[Pneumorachis: report of three rare causes]. / Pneumorachis: illustration de trois étiologies rares.

The presence of gas in the spinal canal or pneumorachis is a rare imaging finding, typically incidental. Pneumorachis may be due to several degenerative, traumatic, infectious, tumoral or iatrogenic etiologies. We report three cases of pneumorachis in patients with lumbar back pain. A case occurred in a patient with advanced degenerative disk disease. Another was in a patient with posterior facet synovial cyst. The last was in a patient with locally advanced rectal carcinoma complicated by perforation. Pneumorachis was detected on MRI in two cases and on CT in all three cases.

[Spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma: a report of 3 cases]. / L'hématome spontané épidural rachidien: à propos de 3 cas.

We report MR imaging features in 3 cases of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma, a potential neurosurgical emergency.

[Abdominal wall abscess as the presenting sign in carcinoma of the colon: report of 4 cases]. / Abcès pariétal abdominal révélateur de néoplasie colique: présentation de 4 cas.

PURPOSE: We report four cases of unusual presentation of colonic cancer revealed by an abscess of the abdominal wall. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study included 3 men and 1 women ranging in age from 33 to 66 years presenting with abdominal wall abscess (in the left anterior abdominal wall in 2 patients and in the quadratus lumborum muscle in the other 2 patients). Our cases were listed from the departments of radiology and abdominal surgery of Sahloul hospital from 1995 through 2000. Ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) were performed in all cases; barium enema in three. RESULTS: US and CT revealed segmental colonic wall thickening (left colon in three patients and right colon in one patient). The diagnosis of colonic cancer was reached by colonoscopy with biopsy in all 4 cases. All of our patients underwent surgical treatment. CONCLUSION: In this era of newer diagnostic imaging modalities, US and CT must frequently be used in the evaluation of patients with abdominal wall abscess, to depict intra-abdominal infection and especially malignant lesion causing abdominal wall abscess.

[Elastofibroma: imaging features]. / Imagerie de l'élastofibrome dorsal.

Elastofibroma dorsi is a rare benign and slow growing fibro-proliferative lesion of unknown pathogenesis. It has a characteristic location (periscapular region) and a specific imaging appearance (songraphy, CT, MRI) allowing accurate prospective diagnosis. The recognition of this benign lesion avoids unnecessary biopsy and/or surgery. We report three cases of elastofibroma dorsi illustrating the characteristic features on sonography, CT and MRI. Involvement was bilateral in two cases.

[Pseudotumoral form of abdominal tuberculosis: report of four cases]. / La tuberculose abdominale pseudo-tumorale.

PURPOSE: To report the imaging features of four cases of pseudo-tumoral abdominal tuberculosis in order to demonstrate diagnostic difficulties, even in endemic areas, despite expanding imaging modalities. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We have retrospectively reviewed four cases investigated in our hospital between 1998 and 2002. The first case concerned a 2 year and 6 month old boy admitted for a right iliac fossa mass. The other patients were 43 and 48 year old women admitted for epigastric mass and persistent epigastric pain with past history of treated tuberculosis respectively. The last was an 86 year old man investigated because progressive worsening of general health. Sonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) were performed in all four cases. RESULTS: Involvement of the ileocaecal region was noted in three cases. Large intestinal hypervascular mass in the pediatric case, heterogeneous mass with porta hepatis lymph node in the patient with past history of treated tuberculosis, pseudotumoral caecal wall thickening in the third case. The multiloculated pattern of the epigastric mass and its location initially suggested a diagnosis of pancreatic tumor. CONCLUSION: Abdominal tuberculosis is rare even in endemic areas. This diagnosis must be considered when imaging modalities depict a hypervascular soft tissue mass on Doppler examination with peripheral enhancement on CT scan.

[Intralingual dermoid cyst: imaging features of a giant cyst]. / Kyste dermoïde de la langue: aspects en imagerie d'un kyste géant.

Dermoid cysts of the oral cavity are rare and most commonly involve the floor of mouth. Intralingual dermoid cysts are extremely rare and usually large at the time of diagnosis in adult patients. We report the case of 6 year old girl with macroglossia and swallowing and respiratory difficulties due to a giant intralingual dermoid cyst. Ultrasonography showed a large cystic intralingual lesion. MRI allowed accurate evaluation of the size, the extension and the relationship of the cystic mass with adjacent structures, the fat component of the cystic mass confirmed the dermoid origin. This case illustrates the diagnostic contribution of US and MRI in this disease.

[Mucocele of the appendix. Retrospective study of 10 cases]. / Les mucocèles appendiculaires. Etude rétrospective à propos de 10 cas.

PURPOSE: The purpose of our work was to assess the value of abdominal sonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) in the preoperative diagnosis of appendiceal mucocele. MATERIAL: and methods. We retrospectively reviewed 10 cases of mucocele of the appendix, 7 cases without pseudomyxoma peritonei, and 3 cases with pseudomyxoma peritonei. All cases were investigated radiologically by plain film and US, barium enema was performed in 3 cases and CT in 5 cases. RESULTS: Mucoceles of the appendix are rare and their clinical presentation is not specific. US confirms the appendicular involvement, but often poses the differential diagnosis with acute inflammation, abscess or localized appendicular peritonitis. CT appears as a mandatory examination since it allows accurate preoperative diagnosis period. In this series, the diagnosis was made preoperatively in the 5 cases where CT had been performed. CONCLUSION: US is useful to confirm the abnormal pattern of the appendix but does not allow accurate diagnosis of mucocele. CT is more specific and accurate for diagnosis of mucocele of the appendix.

[Isolated kidney lymphoma. Case report]. / Le lymphome isolé du rein. A propos d'une observation.

Renal lymphomas, essentially secondary, are the commonest site of lymphoma in the urinary tract: 68% of cases. Apparently primary renal lymphoma is very rare and difficult to diagnose. The authors report the case of a 55-year-old patient admitted with solid tumour of the right kidney. Radical nephrectomy was performed. Histological examination revealed renal lymphoma. Postoperative assessment looking for other sites was negative. Based on a review of the literature, the authors analyse the epidemiological and diagnostic aspects of isolated lymphomas of the kidney.

[Retroperitoneal schwannoma. Diagnostic and therapeutic outcome]. / Schwannome rétropéritonéal. Démarche diagnostique et thérapeutique.

Two cases of retroperitoneal benign schwannoma are described with a review of literature. Are analysed the clinical and anatomopathologic features of this rare tumor and the methods of diagnosis. The treatment is the surgical ablation of the tumor commonly easy and complete. When malignancy is established, adjuvant procedures add little to life expectancy and total surgery is done likely to be effective.

Juvenile idiopathic chronic calcifying pancreatitis: report of 10 cases from central Tunisia.

A series of 10 cases of chronic calcifying pancreatitis from central Tunisia are reported. The mean age at presentation was 23 years and the male to female ratio was 1.5. The main clinical manifestations of the disease were abdominal pain (eight cases), weight loss (four cases), and diarrhea (three cases). Diabetes was recorded in four cases. The etiological investigations yielded negative results in all the patients. It is concluded that central Tunisia should be added to the regions where juvenile chronic calcifying pancreatitis of the "tropical type" may be observed.

Ureteral valves: report of a case diagnosed by antegrade pyelography.

Ureteral valves are an uncommon cause of upper urinary tract obstruction. The majority of cases are discovered only at surgery or autopsy. We report a case diagnosed by antegrade pyelography under sonographic guidance and we review the literature.