A hyperalgesic ulcer on return from Senegal.

Diphtheria is an infectious disease transmitted by air or by contact. There are three main species of corynebacterium: diphtheriae, ulcerans, and pseudotuberculosis. They may or may not secrete a toxin responsible for serious cardiac or neurological complications. The frequent clinical presentations are diphtheria angina and cutaneous diphtheria. When it is suspected, it is urgent to send cutaneous or pharyngeal samples to the National Reference Center. If toxin is present, serotherapy should be instituted and the case should be reported. Antibiotic therapy with amoxicillin or azithromycin is the standard treatment. Vaccine prevention begun in the middle of the 20th century has helped to slow epidemics.

Relax from the holiday on the edge of the lagoon : turquoise waters and red legs !

We report a case of livedo reticularis of the lower limbs in a 30-year-old woman scuba diver after a diving session. Consideration of the differential diagnoses, the clinical picture, and the course of the symptoms led to a diagnosis of cutaneous decompression sickness. This accident, which resolved favorably in this scuba diver without any right-to-left shunt, is an alarm signal that calls for her to comply strictly with safety rules before resuming scuba diving, to avoid a more serious accident.

[Pseudomonas aeruginosa in dermatology]. / Pseudomonas aeruginosa en dermatologie.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a ubiquitous Gram-negative bacillus characterized by its greenish color and sweetish smell, is at the origin of potentially severe forms of dermatosis, such as ecthyma gangrenosum which marks immunosuppression or reveals blood-poisoning, especially in children. It frequently colonizes chronic wounds and serious burns, and spongiotic or acantholytic dermatosis, especially when severe or localized in skinfolds. It requires special care because of its high resistance to antibiotics and antiseptics. It can also involve folliculitis favored by water sports or a nail disorder (chloronychia).

Review of poxvirus: emergence of monkeypox.

This article reviews the different types of poxvirus infections. Smallpox, although eradicated, must continue to be monitored because of the potential risk of accidental or voluntary (by bioterrorism) reintroduction. Monkeypox and cowpox viruses are considered to be emergent today ; their high risk of dissemination is due to the increase in international transport as well as trends for new animals as pets and the loss of vaccinal protection against smallpox. Molluscum contagiosum (molluscipoxvirus) causes mild infections, is particularly frequent in children ; in adults it is a marker of the risk of sexually transmitted infections and can, in cases with profuse lesions, reveal AIDS.

[Dermatomyositis associated with anti-MDA5 antibodies and pneumocystis pneumonia: Two lethal cases]. / Dermatomyosite associée aux anticorps anti-MDA5 et pneumocystose pulmonaire : deux cas d'évolution fatale.

BACKGROUND: Dermatomyositis associated with anti-MDA-5 autoantibodies is a recently-described clinical entity. Herein we report two lethal cases involving pneumocystis pneumonia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Case no 1. A 56-year-old male patient developed cutaneous symptoms consistent with dermatomyositis without muscular involvement. Antinuclear antibodies were present and anti-MDA5 auto-antibodies were identified. The scan showed interstitial lung disease without infection. Significant improvement was obtained with corticosteroids. One month later, the patient presented acute respiratory illness (hypoxemia: PaO2 60mmHg, exacerbation of lung disease evidenced by a scan, and diagnosis of pneumocystis pneumonia on bronchoalveolar lavage). He died despite appropriate antibiotic therapy and immunosuppressant therapy. Case no 2. The second case concerned a 52-year-old Vietnamese man who developed more atypical cutaneous symptoms of dermatomyositis without muscular involvement. ANAb responses were positive (1/400) and MDA5 was present. The patient was treated with corticosteroids (40mg/d), hydroxychloroquine, and intravenous immunoglobulin. After significant improvement, the patient developed an acute respiratory illness due to superinfection with pneumocystis and he died despite specific treatment and cyclophosphamide bolus. CONCLUSION: In dermatomyositis, anti-MDA5 antibody screening is essential for the prognosis since the disease carries a risk of complication with severe lung disease. Bronchial fibroscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage should be considered at the time of diagnosis. Our two cases suggest the need for early screening for pneumocystis pneumonia in the event of respiratory distress and possibly for prophylactic treatment at the start of immunosuppressant therapy.

Telemedicine in dermatology during external operations.

Telemedicine makes it possible to refer clinical, laboratory, and radiological questions to distant experts, sometimes in real time. This study examines a selection of internet messages sent by physicians carrying out overseas missions or assigned to remote locations and analyzes the interest but also the limitations of teleconsultations in dermatology. The effectiveness of the response depended on the quality of the message, including correct symptom descriptions, thorough history-taking, and the definition of the attached images, as well as the field experience of the specialists receiving the message. Feedback is also of fundamental importance in improving remote expert assessment. The main problem is that conclusive diagnosis is often prevented by the lack of equipment and follow-up available in the field, i.e., inability to perform confirmatory testing or obtain sufficient follow-up information to evaluate the outcome of trial treatments. Training of doctors and nurses in the French Army Medical Service in telemedicine and in clearer better structured messages can contribute to the effectiveness of this mode of communication.

[A case of donovanosis acquired in France]. / Donovanose contractée en France.

INTRODUCTION: Donovanosis (granuloma inguinale) is a bacterial infection caused by Klebsiella granulomatis that occurs mainly in the genital area and is primarily sexually transmitted; it is seen predominantly in the tropics. Herein, we report a case of the disease contracted in metropolitan France. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A 47-year-old man presented with painless ulceration of the glans, present for one month, with progressive extension; there was no history of any recent trip abroad. Skin biopsy with Whartin-Starry and Giemsa staining revealed Donovan bodies in the cytoplasm of macrophages. Based on these findings, further questioning of the patient revealed unprotected sexual contact two months earlier in France. Treatment was initiated with azithromycin 1g on the first day followed by 500mg per day for three weeks. The clinical outcome was spectacular, with almost complete regression of the ulcer at 7 days. DISCUSSION: This case demonstrates that donovanosis can occur in metropolitan France.

Antibiotic therapy and staphylococcal skin infections in a tropical malarial zone (Guyana). Practices in conventional and exceptional situations.

A problem of community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus skin infections emerged in the French armed forces in 2004, in a malaria-endemic areas. The high incidence rate led us to evaluate military staff practices. This was a cross-sectional survey of doctors and nurses deployed as officers in French Guyana since 2006. The definition of skin and soft-tissue infection came from the criteria for epidemiological surveillance of the armed forces. We studied the management of antibiotic therapy and its related difficulties. In all, 47 officers responded. At the Military Medical Center (MMC), 23.4% of respondents routinely prescribed antibiotics, compared with 36.2% when stationed in the jungle (p<0.05%). Complication led 68.1 of staff to prescribe antibiotic prescriptions at the MMC, compared with 46.8% in the jungle (p<0.05%). Finally, 22.5% of those at MMC prescribed antibiotic coverage of surgical drainage, compared with 14.8% in the jungle (p<0.05%). Pristinamycin and fusidic acid were the preferred antibiotics. Two-thirds of the staff reported difficulties in jungle management. This first study indicates the need for an update of military medical recommendations. Personnel training must continue to enable them to provide appropriate aggressive management in the current endemic context.