[Organizing pneumonia associated with primary biliary cirrhosis]. / Pneumonie organisée associée à une cirrhose biliaire primitive.

INTRODUCTION: Primary biliary cirrhosis is a hepatic auto-immune disease which is rarely associated with respiratory complications. CASE REPORT: A 40-year-old woman had a 5-year history of primary biliary cirrhosis. Two years previously, she had begun to experience a chronic cough and dyspnea. On clinical examination, the patient had fever, jaundice and basal pulmonary crackles. Chest X-ray showed bilateral slowly migrating and spreading airspace consolidation refractory to antibiotics. Microbiological investigations evidenced no abnormalities. Routine biological studies revealed an inflammatory syndrome, a mild neutrophilic hyperleukocytosis without hypereosinophilia and a mild hepatitis picture with cholestasis. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody testing and anti-nuclear factor testing were negative. Fibreoptic bronchoscopy showed diffuse bronchial inflammation with no specific pathological pattern at bronchial biopsy. The bronchoalveolar lavage revealed a mixed cellular pattern. The chest computed tomography revealed peribronchial pulmonary consolidation with septal and pleural thickening, suggestive of an organizing pneumonia. The patient was treated with oral corticosteroids which resulted in a prompt clinical improvement and complete resolution of radiographic pulmonary abnormalities within two months. Treatment continued for six months and no relapse was noticed during the six months following the end of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This case of organizing pneumonia highlights the importance of physicians considering this condition in women with primary biliary cirrhosis complaining of respiratory symptoms in the context of unresolved pneumonia.

[A rare form of rifampicin-induced skin toxicity: bullous pemphigoid]. / Une forme rare de toxidermie induite par la rifampicine: la pemphigoïde bulleuse.

INTRODUCTION: Rifampicin is an antituberculous drug causing minor cutaneous reactions. Rifampicin-induced bullous skin reactions are rare. CASE REPORT: We describe a 48-year-old man who was given rifampicin, streptomycin, isoniazid and pyrazinamide for pulmonary tuberculosis. Seventy-two hours later, he developed generalized pruritus, and an urticarial eruption developed 5 days later. He was admitted to hospital and the drugs were discontinued. He could remember no history of previous administration of antituberculous drugs and no other drugs had been taken recently. General physical examination yielded no relevant findings. On dermatological examination, Nikolsky's sign was negative. There were tiny symmetrical cutaneous vesicles overlying normal skin of all four limbs. These rapidly became confluent, forming large tense bullous lesions containing clear fluid, suggesting bullous pemphigoid. Blood tests showed a neutrophil leukocytosis and mild eosinophilia. Other biological tests were normal. Skin biopsy was refused by the patient. He was given intravenous antihistamine and dry bandages were applied to the forearms and legs. The antituberculous drugs were discontinued for two weeks and the lesions healed spontaneously. The drugs were then progressively reintroduced, streptomycin being excluded initially. A few hours after the first dose of rifampicin, a recurrence was noted and it was substituted by ethambutol. Subsequent introduction of streptomycin was uneventful. No recurrence occurred over 18 months follow up. CONCLUSION: The authors describe a rare case of rifampicin-induced skin toxicity and the related diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties.

[The pseudoalveolar form of sarcoïdosis: a diagnostic pitfall]. / La forme pseudo-alvéolaire de la sarcoïdose: un piège diagnostique à ne pas méconnaître.

BACKGROUND: Sarcoïdosis is a benign systemic granulomatosis whose aetiology remains unknown. Lung is the most frequently involved organ. The pseudoalveolar form of this disease is known to have an acute onset and is quite uncommon. Therefore, diagnosing such a rare variety of sarcoidosis is rather often challenging. OBSERVATIONS: In the present article, the authors report two cases of pseudoalveolar sarcoidosis. The patients, both young adults, showed no suggestive signs of sarcoidosis at first presentation. This resulted in a considerable delay to diagnosis and to the corticosteroid therapy. CONCLUSION: The authors emphasize the rarity of the pseudoalveolar form of sarcoidosis. They insist on its roentgenographic characteristics and demonstrate the functional benefits allowed by the precocious medical management. They also propose a current review of the literature.

[An unusual localization of a rare tumor: giant-cell tumor of the rib. Case report and review of the literature]. / Une localisation inhabituelle d'une pathologie rare: la tumeur costale à cellules géantes. A propos d'un cas avec revue de la littérature.

INTRODUCTION: Giant-cell tumors of bone are rare primary neoplasms commonly encountered in young adults. Women are slightly more affected than men. CASE REPORT: We report the case a 27 year old woman presenting with a twelve months history of painful and progressively growing thoracic mass in the right anterior chest wall. Physical examination found out a fixed thoracic mass in the right retro-mammary area measuring 8 x 6 centimeters. The overlying skin was normal. Chest roentgenogram demonstrated a large ill defined mass continuing the anterior arc of the fourth right rib. Computed tomography evidenced a well defined pathologic process originating from the fourth right rib without expansion of the surrounding soft tissue. Pulmonary functional tests were normal and other complementary investigations evidenced no abnormalities. Our patient first had a fine needle cytological biopsy that brought strong suspicion of Giant-cell tumor of the rib. She then underwent an "en bloc" resection of the tumor whose histopathologic analysis allowed a definitive diagnosis. The post-surgical follow up during 12 months showed no signs of tumor recurrence. CONCLUSION: Through this observation the authors emphasize not only the rarity of the giant-cell tumors of bone but also its unusual costal localization (few cases reported till date). They focus on the importance of precocious screening and treatment and underline the value of the follow up in order to detect timely any sign of local recurrence or sarcomatous transformation. Finally, they report a current review of the literature.