A fatal case of disseminated melioidosis in a diabetic patient: diagnostic challenges and atypical presentation
In Malaysia, melioidosis is not a notifiable disease but has a high mortality rate, particularly in diabetic patients. Disseminated melioidosis can be fatal, with 16% to 37% of cases presenting with nonspecific symptoms, complicating early diagnosis. Some patients develop abscesses with or without b...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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UPM
2024
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| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/117926/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/117926/1/117926.pdf |
| _version_ | 1848867382069559296 |
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| author | Zakariah, Siti Zulaikha Mohd Kamaruzzaman, Nur Hannah Abdul Aziz, Nurul Izzati Ibrahim, Rosni Damanyanti, Rinni Kandasamy, Thenmalar |
| author_facet | Zakariah, Siti Zulaikha Mohd Kamaruzzaman, Nur Hannah Abdul Aziz, Nurul Izzati Ibrahim, Rosni Damanyanti, Rinni Kandasamy, Thenmalar |
| author_sort | Zakariah, Siti Zulaikha |
| building | UPM Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | In Malaysia, melioidosis is not a notifiable disease but has a high mortality rate, particularly in diabetic patients. Disseminated melioidosis can be fatal, with 16% to 37% of cases presenting with nonspecific symptoms, complicating early diagnosis. Some patients develop abscesses with or without bacteremia. We present a fatal case of disseminated melioidosis in a diabetic patient with vague initial symptoms. Remarkably, she exhibited low septic parameters, including a normal white blood cell count and low C-reactive protein levels, which masked the severity of the infection and delayed appropriate treatment. The absence of early radiological findings and specific laboratory tests further complicated the diagnostic process. This case underscores the necessity for heightened clinical awareness and the advancement of diagnostic tools, particularly in high-risk populations, to facilitate timely interventions and mitigate fatal outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:35:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | upm-117926 |
| institution | Universiti Putra Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-15T14:35:36Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | UPM |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | upm-1179262025-06-17T02:47:05Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/117926/ A fatal case of disseminated melioidosis in a diabetic patient: diagnostic challenges and atypical presentation Zakariah, Siti Zulaikha Mohd Kamaruzzaman, Nur Hannah Abdul Aziz, Nurul Izzati Ibrahim, Rosni Damanyanti, Rinni Kandasamy, Thenmalar In Malaysia, melioidosis is not a notifiable disease but has a high mortality rate, particularly in diabetic patients. Disseminated melioidosis can be fatal, with 16% to 37% of cases presenting with nonspecific symptoms, complicating early diagnosis. Some patients develop abscesses with or without bacteremia. We present a fatal case of disseminated melioidosis in a diabetic patient with vague initial symptoms. Remarkably, she exhibited low septic parameters, including a normal white blood cell count and low C-reactive protein levels, which masked the severity of the infection and delayed appropriate treatment. The absence of early radiological findings and specific laboratory tests further complicated the diagnostic process. This case underscores the necessity for heightened clinical awareness and the advancement of diagnostic tools, particularly in high-risk populations, to facilitate timely interventions and mitigate fatal outcomes. UPM 2024 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/117926/1/117926.pdf Zakariah, Siti Zulaikha and Mohd Kamaruzzaman, Nur Hannah and Abdul Aziz, Nurul Izzati and Ibrahim, Rosni and Damanyanti, Rinni and Kandasamy, Thenmalar (2024) A fatal case of disseminated melioidosis in a diabetic patient: diagnostic challenges and atypical presentation. Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 20 (suppl.11). pp. 120-122. ISSN 1675-8544 https://medic.upm.edu.my/upload/dokumen/2024123018381025_MJMHS_0435.pdf 10.47836/mjmhs20.s11.25 |
| spellingShingle | Zakariah, Siti Zulaikha Mohd Kamaruzzaman, Nur Hannah Abdul Aziz, Nurul Izzati Ibrahim, Rosni Damanyanti, Rinni Kandasamy, Thenmalar A fatal case of disseminated melioidosis in a diabetic patient: diagnostic challenges and atypical presentation |
| title | A fatal case of disseminated melioidosis in a diabetic patient: diagnostic challenges and atypical presentation |
| title_full | A fatal case of disseminated melioidosis in a diabetic patient: diagnostic challenges and atypical presentation |
| title_fullStr | A fatal case of disseminated melioidosis in a diabetic patient: diagnostic challenges and atypical presentation |
| title_full_unstemmed | A fatal case of disseminated melioidosis in a diabetic patient: diagnostic challenges and atypical presentation |
| title_short | A fatal case of disseminated melioidosis in a diabetic patient: diagnostic challenges and atypical presentation |
| title_sort | fatal case of disseminated melioidosis in a diabetic patient: diagnostic challenges and atypical presentation |
| url | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/117926/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/117926/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/117926/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/117926/1/117926.pdf |