[Zenker´s diverticulum in a hemodialysis patient]. / Diverticule de Zenker chez une patiente en hémodialyse.

Zenker's diverticulum is a rare and generally benign condition. Its occurrence in a hemodialysis patient has therapeutic and prognostic implications and is a risk factor for mortality and morbidity due to its complications, such as protein-energy malnutrition and pneumonitis. We here report a case of Zenker's diverticulum diagnosed in a chronic haemodialysis patient. The study involved a 61-year-old female patient admitted with upper gastrointestinal bleeding associated with dysphagia. Physical examination showed alteration of general condition and the patient reported an average weight loss of 5 kg in 3 months. Esophagogastroduodenal transit was characterized by dilatation of the cervical esophagus, appearing as a large heterogeneous niche whose upper pole was at the level of the pharyngoesophageal junction. The diagnosis of Zenker's diverticulum was retained. Diverticulectomy by cervical incision was performed. The patient died due to inhalational lung disease in the early postoperative period. Zenker diverticulum is a rare, generally benign disease, but in patients undergoing chronic haemodialysis, it increases mortality and morbidity.

[Evaluation of cardiac complications among chronic hemodialysis in Dakar]. / Evaluation des complications cardiaques chez les hémodialysés chroniques de Dakar.

INTRODUCTION: Hemodialysis is the first extrarenal treatment method that allowed supporting patients in terminal chronic failure in Senegal since 1997. 25 years later, we conducted this study to determine the type and the prevalence of different cardiovascular complications and identify the main cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: It is a retrospective study of 4 years. 38 patients treated at least 6 months in hemodialysis and cardiovascular explorations with a front chest x-ray, electrocardiogram and cardiac ultrasound. All patients who have not started hemodialysis, treated less than 6 months in hemodialysis, treaties in peritoneal dialysis or having raised cardiovascular explorations were excluded. For each selected patient, we collected data epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical and evolutionary aspects of cardiovascular complications. RESULTS: 38 patients were included in this study. The average age was 52 years ± 12.85 and the sex ratio H/F of 1.53. Initial nephropathy was dominated by the néphroangiosclérose followed by diabetic nephropathy. Clinically the signs of appeal are marked by the effort dyspnea palpitations, chest pain and physically by the HTA, anemia. Cardiovascular complications were dominated by hypertrophy (LVH) left ventricular, rhythm type of arrhythmia disorders valvular leakage (mitral and tricuspid) and cerebral vascular accident (stroke). The average impact of LVH according the HTA is 81%, by sex of 78.26% for men and 60% for women. At the end of the study, 27 patients were pursuing hemodialysis and 11 had died 6 (54%) of cardiovascular cause. CONCLUSION: Hemodialysis is a common purification technique in Senegal and its complications remain especially dominated by abuses cardiovascular.

Current indication of plasma exchanges in nephrology: a systematic review.

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) has been firstly performed with centrifugation devices used in blood banking procedures. Nowadays, TPE is increasingly performed in intensive care units using hemodiafiltration generators that ensure better efficiency and simplicity. However, prescription for the different medical pathologies depends on weak evidence-based recommendations, and is often guided by the clinician's own experience. In this review, we briefly recall the rationale of TPE prescription before discussing the evidence level of common indications of TPE in nephrology. Currently, strong evidence-based data for the benefit of TPE is clearly demonstrated in renal diseases such as hemolytic uremic syndrome, anti-glomerular basement membrane vasculitis, and recurrent glomerulonephritis after kidney transplantation and management of humoral renal allograft rejection in high-risk recipients. However, the other indications of TPE, such as renal vasculitis associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies, mixed cryoglobulinemia, periarteritis nodosa, and acute renal failure in myeloma are still controversial. Finally, TPE have been found to be clearly inefficient in lupus nephritis, except for patients with associated thrombotic mic-roangiopathy or catastrophic antiphospholipid antibodies syndrome. More randomized clinical trials are required to precisely place TPE in the management of renal diseases. Meanwhile, the decision to use this burdensome and costly therapy should be individualized according to its proven benefits and potential complications.

Histopathological profiles of nephropathies in senegal.

Few data from West Africa are available on the prevalence of the different kidney diseases. One hundred fifteen patients underwent renal biopsy in the nephrology department in Dakar from 1993 to 1998. Nephrotic syndrome was the main indication of biopsy (67%). The primary nephropathies were found in 69.5% of the patients, the secondary nephropathies in 23.5% and unclassified nephropathies in 7%. Of the primary nephropathies, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis was found in 47% of the patients followed by membranous glomerulopathy in 12.5%. Secondary nephropathies were dominated by lupus nephritis followed by tubulo-interstitial toxic nephritis, misnamed as "tropical nephropathy", due to the intake of local home remedies.