[Plasmacytosis and dengue fever: an underestimated abnormality?]. / Plasmocytose sanguine et dengue: une anomalie biologique sous-estimée?

INTRODUCTION: A significant peripheral blood plasmacytosis is a rare finding associated with viral infections. We reported five consecutive cases of dengue virus infection, with circulating plasma cells. CASE REPORTS: Three women and two men, aged 26 to 75 years, had returned from French West Indies less than one week before the onset of the symptoms (mean: 2.5 days). The transient blood plasmacytosis was variable in intensity (0.1 to 0.8 G/L) with a maximal level between the fourth and the seventh day following the onset of the symptoms, and was associated in four patients, with activated lymphocytes and lympho-plasma cells. CONCLUSION: Reactive plasmacytosis during dengue fever is common and probably underestimated because it is transient and only identified by careful microscopic examination of a blood smear. Plasmacytosis could be explained by the intensity of the immunological response and the production of large amount of interleukins.

[Parasitic infection causing appendicitis]. / Appendicite parasitaire.

Retrospective analysis of the medical records of patients who underwent acute appendectomy in the Gastrointestinal Surgery Department of the Desgenettes Military Hospital in Lyon, France from the 1st of November 2009 to the 21th of February 2011, turned up two cases of appendicular parasitosis for a prevalence of 3.3%. Both patients presented acute appendicular oxyuriasis caused by Enterobius vermicularis that was discovered inadvertently after appendectomy. This unexpected diagnosis raises questions about the exact role of parasites in the physiopathology of appendicitis. Though appendicitis is the most common surgical emergency in France, appendix vermicularis is rare. In comparison, developing countries and particularly endemic areas such as sub-Saharan Africa show considerably higher appendicular parasitosis prevalence rates and greater variety in the parasites involved. The purpose of this article is to describe the different parasites with potential to affect the appendix, to discuss the different pathophysiological mechanisms underlying acute appendicitis, and to recall the need for medical treatment after appendectomy.

[Retroperitoneal pseudotumor related to native brucellosis in France]. / Pseudotumeur rétropéritonéale : la brucellose autochtone reste d'actualité

Despite their rarity, some causes of retroperitoneal granulomatous tumor must be kept in mind. We report a 41-year-old man who presented with a right psoas mass. No spondylitis was associated. The patient had never travelled. He had never eaten foreign exotic fresh aliments. Serology and specific PCR were positive for brucellosis. The course was favorable after a percutaneous drainage and a combined antibiotic therapy (rifampin and doxycycline). Brucellosis is close to be eradicated in France. The large majority of new French cases result from accidental laboratory contamination or from a journey abroad. This case report highlights the possibility of excessively rare native brucellosis cases in France.

[Non-tuberculous systemic granulomatosis mimicking sarcoidosis but related to a specific etiology. Study of 67 cases]. / Granulomatoses systémiques pseudosarcoïdosiques d'étiologie déterminée et non tuberculeuse. Etude de 67 observations.

PURPOSE: Systemic granulomatosis (SG) are frequently encountered in internal medicine. Despite a large list of aetiologies, the investigations remain often negative leading to the diagnosis of atypical sarcoidosis. The spectrum of the causes, as well as evolution of these SG is not clearly delineated in the literature. METHOD: We analyzed the case reports of all but tuberculous GS submitted at the National Meetings of the National French Society of Internal Medicine from 1990 to 2006. RESULTS: Sixty-seven cases were included in the study. The average age at the beginning of the symptoms was 47.8 years and 28.4% of the patients were female. The median diagnostic delay was one year. General symptoms were present in 73.1% of the cases. The involved organs were the liver (46.3%), lungs (25.4%), lymph nodes (22.4%), digestive tract (16.4%), skin (16.4%), spleen (14.9%). The granuloma were detected mainly in the liver (38.8%), lymph nodes (17.9%), bone marrow (16.4%) and lungs (11.9%). Elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate or increased C reactive protein serum levels were noted in 65.6% of the patients. Before diagnosis, 19.4% of the patients received a corticotherapy. The most common diagnoses were infections (65.6%) followed by drugs (19.5%), "toxic substances" or various foreign bodies (5.9%), neoplasias (5.9%) and immune deficiencies (3%). The evolution was favourable in 80% of the cases but 8.3% of the patients died. The disease course of the patients having received a corticotherapy prior to the diagnosis was more unfavourable with a death rate of 45%. CONCLUSION: In atypical sarcoidosis (fever, advanced age, increased acute phase reactants...) a specific aetiology and especially an infectious disease should be ruled out before considering the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Corticotherapy is a factor of poor prognosis.

[Acute aseptic meningitis in adults. Retrospective study of 32 cases]. / Méningites puriformes aseptiques chez l'adulte. Etude rétrospective de 32 cas.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to analyze the characteristics of a series of acute aseptic meningitis (AAM) (defined by sterile cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with more than 10 leucocytes per mm3 and a neutrophilic polynuclear-rich formula). We analysed the initial management, the reasons for antibiotic and/or antiviral treatment, the aetiologies, the need for lumbar puncture and the progression... METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed 32 cases of AAM (out of a total of 130 cases of meningitis) from two departments of internal medicine in Lyon, diagnosed between January 1996 and January 2003. Only the files fulfilling the AAM criteria were retained, selecting those with a minimum neutrophilic polynuclear level of 30% in the CSF. RESULTS: The mean age was 32.6 years (range: 18-75) and predominantly male patients (59%). On admission, 87% of the patients exhibited fever, but only 9% remaining so for 72 hours. Viral syndrome before admission was noted in 59% of cases, with seasonal predilection (summer: 39%, winter: 35%). The motivation for lumbar puncture (LP) was meningeal syndrome (44%), headache (94%) and vomiting (47%). The average rate of neutrophils in the CSF on admission was 63% (range: 30-96). A control LP on Day 3 was performed 16 times (50%): mean PNN rate at 18% (range: 0-80), lymphocyte rate=68% (range: 20-95). Most of the patients (77.4%) had a C reactive protein (CRP) lower than 50 mg/l on admission (range: 5-320). A cerebral scan was performed 10 times (31%) and was abnormal 2 times (multiple cerebral abscesses, possible intracranial hypertension). An antibiotic (84%) and/or antiviral (34%) treatment was initiated. The evolution on Day 3 was favourable (87.5%): no fever, regression of the meningeal syndrome, with a mean duration of hospitalisation of 8.3 days (range: 1-60). Search for Herpes simplex virus and Enterovirus was made with PCR analysis in 20 cases (62.5%): no positivity for the herpes, but 9 for the Enterovirus. The systematic blood cultures were positive only once (staphylococcal infective endocarditis with cerebral abscesses). The diagnosis of bacterial meningitis was evoked 3 times (prior antibiotic treatment). DISCUSSION: The frequency of Enterovirus AAM should encourage this type of investigation in order to withdraw the often initiated anti-infectious treatment rapidly, and hence avoid a second lumbar puncture.

[Hypokalaemic paralysis disclosing hyperthyroidism]. / Paralysie hypokaliémique révélant une hyperthyroïdie.

Thyrotoxic hypokaliaemic paralysis is a rare cause of severe hypokalaemia. We report the case of a 34-year-old Asiatic man who presented in our emergency department an episode of quadriplegia due to low plasma potassium levels. Biological test discovered a Basedow disease, confirmed thyrotoxic paralysis. Intravenously potassium treatment allowed complete recovery from paralysis. Also, the patient received specific medical treatment with antithyroid drugs and propranolol.

[Intestinal pneumatosis. Right colon cystic form with linear aspect on scan]. / Pneumatose intestinale. Forme kystique colique droite d'aspect linéaire au scanner.

INTRODUCTION: Digestive pneumatosis corresponds to the presence of air in a wall of digestive tract. It is common to oppose primary cystic-type pneumatosis, involving the left colon, with linear-type pneumatosis that may affect the whole of the digestive tract. OBSERVATION: In a 41 year-old man presenting with Sharp's syndrome, abdominal pain occurred revealing an isolated right colon pneumatosis. Although abdominal tomodensitometry showed a strictly linear pneumatosis, colposcopy revealed voluminous cysts. CONCLUSION: With this case report, the limits of tomodensitometry in distinguishing linear from cystic forms are apparent. The importance of avoiding surgery is underlined. Our patient presented with a pneumo-peritonitis only requiring medical treatment since this disease generally regresses spontaneously.