ABSTRACT
Posterior facet arthritis is rarely described. The authors report a case of arthritis of the posterior lumbar facet in a woman consulting for back pain associated with relative functional impairment. Modern imaging, in slices, enables better examination of the posterior arch and better diagnosis of pathologies. Tuberculosis is one of the conditions affecting the posterior lumbar facet, and its characteristics on MRI are well-defined. This case shows that tuberculosis is a not uncommon cause of posterior facet arthritis and should be considered even before the appearance of clinical and bacteriological signs to avoid catastrophic situations for the patient.
Subject(s)
Arthritis, Infectious/microbiology , Tuberculosis, Spinal/diagnostic imaging , Zygapophyseal Joint/microbiology , Adult , Arthritis, Infectious/diagnosis , Burkina Faso , Female , Humans , Low Back Pain/etiology , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Zygapophyseal Joint/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a rare tumor, representing about 0.1% of skin malignant tumors. It is characterized by local aggressiveness with significant potential for recurrence. Although metastasis is rare, it does occur. We report a case of a Burkinabe woman with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. CASE PRESENTATION: A 27-year-old Burkinabe woman consulted our institution for a recurrent scalp nodule that had been evolving for 13 years. At clinical examination, she was in good condition with a dry cough. An atrophic scarring alopecic plaque of 15-cm diameter in the right parietal region of the scalp, topped by an erythematous firm nodule measuring 3 × 2 × 2 cm, was noted, as well as a mobile nodule located in the axillary tail of the right breast. Cerebral computed tomodensitometry had not objectified the reach of the vault or the brain. A thoracic scan revealed four intrathoracic tissue masses straight to pleural touch. There were no evolutionary lesions in the abdominopelvic region. Histopathologic examination of the biopsy of the scalp nodule showed a proliferation of fibrous background, with fusiform cells carrying a storiform appearance. These cells had dark, elongated nuclei and showed some mitosis without atypia. The cells expressed CD34 intensely and diffusely. The test results were negative for PS100 and smooth muscle actin. The breast nodule showed the same profile as the scalp nodule. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded on the diagnosis of scalp dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans with breast metastasis and probable pleuropulmonary metastasis.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/secondary , Dermatofibrosarcoma/pathology , Lung Neoplasms/secondary , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology , Pleural Neoplasms/secondary , Scalp/pathology , Skin Neoplasms/pathology , Adult , Alopecia/pathology , Antigens, CD34/metabolism , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Biopsy , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Cough/etiology , Dermatofibrosarcoma/therapy , Female , Humans , Imatinib Mesylate/therapeutic use , Lung Neoplasms/pathology , Pleural Neoplasms/pathology , Prognosis , Skin Neoplasms/therapy , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
A man consults for abdominal pain and fever. The diagnosis is suspected on a plain abdominal radiograph.
Un homme consulte pour des douleurs abdominales et une fièvre. Le diagnostic est évoqué sur une radiographie de l'abdomen sans préparation.
