[Cervical lymph node tuberculosis: diagnosis and treatment]. / Tuberculose lymphonodale cervicale: prise en charge diagnostique et thérapeutique.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the advantages of surgery for diagnosis and treatment of cervical lymph node tuberculosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study from 1st January 1998 to 31st December 2007 including 30 patients with cervical lymph node tuberculosis. The population included 60% autochthones with a mean age of 47.1 years and a female predominance (73.33%). RESULTS: The lymph nodes were most often supraclavicular, unilateral, firm, and a mean 3 cm at its largest span. Lymph nodes were excised for diagnosis in 22 patients, which demonstrated specific granulomatous and giant cell lesions with caseous necrosis in 21 patients out of 22. Five abscessed adenopathies required surgical drainage, and three cases required repeated lymph node cleaning after well-conducted medical treatment. CONCLUSION: Surgery retains an important place in the diagnosis and treatment of cervical lymph node tuberculosis.

[Postoperative complications in total thyroidectomy for Graves disease: comparison with multinodular benign goiter surgery]. / Complications postopératoires dans la thyroïdectomie totale pour maladie de Basedow: comparaison avec la chirurgie des goitres non basedowiens.

OBJECTIVES: To study and compare postoperative complications of total thyroidectomy for Graves disease and multinodular benign goiters. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study on 176 patients (37 with Graves disease and 139 with multinodular benign goiters) over a period of 41 months was conducted. Postoperative calcemia and laryngeal palsy as well as hemorrhagic and infectious complications were studied and statistically compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference concerning the occurrence of postoperative laryngeal palsy, hypoparathyroidism or hemorrhagic complications between these two groups of patients. Only a more frequent immediate postoperative hypocalcemia (day 1) in the Graves disease group was found. CONCLUSION: Total thyroidectomy in the surgical management of Graves disease, after a cautious medical preoperative preparation, appears to be a safe technique. Total thyroidectomy must be performed instead of subtotal thyroidectomy in order to avoid recurrences.

Parapharyngeal abscess: diagnosis and treatment.

To study the circumstances of diagnosis, predisposing factors, bacteriology and therapeutic management of parapharyngeal abscesses. This retrospective study over a period of 7 years concerned 16 patients hospitalized in an ENT and Head and Neck surgery department for parapharyngeal abscess. All patients were treated by intravenous antibiotics and steroids for 5-7 days. The length of hospital stay was 6-15 days. Parapharyngeal abscesses associated with peritonsillar and retropharyngeal abscess were all initially aspirated transorally for evacuation and bacteriologic examination. Five patients underwent surgical drainage (two via cervical incision, three by immediate tonsillectomy techniques and one by intra-oral drainage). Two patients presented jugular vein thrombosis. No life-threatening complication was observed. Patients were considered to be cured when cervical CT scan performed on D21-45 was normal. Parapharyngeal abscess is the second most common deep neck abscess after peritonsillar abscess. The diagnosis is both clinical and radiologic. CT scan is the best imaging examination for diagnosis and follow-up of parapharyngeal abscess. Non-complicated parapharyngeal abscesses require first-line medical management (intravenous antibiotics (amoxicillin and clavulanic acid) combined with steroids) and follow-up CT scan.

Pseudo-Zollinger--Ellison syndrome in a child presenting with anemia.

Pseudo-Zollinger--Ellison syndrome appears to very rarely afflict young children. Hypergastrinemia, regardless of the etiology, presents with signs and symptoms of nonhealing or multiple gastric or duodenal ulcers, or both. We present a 7-yr-old boy with fasting hypergastrinemia (serum gastrin 200-500 pg/ml) who had mild to moderate iron deficiency anemia, but was asymptomatic. Stool guaiac was positive and gastric acid secretion was almost 40-fold above normal. Endoscopy showed multiple small gastric fundal ulcerations and severe gastritis. Workup for Zollinger--Ellison syndrome was negative. Changes in serum gastrin levels after secretin injection and after ingestion of a protein meal were compatible with those noted in adults with pseudo-Zollinger--Ellison syndrome. This child may be the first case of pseudo-Zollinger--Ellison syndrome under the age of 17 yr.