Imported malaria: 54 cases diagnosed at the Ibn Sina Hospital Center in Rabat, Morocco.

Morocco does not record any indigenous malaria case since 2004 and is certified by the World Health Organization as malaria-free since 2010. However, the country continues to record a significant number of imported malaria cases from endemic areas, especially from West Africa. The purpose of our work is to determine the epidemiological and diagnostic characteristics of malaria cases diagnosed at Ibn Sina Hospital Center in Rabat, Morocco. This work is a retrospective study of a series of malaria cases diagnosed between January 2012 and December 2016 at the Central Laboratory of Parasitology and Mycology of Ibn Sina Hospital Center. The methods used for the parasitological diagnosis are the search for the parasite at direct examination on thin blood film and thick drop and the search for parasite antigens by a rapid diagnostic immunochromatographic test (OptiMAL-IT® kit). Of 192 patients in whom malaria was sought, we recorded 54 positive cases (average of 10.8 cases per year). The prevalence was 28.12%. The age ranged from 4 to 76 years (average of 29.5 years). The sex ratio was 2.6. All cases had in their antecedents a notion of recent travel in an endemic area. The most common travel area was West Africa: Ivory Coast, with 31.43% of cases, followed by Guinea, with 14.29% of cases. The symptomatology was dominated by fever in 52 patients (96.3% of cases), followed by headache in 22 cases (40.74%). Anemia was present in 7 and thrombocytopenia in 12 patients. The most isolated species was Plasmodium falciparum (84.21% of cases), followed by P. vivax (10.53% of cases) and P. ovale (5.26% of cases). One case involved two species: P. falciparum and P. vivax. Parasitaemia was between less than 0.1 and 20%. Despite the local eradication of malaria, the persistence of imported cases, mainly due to the lack of chemoprophylaxis, should call for the strengthening of health education of travelers, especially in endemic areas.

[Disseminated cryptococcosis in an immunocompetent patient]. / Cryptococcose disséminée chez un patient immunocompétent.

Disseminated cryptococcosis is a serious opportunistic fungal infection caused by a yeast-encapsulated fungus of the genus Cryptococcus neoformans. It occurs most often in patients with a significant deficit of cellular immunity and preferentially affects the central nervous system. The skin and the lungs are the most commonly affected sites outside the neuro-subarachnoid location. We report the case of a patient apparently immunocompetent who had a disseminated cryptococcosis. The disease started with the multiple purplish skin lesions, large umbilicated on the face, groin, forearm and leg with progressively increasing volume. This symptomatology had evolved in the context of weight loss and poor general condition. The diagnosis was established by the presence of cryptococcal at the skin biopsy and cerebrospinal fluid. Research of immunosuppression common pathologies were negative. Treatment was initiated based on amphotericin B for 40 days. The patient's condition deteriorates onset of paraplegia and swallowing disorders causing death in an array of cachexia. This observation points out that disseminated cryptococcosis can occur in an immunocompetent patient. The skin lesions may be the first sign of the disease.

[Intestinal cryptococcosis: an unusual presentation of disseminated cryptococcosis]. / Cryptococcose digestive: une présentation inhabituelle de cryptococcose disséminée.

Cryptococcosis is a serious infection caused by an encapsulated yeast-like fungus, Cryptococcus neoformans. It is pathogenic most often in the lungs and central nervous system of immunocompromised patients. In this work we report an unusual localization of cryptococcosis in an HIV-infected patient. This rare localization was diagnosed from a stool sample sent to our laboratory for parasitological study. Direct examination of fresh stool showed the presence of many large, rounded thick-walled fungi. India ink staining of the stool showed encapsulated cryptococci, and C. neoformans was isolated by culture. Despite flucanazole treatment, the patient died.

[The mould onychomycosis in Morocco: about 150 isolated cases in 20 years]. / Les onychomycoses à moisissure au Maroc: à propos de 150 cas isolés en 20 ans.

INTRODUCTION: the involvement of moulds in the fungal ungueal pathology is very variable. In fact a big confusion reigns because of numerous errors in the clinico-biological diagnosis, which could be responsible for therapeutic failure of onychomycosis. AIMS OF STUDY: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative frequency of moulds involved in onychomycosis over a period of 20 years. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study, conducted at the laboratory of parasitology-mycology of the Ibn Sina hospital over a period of 20 years. The patients were referred by dermatologists or general practitioners for suspected onychomycosis. The samples were studied according to good rules for performing mycological analysis. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty cases of onychomycosis were diagnosed with mould, with global prevalency of 2.78%. They mainly concern the toes (95%) with a slight female predominance (60%). The total dystrophy of the nail was the predominant clinical representation (88.3%). Moulds isolated were Aspergillus spp. in 53 cases (35.3%) and Fusarium spp. in 45 cases (30%), 19 cases (12.7%) of Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, 17 cases (11.3%) of Penicillium spp., 14 cases (9.3%) of Acremonium spp., one case of Onychocola canadensis (0.7%) and one case of Scytalidium dimitiatum (0.7%). CONCLUSION: A significant number of onychomycosis remains attributed to moulds, which highlights the contribution of the laboratory, which remains essential for the clinician to confirm the involvement of mould in onychomycosis, which allows taking into support early treatment avoiding the emergence of aesthetic complications.