oral PMDs.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty individuals with PMDs were selected for this study. These comprised 32 (53.3%) Indians, 23 (38.3%) Chinese, four (6.7%) Malays and one (1.7%) Nepalese. All selected cases had histopathological confirmation of their primary existing lesion as inclusion criteria. Cases that subsequently presented with a lesion in the corresponding anatomical site also underwent scalpel incisional biopsy on this second lesion to verify its diagnosis. The remaining cases that presented with unilateral PMDs at the time of study were subjected to a cytobrush biopsy on the normal looking contralateral mucosa.
RESULTS: A total of 70 primary PMDs were detected in 60 patients. The most common PMD found was oral lichen planus (n=40, 57.1%). Of the 60 patients studied, 28 (46.6%) exhibited bilateral lesions either synchronously (n=21, 35.0%) or metachronously (n=7, 11.6%). The remaining cases that had undergone cytobrush biopsy on the corresponding anatomical site yielded normal cytological results.
CONCLUSIONS: Present findings demonstrated that patients presenting with PMDs in the upper aerodigestive tract are at a greater risk of developing a second lesion most probably in the contralateral anatomical site.
METHODS: Patients confirmed by transrectal-ultrasonographic-guided-biopsy performed from 2002 to 2008 were enrolled and analysed according to ethnicity, age, PSA level, Gleason score, stage of disease and survival.
RESULTS: Among 83 patients, there were 38 Malay, 40 Chinese, 3 Indians and 2 others. Median age at diagnosis was 69.9 (range: 59-93), 43 patients (51.8%) being diagnosed before the age of 70. The median PSA level upon diagnosis was 574 ng/ml (range: 1-8632) and the median Gleason score was 7 (range: 2-10). Over half were already in Stage 4 when diagnosed. The most common site of metastasis was the bone. As a result the commonest prescribed treatment was hormonal manipulation. Five patients underwent radical prostatectomy and a further thirteen patients had radical radiotherapy (stage I: 1 patient, stage II: 7 patients and stage III: 5 patients). Ten patients defaulted follow-up. The median disease-specific survival was 21.9 months (range: 1-53).
CONCLUSIONS: Prostatic carcinoma is a disease of the elderly and it is frequently diagnosed late in Malaysia. Greater efforts should be made to educate Malaysians regarding prostate cancer.