[Systemic corticosteroids and their place in the management of hemorrhagic erysipelas]. / Place de la corticothérapie générale dans le traitement de l'érysipèle hémorragique.

BACKGROUND: Haemorrhagic erysipelas is a recently described clinical condition. AIM: Our aim is to study the clinical and evolutive particularities of haemorrhagic erysipelas treated with adjuvant corticotherapy. METHODS: It's a retrospective study of 6 cases of erysipelas of the lower limbs with serious local signs (purpura, bullae, petechia). RESULTS: Surgical examination as well as evaluation of muscular enzymes blood level were achieved in all cases. Adequate antibiotherapy and rapidly degressive systemic corticosteroids (0.5 mg/Kg daily) were prescribed. Fever, pain and cutaneous signs regressed rapidly. Haemorrhagic erysipelas is different from common erysipelas by the presence of serious local signs (bullae, purpura), by its bad response to adequate antibiotics and by its response to systemic steroids.

[Contribution of immunohistochemical detection of human herpesvirus-8 latent nuclear antigen-1 in the diagnosis of Kaposi disease]. / Apport de la détection immunohistochimique de l'antigène nucléaire de latence 1 de l'herpes virus humain 8 dans le diagnostic de la maladie de Kaposi.

AIMS: To study the immunohistochemical expression of HHV8 in Kaposi's lesions and in other vascular lesions and to determine the utility of this technique in differentiating between Kaposi's disease (KD) and other vascular lesions. METHODS: Fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from 25 cases of KD, 9 cases of hemangioma, 2 cases of angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia and 9 cases of angiosarcoma were examined immunohistochemically using the monoclonal antibody monoclonal LNA 53 (ABI). Strong, nuclear and granular staining in at least a cell was considered as a positive result. RESULTS: Sixteen cases of KD showed positive staining, whereas all cases of hemangioma, angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia and angiosarcoma were negative for this antigen CONCLUSION: Immunohistochemical detection of the human herpesvirus-8 latent nuclear antigen-1 is a useful for differentiating between KD and other vascular lesions.