Outcome and prognosis of isolated carotid vasculitis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prognosis and outcome of patients with isolated carotid vasculitis. METHODS: We performed a retrospective multicenter study of 36 patients (median age at diagnosis was 37 [IQR 27-45] years and 11 [31 %] patients were men) with initial presentation as isolated carotid vasculitis. Study endpoints included vascular complications, relapses, and progression to large vessel vasculitis (i.e. Giant cell arteritis or Takayasu). RESULTS: The most frequent involvement was the left internal carotid artery (39 %), and 81 % had stenosis. After a median follow-up of 32 months [IQR 12-96], 21 (58 %) patients had a vascular event, including 31 % of new onset vascular lesions and 25 % of stroke/transient ischemic attack. Patients with stroke had less carotidynia at diagnosis (33 % vs 74 %, p = 0.046), higher significant carotid stenosis (i.e. > 50 %) (89 % vs. 30 %, p = 0.026) and higher severe carotid stenosis (i.e. >70 %) (67 % vs 19 %, p = 0.012), compared to those without stroke. Twenty (52 %) patients experienced relapses. High CRP at diagnosis was associated with relapses (p = 0.022). At the end of follow-up, 21 (58 %) patients were classified as having Takayasu arteritis, 13 (36 %) as isolated carotid vasculitis, and two (6 %) as giant cell arteritis. CONCLUSION: Carotid vasculitis may occur as a topographically limited lesion and is associated with significant rate of vascular complications.

[Diagnosis and management of a particular caseof intractable constipation]. / Diagnostic et gestion d'un cas particulier de constipation opiniâtre.

Constipation is a very common pattern in childhood. There are multiple reasons for constipation including one very rare : chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction syndrome. We report the case of a young patient monitored for multiple incidents of intestinal pseudo- obstruction with intractable constipation. The patient underwent several surgical interventions to relieve his symptoms because the non operative treatments, based on liquid diet and laxatives, didn't show great effectiveness. We will review the differential diagnosis of chronic constipation and we will discuss the particular diagnostic entity of this patient. We will also discuss the different treatments that allowed to provide tolerance to oral feeding.

La constipation est un motif de consultation pédiatrique très courant. Les étiologies sont multiples mais le syndrome de pseudo- obstruction intestinale chronique, une cause de constipation chronique, est très rare. Nous rapportons le cas d'un jeune patient suivi pour de multiples épisodes de pseudo- obstruction intestinale avec une constipation opiniâtre. Le patient a subi plusieurs interven- tions chirurgicales pour soulager ses symptômes car les traitements à base de diète liquide et de laxatifs ne se sont pas toujours montrés efficaces. Nous reverrons les diagnostics différentiels d'une constipation chronique et nous discuterons de l'entité diagnostique particulière de ce jeune patient. Nous discuterons également des différents traitements entrepris pour lui permettre de continuer à s'alimenter normalement.