Evaluation of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay for the diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis in Madagascar.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of the implementation of a commercial rapid molecular diagnostic test (Xpert MTB/RIF) for the routine diagnosis of smear-negative or extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and its diagnostic accuracy, and to assess HIV prevalence in a real-life setting in Madagascar. This study was set in a tertiary care hospital in Madagascar. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted of all consecutive cases with suspected smear-negative and/or extrapulmonary TB over a 2-year period. Cases were classified as proven, probable, or possible TB cases, or as having an alternative diagnosis. RESULTS: Of the 363 patients included, 183 (50.4%) had suspected smear-negative pulmonary TB and 180 (49.6%) had suspected extrapulmonary TB. For proven cases, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of Xpert MTB/RIF were 82.4%, 98.8%, 98.3%, and 86.6%, respectively; for proven and probable cases grouped together, these values were 65%, 98.8%, 98.5%, and 64%, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy was slightly lower for extrapulmonary TB compared to smear-negative pulmonary TB. The prevalence of HIV infection was 12.1%, but almost half of these cases did not have TB (alternative diagnosis group). CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a rapid diagnosis programme for TB in a resource-poor setting is feasible. The performance of the Xpert-MTB/RIF was remarkable in this difficult-to-diagnose population. HIV prevalence in this study was much higher than the prevalence reported in the general population in Madagascar, in patients with TB and patients with conditions other than TB.

[Huge aspergilloma developed within a zone of scleroderma-related pulmonary fibrosis]. / Volumineux aspergillome développé au sein d'une lésion de fibrose pulmonaire secondaire à une sclérodermie.

In pulmonary aspergilloma, Aspergillus colonizes and proliferates as a saprophyte in deterged cavities deprived of local defense. Although pulmonary tuberculosis constitutes the one well-know predisposing factor, other causes can create favorable conditions. We describe a first published case of a huge aspergilloma which developed within a zone of pulmonary fibrosis secondary to systemic scleroderma. The patient was a 58-year-old woman in poor general health who experienced repeated episodes of hemoptysis and dyspnea. Physical examination disclosed sclerodactyly, generalized cutaneous sclerosis and Raynaud's phenomenon. There was no clinical history of pulmonary tuberculosis or bronchectasis. Aspergillosis serology was positive. Broncho-alveolar liquid was positive for Aspergillus fumigatus at direct examination and after culture. Immunological assessment confirmed scleroderma. The chest computed tomography scan showed a huge oblong-shaped opacity in the upper left lobe which had developed within a zone of pulmonary fibrosis. Medical management was instituted. The clinical course was marked by repeating hemoptysis and the stability of pulmonary lesions after two years. Management of scleroderma-related pulmonary aspergiloma remains difficult and complicated. Prognosis depends on the course of both conditions, scleroderma and aspergillosis.

[Post-malaria neurological syndrome complicating a Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Madagascar]. / Syndrome neurologique postpaludisme compliquant un paludisme simple à Plasmodium falciparum à Madagascar.

Post-malaria neurological syndrome is a rare complication of malaria. Typically, it occurs in case of severe malaria. Here we report a case in a Malagasy patient presenting a non-severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria complicated by post-malaria neurological syndrome. The management of such a syndrome is radically different from non-severe malaria. No specific treatment is needed.

Les tests de diagnostic rapide du paludisme en pratique quotidienne

Le paludisme reste un probleme de sante publique mondial; plus particulierement en Afrique. En 2010; le nombre des cas de paludisme a ete estime a 216 millions; dont 81en Afrique. Le nombre de deces lie paludisme s'est eleve a 655 000; dont 91en Afrique. Une confirmation parasitologique rapide par un examen parasitologique; en moins de 2 heures apres l'arrivee en consultation; est recommandee avant tout traitement antipaludique dans tous les cas suspects de paludisme. Alors qu'en 2009; seulement 20des cas de paludisme declare etaient confirmes par un examen parasitologique; dans les 21 pays sur 42 de la region Organisation Mondiale de la Sante (OMS) Afrique. Le test de diagnostic rapide (RDT) est un test immunochromato-graphique detectant la presence d'un antigene specifique de Plasmodium sp dans le sang en 10 a 15 mn. Il est un outil tres interessant et facile a utiliser pour ameliorer la prise en charge des cas de fievre et du paludisme et constitue un nouvel elan dans la marche vers l'elimination du paludisme. Il existe sur le marche plusieurs types de RDT en fonction du nombre d'antigenes specifiques de Plasmodium sp qu'ils detectent. Ils ont subi de tests d'evaluation de la performance sous l'egide de l'OMS. Depuis quelques annees; les RDT ont pris une place tres importante dans le diagnostic de paludisme. De plus; leurs sensibilites ont depasse largement celles exigees par l'OMS. Le respect de conditions de conservation et d'utilisation est indispensable pour leur fiabilite. L'accessibilite par les formations sanitaires publiques et prives reste a regler pour pouvoir tirer tous les benefices de RDT

[A rare case of huge aspergilloma developed within a lesion of pulmonary fibrosis secondary with a systemic scleroderma in an immunocompetent patient in Madagascar]. / Un cas rare d'aspergillome volumineux développé au sein d'une lésion de fibrose pulmonaire secondaire à une sclérodermie systémique chez une malade immunocompétente à Madagascar.

We report a rare case of a huge aspergilloma developed within a bronchiectasis due to pulling by a pulmonary fibrosis of systemic scleroderma. The patient is a 58-year-old woman presenting a deterioration of the general state associated with repeating hemoptysis, dyspnea, dysphagia, sclérodactylia, generalized cutaneous sclerosis and Raynaud's phenomenon. There was no antecedent pulmonary tuberculosis. The patient had a pulmonary arterial hypertension complicated by a chronic pulmonary heart at the stage of right cardiac decompensation. Aspergillosis serology was positive and the immunological assessment confirmed scleroderma. The computed tomography showed a huge oblong opacity in a small round bell shape ("signe du grelot", Monad's sign) in the left upper lobe developed within a bronchiectasis, and a bilateral pulmonary fibrosis. Although surgery remains the recommended treatment of an aspergilloma, the management of our patient was medical in front of contra-indication for surgery. The evolution was marked by repeating hemoptysis and stability of the pulmonary lesions 2 years later. The management of this entity remains difficult and complicated; the prognosis is in general unfavourable and depends at the same time on the evolution of scleroderma and the aspergilloma infection.

[Severe presentations of Rift Valley Fever in Madagascar]. / Les formes graves de la fièvre de la vallée de Rift pendant l'épidémie à Madagascar.

OBJECTIVE: The authors describe clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of severe presentations of Rift valley fever (RVF) during the 2008 epidemic in Madagascar. METHODOLOGY: The diagnosis was confirmed by RVF virus polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or detection of specifics antibodies by Elisa. RESULTS: Sixteen cases of severe RVF were recorded. The sex-ratio was 7/1 and median age was 32 years (20/59 years). The risk factors of infection were: contact with infected animals or their meat (n=8), and travelling to a risk area (n=2). Hemorrhagic, neurological, and ocular manifestations were observed respectively in 87.5%, 43.8% and 6.3% of cases. All patients who died (n=4) presented with a hemorrhagic form of the disease. CONCLUSION: The hemorrhagic form was the most frequent presentation of RVF and was responsible for a high level of mortality. Epidemiologic surveillance must be implemented.

[Discrimination of HIV infected persons in medical settings in Madagascar]. / Discrimination des personnes infectées par le VIH en milieu médical à Madagascar.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to describe the discrimination profile of healthcare personnel towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in medical settings in Madagascar. METHOD: A prospective, multicentric, descriptive, and analytic study was made with a questionnaire filled in anonymously, between February and August 2009, in 17 Madagascar hospitals (public and private). RESULTS: Thirty-six percent of PLWHA reported that they had been confronted with discrimination in the medical field. The age (30-40 years) and the level of education had an impact on discrimination in our study (p<0.05). Paramedics were the most responsible for discrimination (n=8/13) (61.5 %). Discrimination in the medical field was listed as: refusal of the patient to be managed in the hospital (n=5/27) (18.5 %) because of the fear of discrimination (n=4/5) (80 %) and sharing serological status with healthcare providers. Discrimination by the medical staff was listed as the unjustified use of some tools (stethoscope, tensiometer, thermometer) and by the refusal to manage PLWHA (p>0.05). Fifty-three percent of healthcare providers answered the question on HIV transmission mode correctly. Fifteen percent replied that HIV was transmitted by saliva, and 20 % by physical contact. CONCLUSION: As elsewhere, discrimination of PLWHA in the medical field is present in Madagascar. Fighting discrimination should be included in the strategy against propagation of HIV infection.

Maladie de Wegener : difficulte diagnostique et gravite

La granulomatose de Wegener est une vascularite granulomateuse systemique rare; surtout chez les sujets de race noire. Nous rapportons une observation d'une granulomatose de Wegener revelee par une fievre chronique et une insuffisance renale rapidement progressive. Il n'y avait pas d'atteintes oto-rhino-laryngees ou pulmonaires. La recherche des c-ANCA (specificite antiproteinase 3) etait fortement positive. L'evolution etait rapidement fatale malgre l'instauration d'une corticotherapie a forte dose associee a un bolus de cyclophosphamide. Sans les manifestations classiques oto-rhino-laryngees ou pulmonaires; le diagnostic d'une granulomatose de Wegener est difficile. Le pronostic est defavorable; s'il existe une atteinte renale ou a un taux des ANCA eleves

[Relation between Shistosoma mansoni and hepatosplenomegalies]. / Relation entre Schistosoma mansoni et hépatosplénomégalies à Madagascar.

INTRODUCTION: Although they remain a neglected transmissible disease, affecting mainly people in poor countries, the combined forms of schistosomiasis are second only to malaria as a major parasitic disease. Although both urinary and intestinal schistosomiasis are endemic in Madagascar, this study focuses only on the intestinal forms. The symptoms may remain unnoticed or be ignored, for the seriousness of intestinal schistosomiasis is due mainly to its hepatosplenic complications. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the etiological fraction of Schistosoma mansoni involved in hepatomegaly (HM), splenomegaly (SM) and hepatosplenomegaly (HSM), with or without signs of portal hypertension (PHT). METHODS: This file-based retrospective study includes patients admitted to the University Hospital of Antananarivo, Madagascar, between January 2005 and July 2008, who presented with HM, SM, HSM and/or PHT. The case was attributed to schistosomiasis if blood serology, tested with ELISA, was positive for this parasite. The statistical analysis used three approaches: a cross-sectional approach, a longitudinal approach (retrospective cohort), and a "case-control" approach. RESULTS: Of 7308 admissions during this period, 269 (4%) were diagnosed with a hepatosplenic complication and were retained. The average age (+/- standard deviation) was 47.8 (+/- 16.4) years. HM accounted for 55.4% of cases, SM 18.9%, HTP 18.6% and HSM 18.6%. Serology was positive for schistosomiasis in 21.6% of cases. The sex ratio (men:women) for these cases was 1.9, and 67.3% of the patients were aged 30 years or older. The main schistosomiasis complications were SM (n=22) and HTP (n=22). The age group most affected depended on the specific complication: for HM, 28.6% of patients were aged between 40 and 49 years; for HSM, 57.1% were aged between 30 and 40 years. The prevalence of SM was lower in subjects between 50 and 59 years of age (4.5%) than the other complications. Patients with positive serology results were significantly younger than those with negative results, or whose serology was not checked (37.8 years vs. 50.5 years, p < 0.001). Stratification according to complication showed that the etiological fraction of schistosomiasis was 76% for patients with SM, 79% for HTP, 58% for HSM and 4.9% for HM. The retrospective cohort and the case-control analyses both showed that a history of dysentery and frequent contact with water were the main factors associated with complicated schistosomiasis. It is important to note that urban and rural residents had the same risk of developing schistosomiasis with complications (OR: 0.9 [0.4; 1.9]). CONCLUSION: This study showed that schistosomiasis infection is strongly associated with hepatosplenic pathologies. One of the shortcomings of the study is the absence of any analysis of the course and outcome in the study patients. Nevertheless, the course of oesophageal varices, SM or HSM in patients with HTP indicates that schistosomiasis was often fatal.

[Experience in the use of the malaria rapid diagnostic test in Madagascar]. / Test de diagnostic rapide du paludisme: l'expérience malgache.

Diagnosis of malaria cases depends on parasitological examination. Since 2006, the Department of Infectious Diseases at the Joseph Raseta Befelatanana University Hospital in Madagascar has been using the malaria rapid diagnostic test. The percentage of malaria cases (presumed or confirmed) in relation to the number of hospitalized patients has decreased. It was 23.4% in 2003, 10.3% in 2006 and 4.3% in 2008 (p<0.01532). To improve management of malaria cases and rationalize use of antimalarial agents, diagnosis should be confirmed by rapid diagnostic tests.

[African histoplasmosis in an immunocompetent Malagasy patient.]. / Une histoplasmose africaine chez un patient malgache immunocompétent.

African histoplasmosis is a rare but not an exceptional condition and recently discovered in Madagascar. We report the fifth Malagasy case involving skin and nodes in an immunocompetent patient. Management of African histoplasmosis encountered many problems because of the availability of amphotericin B and cost of the biochemical tests in order to prevent major side effects in case of failure of oral antimycotic drug.

[Epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of severe malaria in adults in hospital in Antananarivo, Madagascar]. / Aspects cliniques et thérapeutiques du paludisme grave de l'adulte en milieu hospitalier a Antanana- rivo, Madagascar.

Few data are available about severe malaria in Madagascar. Our aims were to describe epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic aspects of severe malaria in patients in Antananarivo. We conducted a retrospective study from 1 March 2006 to 31 March 2008 at the infectious disease department. We recorded 61 cases of severe malaria among 1,803 in patients. Sex ratio was 2 and average age was 35.3 years old. Three pregnant women were recorded among women (15.8%). Self-medication was registered in 23%. Among 35 patients who received first medical care, no one had parasitological examination. The treatment was inadequate for all patients (n = 19). Conscience impairment (65.6%), jaundice (24.6%), seizure (18%) and prostration (14.8%) were the major severe signs. Diagnosis was made 6.54 days after the onset of the disease. Mortality rate was 11.5%. Self-medication, inappropriate primary care and delayed diagnosis represented risk factors for severe malaria in our cohort.

Meningites bacteriennes sur une otite moyenne chronique : des urgences particulieres

Urgence medico-chirurgicale; une meningite bacterienne sur otite moyenne chronique comporte; a part les caracteristiques semiologiques reconnues par tous; des quelques particularites interessantes. Trois cas vus avec un delai de 2 a 12 jours entre debut des symptomes et hospitalisation sont rapportes dans ce travail. Deux patients avaient pu beneficier d'une ponction lombaire et un patient d'une mastoidectomie en urgence. L'evolution etait defavorable pour les deux premiers patients. Le pronostic d'une meningite en relation avec une otite est tres severe d'ou l'interet de traiter au plus vite l'etiologie en parallele avec la prise en charge de l'atteinte infectieuse

[Seroprevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in Malagasy population]. / Séroprévalence de l'infection due à Helicobacter pylori dans un échantillon de population malgache.

Helicobacter pylori is a worldwide infection. However very few data are actually available on H. pylori seroprevalence in the Malagasy population. We carried out a transversal study in a sample of persons who met the following criteria: older than 15 years old, presence in the medicine internal unit 2 (University Hospital Center of Antananarivo) during the period of the study whatever the reason. H. pylori infection was identified serologically by using ELISA (G.A.P IgG H. pylori ELISA, Bio-Rad, France). Several factors were evaluated including serological status, demographic information, the reason of the presence in the unit, factors influencing H. pylori infection: socio-economic status, siblings, promiscuity consumption of alcohol, use of tobacco, water source and history of gastroscopy. The presence of clinical symptoms, such as dyspepsia and abdominal pain, was determined. Forty-five men and 45 women were included (mean age: 41.8 +/- 3.4 years). The seroprevalence of H. pylori infection was 82%. H. pylori infection was higher in men than in women (p < 0.02). Promiscuity constituted the principal factor influencing H. pylori infection. The seroprevalence of the H. pylori infection appears to be comparable to the rate encountered in developing countries. Considering this high rate of the H. pylori infection, eradication of H. pylori should be commonly recommended when facing gastrointestinal pathologies potentially induced by H. pylori.