Non-Infectious Lung Manifestations of Autoimmune Diseases in Cameroon

Autoimmune (AI) diseases are secondary to lack of tolerance against self antigens. They may have systemic or organ-specific manifestations. All lung structures can be affected. The aim of our study was to determinate clues of diagnosis and treatment facilities for noninfectious lung manifestations of AI disease.A multi-centre retrospective study was performed from January 2006 to July 2009 in Douala, Cameroon.Twenty-nine patients were included (59% female),with an average age of 42±10 (18­58) years. The lung was the discovery mode of AI disease in 79%. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was the most frequently observed AI disease (48%). Thirty-eight percent have at least one cure against pleural or smear-negative tuberculosis. Clinical anomalies found were: cough 79%, dyspnoea 69%, and crackles 41%. Morphological anomalies were interstitial lesions in 55% of chest Xrays,50% of ground grass pattern, and 25% of fibrosis on CT scan; chest function test showed restrictive pattern in 41%. Three (10%) patients were HIV positive with a CD4 cell count more than 500/mm³. Two patients underwent talc pleurodesis for recurrent pleural effusion. General steroids were prescribed to all patients, hydroxychloroquine to 31% and azathioprine to 21%. At the time of writing, 18 patients were still being followed up and 3 (10%) had died. AIs exist in many countries. Clues of diagnosis of non-infectious pulmonary involvement are a patient presenting with chronic respiratory symptoms, crackles at physical examination, negative sputum smear,and unusual chest X-ray abnormality for tuberculosis

Les leucémies lymphoides chroniques au CHU Yalgado Ouedraogo de Ouagadougou

20 cas de leucemie lymphoide chronique (LLC) ont ete diagnostiquees entre janvier 1995 et juin 2003 au Centre Hospitalier et Universitaire (CHU) Yalgado Ouedraogo de Ouagadougou au Burkina Faso. On y a compte 14 femmes et 6 hommes (doit deux femmes pour un homme) dont l'age moyen a ete de 53; 8 ans. Les patients ont chaque fois mis un long delai entre la survenue du premier symptome et la presentation a la consultation. Le motif de consultation le plus frequent a ete une masse abdominale en rapport a une splenomegalie associes ou non a des adenopathies. La lymphocytose sanguine en moyenne de 53.250/mm3 (extremes : 12;910-387.000/mm3) et l'anemie ont ete les perturbations biologiques essentielles. Sur les 20 observations; 16 etaient de mauvais pronostic car classees aux stades III et IV de Rai