Intramedullary spinal schistosomiasis: A case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Spinal cord schistosomiasis is an extremely rare entity presenting with a wide range of neurological symptoms. The early diagnosis and treatment can improve neurological outcome. Histopathological examination is the gold standard for establishing the diagnosis of spinal schistosomiasis, revealing schistosoma eggs. CASE REPORT: We report a case of a 13-year-old male, from Mauritania, with a history of drinking unsafe water, presenting with an acute urinary retention and gait disturbances evolving for 1 month. His clinical examination found an incomplete conus medullary syndrome made up of urinary retention, lively patellar reflexes on the right, ataxia when walking on the same side and indifferent cutaneous planter reflex. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on dorsal spine revealed an enhancing mass involving the conus medullaris in the L1-L2 region suggestive of an arteriovenous malformation or a cavernoma. The resection tissue specimens for diagnosis were fixed with 10 % buffered formalin. The slides were stained with haematoxylin-eosin staining for light microscopy. The diagnosis of schistosomiasis spinal cord was retained. The child has been treated with oral praziquantel 25 mg/kg. DISCUSSION: Diagnosis of schistosomiasis is based on a combination of clinical evaluation, imaging studies, and laboratory tests. However, definitive diagnosis typically requires histopathological examination of spinal cord lesions obtained through biopsy. Differential diagnosis is broad, including an acute vascular event and/or tumor, especially in children from endemic areas for schistosomiasis. CONCLUSION: Schistosomiasis infection should be suspected when encountering medullary lesion associated to peripheral hypereosinophilia. Surgical excision combined with praziquantel may help improve neurological deficits.

Impact of Covid-19 pandemic on neuro-oncology multidisciplinary tumor board in the pre-vaccine era: the Normandy experience.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID19 pandemic had a strong impact on the healthcare system, particularly in oncology. Brain tumor are usually revealed by acute and life threatening symptoms. We wanted to evaluate the possible consequences of the COVID19 pandemic in 2020 on the activity of neuro-oncology multidisciplinary tumor board in a Normandy region (France). METHODS: A descriptive, retrospective, multicenter study was conducted in the four referent centers (two universitary hospitals and two cancer centers). The main objective was to compare the average number of neuro-oncology patients presented per multidisciplinary tumor board per week between a pre-COVID19 reference period (period 1 from December 2018 to December 2019) and the pre-vaccination period (period 2 from December 2019 to November 2020). RESULTS: Across Normandy, 1540 cases were presented in neuro-oncology multidisciplinary tumor board in 2019 and 2020. No difference was observed between period 1 and 2: respectively 9.8 per week versus 10.7, P=0.36. The number of cases per week also did not significantly differ during the lockdown periods: 9.1/week versus 10.4 during the non-lockdown periods, P=0.26. The only difference observed was a higher proportion of tumor resection during the lockdown periods: 81.4% (n=79/174) versus 64.5% (n=408/1366), P=0.001. CONCLUSION: The pre-vaccination era of the COVID19 pandemic did not impact the activity of neuro-oncology multidisciplinary tumor board in the Normandy region. The possible consequences in terms of public health (excess mortality) due to this tumor location should now be investigated.

[Infectious pleurisy as first sign of multiple myeloma in a young 28 years old]. / Pleurésie infectieuse révélatrice d'un myélome multiple chez un jeune de 28ans.

Multiple myeloma is a malignant proliferation of plasma cells, mainly affecting the bone marrow. It rarely occurs in young patients. The medical observation study reveals multiple myeloma discovered through a purulent pleurisy in a 28-year-old subject. This patient was admitted to the pneumology service of the Mohamed V military hospital in Rabat for a fever and dyspnea evolving into a context of poor general condition. Clinical examination found a right pleural fluid effusion syndrome. The pleural puncture reveals a germ-free exudative purulent fluid without plasma cells. The myeloma diagnosis was suspected due to the combination of an aplastic normochromic normocytic anemia at 4.5g/dL of hemoglobin, an accelerated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, hypercalcemia, renal failure and osteolytic lesions located mainly in the skull and pelvis area, oriented by electrophoresis and serum protein immunosubstraction revealing a narrow peak in monoclonal beta-2 globulin at 70.56g/L with a lambda monoclonal gammopathy with immunoglobulin G, and confirmed by the myelogram showing a 74% rate of bone marrow plasma cells. The occurrence of myeloma at a young age is rare and the purulent pleurisy without plasma cells is a rare form of presentation and represents a poor prognosis.

Non-association of Crohn's disease with NOD2 gene variants in Moroccan patients.

UNLABELLED: Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, with multifactorial traits, that can involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract. In recent years, a dozen genome-wide association scan and meta-analysis were published bringing the number of susceptibility alleles to more than 30 variations. However, the major susceptibility gene for Crohn's disease is NOD2, located on proximal 16q, which is involved in the innate immune response. Three main variants of this gene: two single nucleotide polymorphisms p.Arg702Trp and p.Gly908Arg substitutions and frameshift polymorphism p.Leu1007fsinsC are involved in susceptibility to Crohn's disease. There is no data about the frequency of these allelic variants in Moroccan patients with Crohn's disease. The aim of our study is to genotype the NOD2 gene to assess the involvement of these three variants in susceptibility to Crohn's disease for Moroccans. METHODS: We carried out genotyping for the three variants p.Arg702Trp, p.Gly908Arg and p.Leu1007fsinsC of NOD2 gene using PCR-sequencing among 101 Moroccan patients with Crohn's disease and 107 healthy controls. RESULTS: The three main variants of NOD2 gene were present in Moroccan patients with no significant difference compared to controls. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study shows no evidence association of NOD2 gene with Crohn's disease in the Moroccan population.

Well-differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma: a very uncommon malignant lung tumor.

Well-differentiated fetal adenocarcinoma (WDFA) is a very uncommon malignant tumor originating in the lung. This report describes the case of a 38-year-old woman with a WDFA treated by surgery. The malignancy is low grade and associated with a good prognosis, and so it is important for clinicians to be aware of and to identify this rare variant of adenocarcinoma.

[Delay in the diagnosis of primary bronchial cancer. Study carried out in the pneumology unit of Ibn Sina university hospital, Rabat (Morocco)]. / Retard diagnostique du cancer bronchique primitif. Étude réalisée dans le service de pneumologie du CHU Ibn Sina de Rabat (Maroc).

INTRODUCTION: Primary bronchial cancer (PBC) is a major public health problem. The diagnosis is often late resulting in a poor prognosis. PURPOSE: To determine the factors leading to a late diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All PBCs diagnosed between 01 January and 31 December were included. The factors studied were: "age, sex, smoking, place of residence, socioeconomic level, clinical signs, diagnostic means, histological types, the stages and date of treatment". The date of the first symptom (D1s), the date of care (Dpch), the date of the diagnosis (Ddg) and the date of the beginning of treatment (Dttt) were used to determine the delay before care. RESULTS: One hundred and three cases of PBC were included. The medium delay before hospitalisation (D1s to Dpch) was 76 days, the delay before the diagnosis (Dpch to Ddg) was 25 days, the time before treatment (Ddg to Dttt) was 27 days, the time between hospitalisation and treatment (Dpch to Dttt) was 69 days, the overall delay (D1s to Dttt) was 160 days. The time before the diagnosis was longer in cases with a low socioeconomic level (30 days vs. 21 days, p: 0.06). The time before treatment was shorter for small cell carcinomas (SCC) (23 days vs. 31 days: p: 0.06). The time between hospitalisation and treatment was shorter for stages IIIB and IV of NSCBC (60 days vs. 67 days, p: 0.03). The overall delay was shorter for SCC (152 days vs. 168 days, p: 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study confirms the problem of a delay in diagnosis. The effect of these delays on the prognosis has not been demonstrated and requires further study.

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

Cryptococcal infections occur frequently in immunocompromised patients particularly in the context of AIDS, lymphomas and following immunosuppression for organ transplant recipients. In these contexts the infection is readily considered and diagnosis straightforward. The diagnosis is rarer and thus less likely to be considered in immunocompetent patients which can lead to late diagnosis and delay in initiation of therapy. We report the case of disseminated cryptococcosis with endobronchial, cutaneous, bone and meningeal involvement in an apparently immunocompetent patient. Before antifungal treatment could be initiated the patient died of cerebral complications.

[Interest of corticosteroids in neurological complications of celiac disease]. / Intérêt de la corticothérapie dans les complications neurologiques de la maladie coeliaque.

INTRODUCTION: Neurological manifestations of celiac disease are rare and polymorphic. Similar to lesions of the digestive tract, the standard treatment includes steroids. CASE REPORT: A 41-year-old woman, followed up for celiac disease resistant to gluten-free diet, developed rapidly spastic paraparesis, cerebellar syndrome, horizontal diplopia and decline of visual acuity. The diagnosis of neurological complications of celiac disease was established and the patient was treated with methylprednisolone, followed by oral prednisone. For 9 years, the patient's neurological status remained stabilized with a prednisone dose at 20mg per day. The patient relapsed when progressive reduction of prednisone dose was attempted; neurological and gastrointestinal signs worsening at 15mg per day; increasing the dose to 30mg improved the clinical status. DISCUSSION: The mechanism of onset of neurological disease remains unknown. Immunological, nutritional, toxic or metabolic factors could be involved. The positive response to corticosteroids observed in this patient suggest an immunological mechanism.

[Laryngeal tuberculosis: a case report]. / La tuberculose laryngée: à propos d'un cas.

The laryngeal tuberculous is the most frequent granulomatous disease of the larynx. It is generally associated with a pulmonary cave, and represents a prognosis element extremely serious and can be complicated extreme dysphagia and pains. Among all the extrapulmonary localisations. The isolated laryngée localisation is rare. It is secondary the dissemination coming hematogen, air or lymphatic way. All the structures of the larynx can be reached. The beginning is progressive and insidious and appears by the dysphony, cough, the odynophagy and dyspnea. We report the case of laryngeal tuberculosis in a 21 year old young man. The authors point out the characteristics of this localization and insist on the biopsy in front of any chronic laryngitis no aetiology. The treatment is medical.

[Adverse effects of BCG revaccination: 12 cases]. / Complications de la revaccination par le BCG: 12 observations.

INTRODUCTION: Calmette-Guérin bacillus (BCG) is a live attenuated strain used in tuberculosis vaccination. Local and systemic side-effects, although rare, are associated with BCG vaccine. They are common in cases of overdose and with poor vaccination techniques. These complications also occur in some cases of revaccination. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study over a period of 5 years between January 2000 and March 2005. 12 patients presenting complications following revaccination with BCG were observed. Patients were revaccinated with BCG following a negative intradermal reaction test. The following parameters were recorded: age, gender, history, vaccination method, type of complication, treatment and outcome. RESULTS: There were 10 men and 2 and women of mean age 21 years (19 to 23 years). Mean time to consultation was 4 weeks. Complications comprised subcutaneous abscess in 8 cases, deep chronic ulcers in 4 cases complicated by humeral osteitis in one case. The dose administered was 0.1 ml in 9 patients and 1 ml in 3 others (i.e. 10 times the recommended dose). Six patients had extensive and progressive ulceration, with one positive culture, the presence of a granuloma with caseum necrosis and one case of humeral osteitis, and specific treatment was given. DISCUSSION: Revaccination is no longer recommended by the WHO since efficacy is considered to be low or even nil. Intradermal injection is the reference method for BCG vaccination. Technical errors such as injection of an excessively high dose of the vaccine or subcutaneous administration of the vaccine solution increase the incidence of adverse effects. In our study, three patients erroneously received 1 ml of vaccine and the injection was too deep in 9 cases. There are few reports in the literature concerning the underlying mechanisms of these post-revaccination accidents; two major physiopathological mechanisms, infectious and immunological, are discussed. There is no consensus regarding treatment of these complications. Six of the 12 patients received specific therapy for 6 months.

[Pulmonary artery aneurysms in Behcet syndrome]. / Anévrysmes artériels pulmonaires au cours du syndrome de Behçet.

Behcet syndrome is a systemic disease with venous tropism, generally expressed by thrombosis and phlebitis. Arterial involvement is more exceptional but can lead to aneurysm of the pulmonary artery, generally not more than three. We report a patient with Behcet syndrome who developed multiple aneurysms of the pulmonary artery and discuss the clinical, radiological aspects as well as the disease course and therapeutic management.