Mortality of diabetic on chronic dialysis in Tunisia.

Survival rates of diabetic patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) are reported to be poorer in Tunisia than in developed countries. This study aims to specify the epidemio-logical, clinical, and biological characteristics of diabetic disease, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and comorbidities at the initiation of HD and investigate factors associated with mortality during the dialysis period. We retrospectively analyzed the outcome of diabetic patients who were initiated on HD from 2007 to 2012 at the Rabta Hospital of Tunis. During the follow-up period, all morbid events and deaths were recorded. Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were performed to identify risk factors associated with mortality in our population. The study population included 142 patients. The mean age was 58.7 ± 11.9 years. The sex ratio male/female was 1.4. One hundred and twenty-seven patients were type 2 diabetics (89.4%). Diabetic nephropathy was the main initial nephropathy (87.3%). CKD was diagnosed at Stages 4 or 5 in 95.1% of cases. HD was started in emergency conditions in 68.6% of cases. The one-year and the five-year survival rates were 42% and 17%, respectively. At initiation of HD, low socioeconomic status (P = 0.001), advanced age (P = 0.008), low body mass index (P = 0.04), history of stroke (P = 0.04), peripheral neuropathy (P = 0.02), initial vascular access (P = 0.03), secondary hyperpara-thyroidism (P = 0.03), nephrotic-range proteinuria (P = 0.01), and glycated hemoglobin ≤7% (P = 0.03) were associated with higher mortality rate. During dialysis period, cardiovascular events (P = 0.02), infectious complications (P = 0.04), and secondary hyperparathyroidism (P = 0.04) were significantly more noticeable among deceased patients. Due to poor survival rates of diabetic patients on HD, prevention, early detection, and management of diabetic CKD patients should be the way to go forward.

[Kaposi sarcoma in a patient with ANCA vasculitis requiring hemodialysis]. / Sarcome de kaposi compliquant une vascularite à ANCA en hémodialyse chronique.

INTRODUCTION: Iatrogenic Kaposi's sarcoma is widely reported after transplantation. Less commonly, it occurs in patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy for ANCA associated vasculitis. We report here the rare association of Kaposi's sarcoma, prurigo nodularis and ANCA associated vasculitis in a hemodialysis patient. CASE REPORT: We describe a 58-year-old woman who presented granulomatosis with polyangeiitis with alveolar hemorrhage and renal failure requiring hemodialysis. She developed cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma seven weeks after the beginning of immunosuppressive therapy. Biological tests showed negative HHV8 virus infection. Lesions of Kaposi's sarcoma responded to a discontinuation of immunosuppressive drugs and a decreasing dosage of corticosteroids. CONCLUSION: Our case showed that the immunosuppressed state related to multiple factors such as underlying disease, immunosuppressive therapy and hemodialysis may all have contributed to the development of this neoplastic disorder in our patient.

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome: A monocentric adult Tunisian study and review of literature.

Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) is characterized by microvascular thrombosis resulting in thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, and multiorgan dysfunction. It is associated with genetic or acquired disorders of regulatory components of the complement system. For our study, we collected data from 16 patients diagnosed with aHUS between January 2010 and January 2014. The mean age was 33.6 years. The female-to-male ratio was 3. The median follow-up duration was 27 ± 3.5 months. The most common clinical presentation was hypertension. Renal involvement was noted in all cases. Ten patients had extrarenal manifestations. Semi-quantitative dysfunction of the alternative pathway of complement was found in all cases. A genetic study was not available for our patients. During the acute stage, all patients received plasma therapy, and among them, seven required dialysis and five were still on dialysis at the time of discharge. One patient underwent renal transplantation. None of our patients received eculizumab perfusion. The renal survival was inversely correlated to young age (<30 years) (P = 0.001), presence of anti-factor H antibodies (P = 0.003) and serum creatinine at diagnosis >5 mg/dL (P = 0.02). Mortality rate was significantly correlated to young age (<30 years old) (P = 0.01). Collecting multicentric data on adult patients with aHUS will enable better characterization of the spectrum of adult aHUS in our country and the evaluation of current treatments and different outcomes.

[Male sexuality after external continent urinary diversion type Mitrofanoff]. / Étude de la sexualité masculine après dérivation urinaire externe continente de type Mitrofanoff.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the influence of continent external urinary diversion type Mitrofanoff on male sexuality. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1992 and 2011, 140 patients underwent continent urinary diversion type Mitrofanoff at an academic hospital. Among 76 men, 46 were interviewed about their sexuality after this operation. This study was performed using a set of validated questionnaires (IIEF, DAN PSS and Urolife), grouped by the model of the CTMH. Patients were divided according to their marital status: group 1: patients married before surgery (15 cases), group 2: patients married after surgery (7 cases) and group 3: singles (24 cases). RESULTS: In the first group, the functional dimension of sexuality was positive with an overall score of 81%, the sexual discomfort score was assessed at 26 % and the sexual satisfaction score was 77%. In the second group, sexual function was considered conserved in all cases with a satisfaction score estimated at 98%. These patients reported a feeling of well-being following the disappearance of urinary incontinence with integrity of their body images. In contrast, in the last group, relatively impaired sexual function was noted (65%) with a satisfaction score estimated at 59%. These disorders were multifactorial, mainly related to neurological causal pathology. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first study about male sexuality in patients with a continent urinary diversion type Mitrofanoff. Marital status has a major role in the sexuality of these patients. A prospective study with pre- and postoperative evaluation will better clarify the factors affecting sexuality in these patients.

A case of exorbitism in association with Wegener's granulomatosis with renal involvement.

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis involving the nose, paranasal sinuses, lungs, and kidneys. Ocular involvement can occur in about 50% of cases. There are very few reports of WG with orbital inflammation and exorbitism. We report a case of a female patient who presented with exorbitism related to orbital inflammation secondary to WG, with renal involvement. A 29-year-old woman with a previous history of recurrent pan-sinusitis presented with bilateral exophthalmos and renal failure with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. Computed tomography showed extensive bilateral soft tissue in the retro-orbital area. Immunologic tests showed the presence of type-C anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and renal biopsy revealed pauci immune crescentic glomerulonephritis. The patient was treated with corticosteroids and pulses of cyclophosphamide followed by azathioprine and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. After a follow-up of 10 months, the renal outcome was favorable with improvement of renal function but there was persistence of exorbitism and loss of visual function. Our case suggests that WG should be considered in the differential diagnosis of persistent bilateral exophthalmos. Prompt recognition of this early manifestation is important for the institution of early treatment.

[Renal manifestations in tuberous sclerosis]. / Atteinte rénale au cours de la sclérose tubéreuse de Bourneville.

BACKGROUND: Tuberous sclerosis is a rare inherited disease which can involve several organs. Renal involvement is one of the most severe manifestations of the disease. We analysed in this study renal involvement of tuberous sclerosis. METHODS: We studied retrospectively nine cases of tuberous sclerosis with renal involvement diagnosed between 1994 and 2005. The diagnosis was based on the presence of typical extra-renal manifestations and familial history of tuberous sclerosis. RESULTS: There were eight females and one male. Their mean age was 40.8+/-16.4 years (range: 15-62). At first presentation, we noted hypertension in three cases, proteinuria in seven cases, hematuria in eight cases and renal failure in five cases (end stage renal failure in four cases). By ultrasonography, we found angiomyolipoma in one case, cysts in four cases and angiomyolipoma associated to cysts in four cases. Nephrectomy was performed in two patients, in one case for hydronephrosis secondary to urolithiasis and in the other for hemorrhagic complication. In the later, pathological examination revealed renal carcinoma. At last evaluation, two patients were lost to follow-up, one had normal serum creatinine, five were on renal replacement therapy and the latter died from sepsis following kidney removal. CONCLUSIONS: In our patients, renal disease was diagnosed late at chronic renal failure stage. Patients with end-stage renal failure require dialysis and renal transplantation, but we recommend binephrectomy after starting dialysis and before transplantation due to the risk of cancer and bleeding related to angiomyolipomas.