Rare cause of pulmonary cavitation in a 75-year-old man.

A 75-year-old man of Asian descent presented to the acute medical unit with signs and symptoms suggestive of a community-acquired pneumonia. He had multiple comorbidities and was relatively immunocompromised as a result. Initial investigations supported the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia complicated by a cavitating lung lesion, and the patient was treated as per hospital guidelines. He continued to deteriorate despite appropriate therapy and developed a hydropneumothorax, requiring the insertion of a chest drain. A diagnosis of pulmonary mucormycosis (Rhizopus microsporus) was made based on microbiology results from pleural aspirate, and patient was treated with intravenous antifungals. The patient was referred to the thoracic team for consideration of surgical intervention but was not suitable due to his multiple comorbidities. This case highlighted the importance of early consideration of fungal infection in patients with multiple risk factors and the need for aggressive therapy to ensure the best outcome.

A Rare Case of Inguinal Hernia with Complete Bladder Herniation.

Involvement of the bladder in inguinal hernias is rare and occurs in less than 5% of the cases. The diagnosis and management of this condition may present a challenge to the surgeon. We present a case of an elderly gentleman who presented with a large left-sided inguinoscrotal hernia causing an obstructive uropathy which was surgically repaired. The patient made a quick postoperative recovery with complete resolution of renal function.

Maxillary Osteomyelitis: A Rare Entity.

Osteomyelitis of the maxilla is now a rare event with the advent of antibiotics. The two predominant causes are odontogenic infections and sinusitis. Immunocompromised states such as diabetes, HIV, and malnutrition increase the risk of osteomyelitis. It is important to recognize this early as it is a difficult entity to treat with potentially serious consequences. We report an unusual case of right sided maxillary osteomyelitis in a lady with poorly controlled diabetes in rural Lincolnshire. Biopsy of the right maxillary bone showed features of acute osteomyelitis. This responded well to a prolonged course of oral antibiotics.