Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a serious disease with 100% mortality in untreated patients. In patients in whom treatment is delayed, severe neurological deficits result.1 Hence, rapid diagnosis of TBM is important but difficult by conventional diagnostic methods. Direct smears of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for acid-fast bacilli (AFB), although virtually...

Thyroid eye disease (TED) is a visually and socially disabling condition. Newly diagnosed patients are often fearful of sight-threatening complications that include optic nerve compression or restrictive strabismus. Although the current literature has pointed to age (>60 years), gender (male), abnormal thyroid function (both hyper- and hypo-thyroidism), smoking and...

Singapore’s population is ageing rapidly. It is estimated that the proportion of elderly aged 65 and above will rise from 7.2% of the total population in the year 2000 to 18.2% in 2030.1 Increase in life expectancy due to the availability of modern healthcare services has resulted in a...

Hip fractures constitute a major health concern for older persons and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality, with 1-year mortality rates ranging from 14% to 36% in spite of advancements in anaesthesia, surgical techniques and nursing care.1,2 In addition, epidemiological studies have shown that the incidence of hip...

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is characterised by abnormal vascular development of retina in premature infants.1 Recent advances in neonatal care have improved the survival rates for premature infants,2 and this has been accompanied by an increase in the incidence of ROP.3-5 ROP is a leading cause of childhood blindness6,7...