Epidermoid carcinoma complicating chronic osteomyelitis of the femur.

A case of epidermoid carcinoma of the femur that arose in an area affected with chronic osteomyelitis for over 40 years is reported. The incidence of this rare complication has been estimated at 0.23% to 1.6% of all cases of chronic osteomyelitis. Although cases of sarcoma, adenosarcoma, plasmocytoma, and malignant fibrous histiocytoma have been reported, epidermoid carcinoma is the most common cancer type. This tumor develops after 20 to 40 years of chronic infection with a discharging fistula. Epithelialization of the fistulous tract has been demonstrated. The cancer arises in the metaplastic epithelium and can secondarily spread to the bone. Despite the low grade of malignancy of many of these epidermoid carcinomas, pulmonary metastases are not rare. Amputation meeting criteria for oncologic surgery is the only means of ensuring a good prognosis.

[Acute cholecystitis in periarteritis nodosa. 8 cases]. / Les cholécystites aiguës de la périartérite noueuse. Huit observations.

OBJECTIVES: Analyze clinical manifestations and laboratory findings in patients with periarteritis nodosa who developed acute cholecystitis in order to determine their value for prognosis and management. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report 8 cases of acute cholecystitis which revealed or occurred as a complication of periarteritis nodosa. These were 4 men and 4 women, mean age 50 years. Periarteritis nodosa was diagnosed on the basis of histological evidence and/or clinical expression. Complimentary explorations included: sonography of the biliary tree, cholecystogram or cholangiogram in addition to diagnostic work-up for periarteritis nodosa. RESULTS: The clinical or sonographic presentation was similar to common cases of cholecystitis. However, no stone were observed in 2/8 cases. Histologically, the gall bladder showed characteristic vascular lesions suggestive of periarteritis nodosa in 7 out of 8 cases (no operation in 1 case). Cholecystitis was the inaugural sign in 2 cases. Surgery was performed for lithiasic forms. Medical management with methylprednisolone i.v. was used successfully in the alithiasic forms. In the 2 cases with inaugural solitary acute cholecystitis. lithiasis was found in the surgical specimen in 1 case; the pathology examination gave the etiological diagnosis. There was no lithiasis in one case with inaugural cholecystitis. CONCLUSIONS: The development of acute cholecystitis in patients with periarteritis nodosa is uncommon but should be treated surgically in case of lithiasis or when the cholecystitis is the inaugural sign. Unlike digestive tract involvement, periarteritis nodosa does not aggravate the clinical course. Alithiasic forms may be treated medically with corticosteroids. In our opinion, therapeutic abstention, sometimes proposed in patients with necrotizing angiitis of the gall bladder, is not always indicated as some patients can benefit from medical treatment of the underlying periarteritis nodosa.