Diagnostic tests for diabetes have evolved with the emphasis shifting from blood glucose levels and/or oral glucose tolerance test to measurement of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels. With the advent of modern and standardized methods assaying the percentage of glycosylated hemoglobin, clinicians are relying more and more on HbA1c for the management of diabetic patients.A brief review of literature shows, although HbA1c is an important tool in the diagnosis and management of diabetes, it is still far from being perfect. Clinicians need to be more aware about these limitations and take extra steps to avoid medical errors.

Inflammatory myopathies are characterized by the skeletal muscle inflammation leading to symptoms of myopathy along with varying involvement of other organs such as lung, skin and joints. The strong association between inflammatory myopathies and malignancy has been well recognized. Recently, ‘cancer-associated myositis (CAM)’, has been proposed to be a paraneoplastic syndrome due to the anti-tumor immunity secondary to similar tumor and regenerating muscle antigens.As the prognosis of myositis depends on the prognosis and treatment of the underlying malignancy, physicians must determine the degree of testing necessary to detect cancer both at myositis onset and thereafter. However, there are no clear guidelines regarding the best approach. Emerging medical evidence shows that identification of certain risk factors and serology patterns can be utilized to predict cancer risk in patients with myositis.

Autoimmune inner ear disease is an important yet incompletely understood cause of hearing loss which can present to different medical disciplines. Its diagnostic significance is indicated by the fact that it is a reversible medical condition if recognized early with an excellent response to immunosuppressive agents. Therefore, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hearing disorders especially in the context of another autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

This article aims at raising clinical awareness about pyoderma gangrenosum especially when presenting in primary care settings. Due to its initial manifestation as a nonspecific ulcer, physicians with relatively less dermatology experience usually misdiagnose PG as cutaneous infection or vascular disease. This usually leads to inappropriate treatment with subsequent worsening of condition and devastating effects on patients’ lives.

Discovered by Louis Pasteur in 1880, Pasteurella multocida is the most common cause of zoonotic infection in humans which is transmitted via pet bites and/or scratches. However, animal contact may be absent or not identified in up to 40% of cases which usually occur in individuals with comorbidities. Despite having a low virulence, PM can cause serious and life threatening infections in rare instances. In such cases, prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment can lead to miraculous recovery.