Profile of leg ulcers. A review of a series of 70 Tunisian cases

Leg ulcer often requires hospitalization in Dermatology and involves problems of therapeutic management. We intended to draw a clear epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic profile of leg ulcer through a series of 70 cases observed over a period of 46 months in the Dermatology department at Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis. Like other north african works, our survey stresses a particular epidemiological profile. In fact, leg ulcer affects young men at a ratio of 5 to 1 and an average age of 43.6 years. The vascular etiological factor accounts for 63.4% of all cases of leg ulcer whereas other etiologies make up a wade range owing to their multiplicity. Yet, they may reveal a potential pathology. Treatment is both symptomatic and etiological. Treatment with saccharose has been tried on 23 patients among whom 82% showed good tolerance and 47% complete healing. As they are carried out, our results are compared with the data of literature.     

Hemoglobin C disease: report of 16 Tunisian cases

AIM: was to provide the clinical and biological patterns hemoglobine disease in Tunisia. METHODS: This retrospective study collected to 16 cases of hemoglobin C disease : 6 homozygotic Hb C and 10 heterozygotic Hb C/beta-thalassemia. RESULTS: The clinical profile is characterized by mild hemolytic anemia (Hb = 11.7 g/dl) associated with splenomegaly and hypersplenism. Contrary to homozygous state, the Hb C/beta-thalassemia is associated with microcytosis and pseudopolycythemia. The diagnosis is based on target cells, specific intraerythrocytic Hb C crystals in blood smear and Hb C level at 100%. CONCLUSION: The Hb C disease must be considered as a benign hemoglobinopathy which is associated with a long survival without major complications.     

Dermatofibrosarcoma in children. Report of 7 Tunisian cases

Dermatofibrosarcoma (DFS) protuberans is a rare mesenchyma tumor in childhood characterised by slow growth. We report the result of a retrospective study of 7 childhood (4 males) cases of through a fifteen year period. The mean age was 13 years. 4 Tumors were (DFS) located on the limbs: 2 on the trunk: and on the scalp. Clinical types were multinodular and infiltrated in 3 cases, nodular in two cases and ulcerated with budding also in two cases. The mean delay between diagnostic and the appearance of the tumor was about 24 months for 4 initial tumors. Histological features were typical in all cases. We report 3 recurrences of dermatofibrosarcoma arising few months after surgical excision of an initial tumor, in one case the tumor was diagnosed histocytofibroma. Six patient underwent surgical excision with wide margins, and in one case the margins were considered borderline. No recurrences were reported, the follow-up was between 17 months to 9 years. It's a rare tumor in childhood, 160 cases were reported. The clinical and evolutive mode were entirely comparable to the adult cases. However the initial appearance as benign atrophic or indurated plaque is more frequent in childhood, but this appearance wasn't noted in our series.     

AIDS in Tunisian women. Study of 92 cases

The authors report a retrospective study about 92 cases of HIV-1 infections among adult tunisian women hospitalised or consulting in the department of infectious diseases at Rabta hospital over a period of 15 years and 6 months. The middle age is 33.2 years. 64.1% of patients are married, and the conjoint is HIV-1 positive in 84.1% of cases. The route of transmission is sexual in 75%, parenteral in 22.8% and unknown in 2.2%. According to CD4 level and clinical symptoms, patients are at AIDS stage in 75.5%. The main clinical symptoms are: oral candidiasis in 92.4%, diarrhea in 54.3%, pneumocystis carinii pneumoniae in 11.9%, cerebral toxoplasmosis in 10.9%, septicemia caused particularly by salmonella in 9.7%, tuberculosis in 6.7%, cryptococcal meningitis in 4.3% an Kaposi's sarcoma in 3.2%. Mother to child HIV transmission is found in 33.3%, and the mortality is noted in 43.5% of cases.     

Effect of triple antiretroviral therapy on Tunisian AIDS profile: study of 139 cases

We report a retrospective study to estimate highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) effect in 139 HIV infected patients. Four criteria are studied: prevalence of opportunistic infections, CD4 cell count evolution, viral load progression and mortality. Gastrointestinal side effects are the most common clinical adverse reaction (61.1 percent), and hematological side effects are the most common biological adverse reaction (61.2 percent). During the 22.8 months (3 months to 6 years) follow-up average period, CD4 cell counts remained above 500 per cubic millimeter in only 25.8 percent of cases, while 63.5 percent of patients had a viral load below 400 copies per milliliter. During the study on patients receiving HAART, opportunistic infections appeared in 17.3 percent of cases (24 cases) and mortality in 6.4 percent of cases.     

Congenital hepatic fibrosis in children. Report of 9 cases and review of the literature

Congenital hepatic fibrosis is a recessive autosomic disease with two major risks: gastrointestinal haemorrhage caused by portal hypertension and cholangitis related to bacterial infection of dilated intrahepatic bile ducts.. The aim of our study is to define epidemiological features, the presenting symptoms, the diagnosis, the evolution and the management of this disease. Between January 1990 and December 2000, we reported the cases of nine children with this disease at children hospital of Tunis. Three were male and six female. The mild age was three years and six months. Consanguinity was present in five cases and similar cases were found in six cases.The FHC was revealed by portal hypertension in five cases, angiocholitis in one case and by portal hypertension and angiocholitis in three cases. Liver biopsy was done in seven children. Ultrasound examination of the liver and kidney revealed caroli syndrome in five cases and polykystose renal in two cases The intravenous pyelography was performed in four cases showing precalicial canalicular ectasia in four cases. Eosophageal endoscopy had shown oesophageal varices in six patients. The follow up had shown that three patients had gastrointestinal bleeding, three had angiocholitis. One patient died with multivisceral failure. The treatment of acute bleeding has needed blood transfusion in four cases. Primary prevention of bleeding was done by endoscopic sclerosis alone in one case and associated to betablokers in two cases. Secondary prevention of varices bleeding was done by sclerotherapic in two cases, by beta blokers alone in one case and by betablokers associated to elastic ligation of oesophageal varices in one case.     

Mycosis fungoides. Study of a series of 11 Tunisian cases

Mycosis fungoides is an epidermotropic cutaneous T lymphoma. It's a non Hodgkinian lymphoma. We report the results of a retrospective review of 11 mycosis fungoide seen during 22 years. The frequency of MF was about 39.3% among all cutaneous lymphoma. Six patients were male and 5 were female; the mean age was about 56 years. Mean delay between diagnostic and the first manifestation was about 25 months. All patients had the progressive form: 4 had infiltrate plaques and 7 were at the tumoral phase. Lymph nodes and medullar metastases were noted respectively in 1 and 2 cases. Treatment was mono or polychemotherapy associated in 6 cases with topical drug. Three patients died of their diseases According to our experience and after reviewed the literature, we notice that our patients are slightly younger without male predominance. The diagnostic was done tardily and this may explain the pejorative prognostic.