Results of long-term continuous subcutaneous octreotide administration in 14 patients with medullary thyroid carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Treatment by octreotide has been suggested in medullary thyroid carcinoma patients with post-surgery metastases. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if the tumoral regression could be improved by a high dose and by prolonged octreotide treatment. DESIGN: Fourteen thyroidectomized patients were studied. All patients had persistently elevated plasma calcitonin levels with normal or elevated carcino-embryonic antigen levels. Five hundred micrograms/day of octreotide were administered by continuous subcutaneous infusion for 90 days. MEASUREMENTS: Plasma calcitonin and carcino-embryonic antigen levels were determined at days -30, -20, -2, -1, 0, +30, +60, +90, +120; morphological extension was evaluated every month. RESULTS: Continuous infusion of octreotide did not induce any significant decrease of calcitonin levels, or any morphological improvement, and had no major undesirable effect. However, in 4/14 patients calcitonin levels fell during treatment (-43, -50, -15, -20%), and in 9 patients calcitonin increased (+22 to +130%) after cessation of therapy. CONCLUSION: Biological or morphological parameters of medullary thyroid carcinoma are not significantly improved in a large series of patients treated by octreotide.

[Prognostic factors of hypereosinophilic syndrome. Study of 40 cases]. / Facteurs pronostiques du syndrome hyperéosinophilique. Etude de 40 observations.

Forty patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES), defined according to the criteria established by Chusid et al., were studied retrospectively in order to determine the prognostic factors in this heterogeneous disease. A myeloproliferative syndrome (MPS) was diagnosed 17 times when splenomegaly and/or a greater than 5 times the normal vitamin B12, level existed. Cutaneous-visceral involvement was almost always present (95%), but could appear after several years of evolution. Twenty-three patients had cardiac involvement, determined by clinical, radiological, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic examinations; 12 of these had endomyocardiac fibrosis. The overall survival rate was 80% at 5 years and 42% at 10 and 15 years. Among the factors evaluated that are capable of influencing this survival, 5 were found to impair the prognosis; presence of an MPS; non-response of the hypereosinophilia to corticoids; existence of a cardiopathy; being male; and an elevated maximum eosinophilia; the last two factors were significantly associated with the cardiopathy. Because hematological or cardiac anomalies are not always present at the time of the first examination, HES patients require very close surveillance.

[Effects of subcutaneous administration of sandostatine (SMS 201.995) in 18 cases of thyroid medullary cancer]. / Effets de l'administration sous cutanée de la sandostatine (SMS 201.995) en sous cutané dans 18 cas de cancer médullaire du corps thyroïde.

Recent studies have suggested that somatostatin could reduce calcitonin plasma levels (CT) in normal subjects and in medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). The aim of this study was to examine the usefulness of the somatostatin analog, sandostatine (SMS 201.995) in MTC with elevated residual CT levels post-thyroidectomy with or without metastases. 18 patients (17-64 years, 12 men and 8 women) with CT greater than 850 pg/ml (N less than 150 pg/ml) and with metastases in 12 cases, were studied. MTC was sporadic in 11 cases, familial in 4 cases and of undefined form in 3. Initial posology was 300 micrograms/d of sandostatin (3 injections/day). It was then increased by 300 micrograms/d every 9 day till a maximum of 1500 micrograms/d. Treatment duration was 37 days in 11 cases and 60 days in 7 cases. Plasma CT and carcinoembryonic antigen levels (CEA) were measured before treatment and at the end of each dosage plateau. Morphologic evaluation of metastases was done at 0, 30, 60 days. 7/18 patients were reevaluated 2 to 8 months after with drawal of sandostatine. Treatment was well tolerated. Flushes improved in 4 out of 5 cases but diarrhea in only 2 out of 9 patients. Sandostatine was without any effect on plasma CEA. Heterogenous responses were observed for plasma CT levels (CT decreases greater than 20% in 8/18 patients when 900 to 1500 micrograms/day were administered). Patients were subdivised into 3 groups according to CEA levels and presence or absence of metastases. Group A (n = 9) had elevated CEA levels (greater than 10 mg/ml) and metastases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Granulomatous hepatitis in cytomegalovirus infection in healthy adults]. / Les hépatites granulomateuses au cours des infections à cytomégalovirus chez l'adulte sain.

The authors report 16 cases of cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease in previously healthy adults. Constant features included pyrexia lasting 3 to 8 weeks and mononucleosis occurring 2-3 weeks after the onset of fever. Moderate hepatomegaly without jaundice, splenomegaly and morbilliform or petechial rush were observed in 30 to 50 p. 100 of cases. None had pharyngitis. Mild increase in serum transaminase activity (2 to 5 N) was present in 13 of the 16 patients, but increased alkaline phosphatase activity was observed in only 3 of them. Liver biopsy was obtained in 10 patients. Liver lesions were characterised by the association of intra lobular granuloma, abundant mononuclear cells in the sinusoids and hepatic peri-venous inflammation but hepatocellular necrosis was not prominent. Typical intracellular inclusions were not seen, either in hepatocytes or in cells of biliary ducts. The diagnosis was ascertained by positive viremia and or viruria and presence of IgM antibodies. The outcome was favourable although clinical and biological signs lasted for about 8 weeks. The authors conclude that adults with chronic pyrexia, no pharyngitis and sub-clinical hepatitis with mild increases in transaminase activity and histologic mononucleosis hepatitis showing mononuclear infiltrates and granuloma formation are likely to have CMV disease.

[Multiple hypersecreting lesions of the parathyroid glands during treatment with lithium]. / Lésions hypersécrétantes multiples des parathyroïdes au cours d'un traitement par le lithium.

A 64 year old woman had been on lithium carbonate for 12 years for manico-depressive psychosis. Mild asthenia leads to the diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism based on the findings of hypercalcemia up to 2.85 mmol/l inappropriate levels of parathormone and a non-suppressive rise of nephrogenic cyclic AMP. These symptoms were not relieved by removal of a chief cell adenoma of the left inferior parathyroid; surgical reexploration leads to the removal of an adenoma in a high, ectopic situation. Further venous samplings were collected during cervico mediastinal phlebography because of persistent hypercalcemia: parathormone levels were high in a thymic vein and a new cervicotomy revealed a fifth gland with an adenoma in the high mediastinum. After removal of the third adenoma, the patient became hypocalcemic. Lithium was not discontinued according to the patient's wishes. Eighteen months later she was well and normocalcemic on alfacalcidol therapy. Multiple adenomas of the parathyroids are rare (1.7 p. 100 to 5 p. 100) and the recurrence of an adenoma on a supernumerary gland is exceptional. Eighteen clinical cases of primary hyperparathyroidism under lithium therapy have been reported, but mild asymptomatic hypercalcemia with inappropriate increased parathormone levels seems to be more common. Duration of treatment is very variable: 1 day to 12 years, and serum calcium levels or up to 3.9 mmol have been observed. Ten patients underwent cervicotomy with removal of an adenoma 6 of them remaining under treatment, with 2 recurrences in our case. Five of the 8 non-operated patients remained on lithium therapy and showed mild hypercalcemia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[The treatment of tracheobronchial amyloidosis using a bronchial laser. Apropos of a series of 13 cases]. / Le traitement de l'amylose trachéo-bronchique par broncho-laser. A propos d'une série de treize cas.

We have encountered and successfully treated thirteen cases of tracheobronchial amyloidosis using a laser. The clinical data, radiology, endoscopic and histological appearance of these patients were similar to that described in the literature (48 published cases). A YAG laser was used, introduced through a rigid bronchoscope. The principal difficulties of this type of resection were related to the oozing of blood which they caused. Only lesions in the trachea, main and lobar bronchi could be destroyed. 8 of the 9 patients followed for sufficiently long were clearly improved but a patient whose lesions were very diffuse did not experience any benefit. The laser seems to us above all to be indicated when there is considerable obstruction by amyloid, limited to the trachea and/or several of the major bronchi.

[Diagnostic value of the determination of nephrogenic cyclic AMP, and the value of cervical echography for localization in primary hyperparathyroidism. 13 cases]. / Intérêt diagnostique de la détermination de l'AMP cyclique néphrogénique et valeur localisatrice de l'échographie du cou dans l'hyperparathyroïdie primaire. Treize observations.

The authors report the cases of 13 patients with parathyroid adenomas and hyperparathyroidism. They estimate that this disease may be observed in about 70/100,000 patients hospitalised in a non-specialised medical department. In four of these patients, the disease was asymptomatic while only four patients presented with symptomatic renal stones. In five patients, immuno reactive parathyroid hormone levels were within normal limits. In contrast, nephrogenic cyclic AMP, measured in 11 patients, was found to be increased in the totality of these patients and could not be decreased by the administration of calcium. An ultrasonographic examination of the neck, performed in 11 patients, showed the adenomas in 6 patients; in three other patients they were located in the neck but measured less than 1 cm in their greater diameter and in other two patients the adenomas were located in the thymus.

[Malignant lymphoma initially of the buttocks: possible role of repeated intramuscular injections]. / Lymphome malin initialement fessier: rôle possible des injections intra-musculaires répétées.

The authors report the case of a patient who received intramuscular injections of bismuth and penicilline for three consecutive years. Twenty-five years later, a lymphoma of the right buttock developed. The tumor was treated with radiotherapy and remained localized for two years. It then diffused to lungs, maxilla and skin. The occurrence of a lymphoma in muscles is thought to be exceptionnal. It has been suggested that lymphomas may develop at the site of silicone injections or of protracted infections. Fibrosarcomas have been reported after intramuscular injections of iron. The observations may suggest that the muscular lymphoma observed in our patient may have been related to the injections of bismuth performed twenty-five years earlier.

[Bronchocentric granulomatosis. A new case and review of the literature]. / Granulomatose bronchocentrique. Nouvelle observation et revue de la littérature.

One the basis of one case, a review is undertaken of this recently described condition. The special interest of this case lies in its reticulo-nodular type radiological appearances and above all the presence of aspergillus within the lesions, rarely reported in non-asthmatics.

[Iatrogenic colitis during flucytosine treatment for neuromeningeal cryptococcosis]. / Colite iatrogène au cours d'un traitement par la flucytosine pour cryptococcose neuroméningée.

The authors report a case of colitis, with anatomo-clinical confrontation, during a treatment with flucytosine. In this fatal colitis, there were neither ulcerations nor pseudo-membranes. The histological data, with significant cytonuclear lesions, were consistent with a toxic-induced disorder of protein synthesis.

[Prevention of thrombosis by Hemoclar. Preliminary results of a test in a patient with antithrombin III deficiency]. / Prévention des thromboses par l'Hémoclar. Résultats préliminaires d'un essai chez une malade atteinte de déficit en antithrombine III.

We report here preliminary results of a study comparing the effect of Hemoclar and antithrombin III (AT III) in a patient with an AT III congenital deficiency. Both drugs inhibit thrombin generation in the patient's plasma. Unlike AT III, Hemoclar also inhibits factor Xa generation. This led us to propose the use of Hemoclar, which acts via an AT III independent pathway, to prevent thrombosis in A III deficient patients.