CT of malignant anal canal tumors.

Radiation therapy of malignant neoplasms of the anal canal has promising results in the majority of patients if the disease is limited at initial diagnosis. Computed tomography (CT), especially when performed with contrast material injected intravenously, is valuable in the pre- and posttreatment assessment of the anorectal musculature and perirectal nodes. The authors review the anatomy of the anorectal area and their experience with CT evaluation of anal canal cancer in a series of 26 patients. They also discuss their experience with treatment of this cancer in a series of 48 patients.

[Percutaneous bone puncture biopsy with trocar. Apropos of 60 cases]. / Ponction biopsie osseuse percutanée au trocart. A propos de 60 observations.

Deep bone biopsies were performed in 58 patients over the last 2 years, in a radiology department in Tours, France, under television screen control. Data obtained included pathologic, cytologic and bacteriologic features in the 60 biopsies conducted, localization being the spine in 52 cases (12 dorsal, 36 lumbar, 4 sacroiliac) and the pelvis 8 times. Etiology was a tumoral process in 15 cases (14 metastases and 1 reticulosarcoma), 7 infectious processes including 2 cases of tuberculosis, 26 cases of decalcifying degenerative osteopathies, 1 Paget's disease, 1 ankylosing spondylitis and 1 bone infarct. Biopsy was unsuccessful in 9 cases, the success rate being an overall 85%. Complications were not observed. Conducted under local anesthesia, deep bone biopsy provides a rapid diagnosis and allows a shortened hospital stay. Surgery is generally avoided and appropriate treatment instituted more rapidly.

[Systemic arterial spasms. Ergotamine tartrate]. / Spasmes artériels systémiques. Tartrate d'ergotamine.

The problem of the toxic effects of ergotism is raised by two cases of acute lower limb ischaemia observed in young patients. Although commonly encountered up to the 20th century, the problem is now reappearing sporadically from iatrogenic causes. The clinical features and treatment of ergotism are discussed. Prophylaxis is based on two main principles: the respect of contraindications, the most important being hypertension, coronary insufficiency, arteriopathies, acrocyanosis and thrombophlebitis, and less importantly, the association of tetracycline type antimicrobials, triacetyloleandomycin and phenothiazine; on the other hand, attention must also be paid to the instructions on its use, particularly with respect to the maximum dosage, 4 mg/day per os, 10 mg/week per os. The treatment should be given intermittently and not continuously. Full knowledge of the composition of composite drugs is required as many drugs are commercialised with their ergotamine content masked. This justifies, if there is still need, constant pharmacovigilance.