Subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum following dental extraction.

A case of acute subcutaneous emphysema of the lateral region of the neck is described. The patient, a 26-year-old woman, also had radiologic evidence of pneumomediastinum. She completely recovered in a few days under prophylactic antibiotherapy. In this case, subcutaneous and mediastinal emphysema was most probably due to the introduction of air into the soft tissue during dental surgery using compressed air equipment.

[Squamous erythema annulare centrifugum]. / Erythème annulaire centrifuge squameux.

A case of squamous erythema annulare centrifugum has been observed. It was characterized by striking clinical features and peculiar histological findings, including necrosis of keratinocytes. A search for causative factors was negative. Treatment with tar ointment (Brocq) rapidly resulted in dramatic healing of the lesions; however, the usual features of annular psoriasis were absent in our case.

[Leg cellulitis caused by Aeromonas hydrophila. Medical treatment]. / Cellulite de jambe à Aeromonas hydrophila. Traitement médical.

A case of cellulitis of the leg caused by Aeromonas hydrophila in a cirrhotic patient is reported. The starting point of the infection could not be determined with certainty, but a direct local inoculation during foot-baths was suspected. Because of clinical signs suggestive of erysipelas, the disease was initially treated without success with penicillin G, which raises questions concerning the choice of the initial antibiotic therapy for cellulitis of the leg in immunocompromised patients, pending the bacteriological results. A purely medical treatment (adequate antibiotic therapy) resulted in complete cure of this patient, despite the fact that his lesions were necrotizing.

[Erysipelas: epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic data (111 cases)]. / Erysipèle: données épidémiologiques, cliniques et thérapeutiques. (111 observations).

A retrospective study of 111 patients admitted to the Dermatology department of the Bichat hospital, Paris, between 1981 and 1988 for treatment of erysipelas revealed the following data: 1. Erysipelas was located on the lower limbs in 88.3 p. 100 of the cases and on the face in only 9.8 p. 100. 2. Facilitating and/or aggravating factors were: portal of entry in 75 p. 100 of the cases; impairment of venous and lymphatic circulations (41 p. 100); diabetes mellitus (13.5 p. 100); alcoholism and its socio-economic consequences (29 p. 100); unnecessary prescription of anti-inflammatory agents (11 p. 100). 3. Insufficient consideration was given to the clinical diagnosis: in 7.2 p. 100 of the patients erysipelas was diagnosed either after failure of heparin therapy or because phlebography was normal; some clinical features, notably bullae (30 p. 100) or purpura on the lower limbs (13 p. 100), confused the physicians. Delayed treatment was the main cause of local complications, such as abscess (4 cases) or focal cutaneous necrosis (4 cases). Erysipelas was recurrent in 23.5 p. 100 of the patients. 4. Bacteriological data in this series were insufficient to establish percentages of responsible organisms. However, penicillin G in mean doses of 12 million units per day administered intravenously for 5.5 days, then intramuscularly for 10 days was effective as first-line treatment in 80 p. 100 of the cases. Penicillin therapy may fail in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes or belated treatment with complications. No thromboembolic complication was observed (89 p. 100 of patients with lower limb erysipelas had received anticoagulants). There was only one death due to a severe underlying condition.

[A combination of mycosis fungoides and chronic myeloid leukemia. Apropos of a case]. / Association mycosis fongoïde et leucémie myéloïde chronique. A propos d'un cas.

The coexistence of a T-cell lymphoma with a myelodysplatic syndrome seems to be exceptional. In the case reported here the diagnostic problems raised by the appearance of cutaneous nodules in a patient with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) were solved by histo-immunological examinations. A 70-year old male patient had been presenting since 1976 with a psoriasis-like skin disease. He was first seen at the Argenteuil hospital in 1984. Physical examination showed psoriasiform finger-like erythemato-squamous lesions, infiltrated plaques and an ulcerated tumoral swelling of the right elbow. A diagnosis of mycosis fungoides was made on histological and immunological examination results. At histology, this epidermotropic lymphoma was peculiar in that the atypical infiltrate was clearly centred on vessels. Electron microscopy confirmed that the vascular walls were invaded by the mycosis cells. Additional examinations showed hyperleucocytosis and myelaemia which were rapidly attributed to a chronic myelocytic leukaemia since the Philadelphia chromosome was present and the leucocytes had a low alkaline phosphatase score. Bone marrow biopsy disclosed a myeloproliferative syndrome of the CML type. Biopsy of a right axillary lymph node showed myelocytic infiltration associated with dermopathic lymphadenitis. There were no circulating Sezary cells, and a search for extension proved negative. From May, 1984 to June, 1985 the patient's CML was treated with busulfan which produced blood and bone marrow remission. The skin lesions were treated first with mechlorethamine, then with topical corticosteroids. Superficial electron therapy was applied to the tumoral lesions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)