Thymol,thyme, and other plant sources: Health and potential uses

Thymol is a naturally occurring phenol monoterpene derivative of cymene and isomer of carvacrol. Thymol (10–64%) is one of the major constituent of essential oils of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L., Lamiaceae), a medicinal plant with several therapeutic properties. This plant, native to Mediterranean regions, is commonly used as a culinary herb and also with a long history of use for different medicinal purposes. Nowadays, thymol and thyme present a wide range of functional possibilities in pharmacy, food, and cosmetic industry. The interest in the formulation of pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals based on thymol is due to several studies that have evaluated the potential therapeutic uses of this compound for the treatment of disorders affecting the respiratory, nervous, and cardiovascular systems. Moreover, this compound also exhibits antimicrobial, antioxidant, anticarcinogenesis, anti‐inflammatory, and antispasmodic activities, as well as a potential as a growth enhancer and immunomodulator. In the present review, these bioactivities have been covered because some of them can contribute to explain the ethnopharmacology of thymol and its main source, T. vulgaris. Other important aspects about thymol are discussed: its toxicity and bioavailability, metabolism, and distribution in animals and humans.     

Multiple cranial nerve palsies revealing blast crisis in patient with chronic myeloid leukemia in the accelerated phase under nilotinib during severe infection with SARS-COV-19 virus: Case report and review of literature

Since the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors as primary therapy for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), the prognosis of these patients has improved significantly, and the number of patients who progress to the blast phase has decreased considerably. We report the case of a 35 year-old CML patient in accelerated phase treated with nilotinib, who presents a severe COVID-19 infection requiring non-invasive ventilation, and who subsequently presents a multiple cranial nerve palsy revealing a blast crisis of his CML. Multiple cranial nerve palsy is a sign of neurological involvement of CML in its blast phase. The blast crisis represents a real challenge for the clinician, especially during COVID-19 infection. The treatment remains the association of a tyrosine kinase inhibitors with a chemotherapy protocol, as well as the administration of methotrexate and cytarabine by intrathecal and intravenous infusion in high doses. Despite the importance of the association of CML with COVID-19 infection, there is not yet enough data to know the true impact of this infection on the evolution of this hemopathy.     

Early bilateral pulmonary embolism following a moderate blunt chest trauma: A case report

Post-traumatic pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a major problem in cardio-pulmonary diseases and represent the third most common cause of death in trauma patients. Traditional PE occur most commonly between the fifth and the seventh day after a major trauma and are rare before the fourth day. Here, we report a case of acute pulmonary embolism developing 1 day after a moderate thoracic injury in a previously well young man. The diagnosis was made by non-invasive methods and the patient was given anticoagulation therapy with good outcome. The circumstances and the early occurrence of PE in this case is at odds with what is generally reported after trauma.     

A rare case of penile epidermoid carcinoma

Penile neoplasms are rare. The main goal of our case report is to demonstrate the important role of imaging in local and regional cancer extension assessment, to guide the treatment plan. We report a case of penile epidermoid carcinoma in a 54 year old uncircumcised man, with a history of chronic smoking, presenting with a mass in the base of the penis.     

Pericallosal lipoma: A case report

Pericallosal lipoma or lipoma of the corpus callosum is a rare congenital brain malformation that can be associated to dysgenesis or agenesis of the corpus callosum. It is usually asymptomatic, but can be revealed by epilepsy, paresis, paralysis, dementia, or headaches. CT and MR imaging play an important role in making this diagnosis. Lipoma of the corpus callosum can present as 2 different types: tubulonodular and curvilinear. Tubulonodular lipomas are the most common morphology. We report a case of 60-year-old woman, admitted for a seizure following a head trauma that benefited from a head CT revealing a curvilinear lipoma of the Corpus Callosum.     

Severe hypercalcemia complicated by acute pancreatitis revealing generalized bone lysis metastasis: Case report and review

Malignant hypercalcemia is a frequent metabolic complication of osteophilic tumors, exceptionally revealing cavitary cancer, but its prognosis remains poor despite early and adequate management. We report the case of a young patient, smoker without any previous history, admitted for the management of a digestive symptoms made of abdominal pain with food vomiting. The patient had an electrocardiogram withchest computed tomography scan and BBC evoking PA on malignant hypercalcemia. An etiological investigation was conducted to confirm the tumoral origin of the hypercalcemia. We put the patient on hyperhydration with corticotherapie and biohosphonates with a good clinical and biological improvement. Malignant hypercalcemia affects about 10%-20% of patients with cancer including nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Its clinical presentation varies according to the extent and speed of onset, responsible for multivisceral involvement including kidney, heart, neuropsychiatric system, which may engage the patient''s vital prognosis. The therapeutic management is based on 4 main principles; hyperhydration, increase of urinary calcium excretion by loop diuretics, decrease of bone resorption by biphosphonates and extrarenal purification which remains the ideal choice in case of life-threatening severe hypercalcemia. Acute hypercalcemic pancreatitis as a mode of revelation of cavum cancer has almost never been described in the literature     

Cardiac hydatid cyst: 2 case reports

Hydatidosis is a parasitic disease that is still prevalent in regions that rear farm animals, notably along the Mediterranean coast. The liver and lungs are most commonly involved. Cardiac hydatidosis has been reported infrequently even in countries in which hydatid disease is endemic. This entity must be known because when undiagnosed and untreated, the risk of fatal complications increases. We report 2 cases of cardiac echinococcal cysts in young men. The first case is an incidentaloma in a patient admitted for pancreatitis. The second case is about a patient admitted for dyspnea. CT scan and MRI were performed showing intraventrucular cystic mass with a calcified wall which was very suggestive of a hydatid cyst diagnosis. We would like to emphasize the relevance of imaging in this context and shade some light on imaging diagnostic tools.     

Retroperitoneal desmoid tumor in a patient with familial adenomatous polyposis: A case report

Desmoid tumors are benign fibroblastic neoplasms, with locally invasive features and a tendency of recurrence. They are considered an aggressive non-metastatic fibromatosis. The retroperitoneal location is extremely rare. Their exact mechanism of occurrence is still controversial, but could be related to a genetic predisposition, hormonal factors or traumatic factors, including surgery. This entity faces management difficulties due to its rarity, the variable circumstances of its discovery, and the non-specific clinical manifestations. Their sensitivity to chemotherapy and radiotherapy is limited and surgery remains the only curative treatment in symptomatic cases, however observational waiting could consist the most appropriate management in selected asymptomatic patients, moreover it could avoid unnecessary morbidity from surgery or radiotherapy, which makes the management of this condition a multidisciplinary decision and should be adapted to fit the patients individually. We report a case of a retroperitoneal desmoid tumor in a 31-year-old woman with a history of familial adenomatous polyposis, through which we will discuss this extremely rare neoplastic entity.     

Concomitant acute myopericarditis and multiple systemic arteriovenous thrombosis as a rare manifestation of post-COVID-19 syndrome

Initially recognized as a respiratory system disease, COVID-19 has been found to be more of a systemic illness with multiorgan involvement. Recently, there are increasing reports of persistent and prolonged effects after acute COVID-19 infection, mainly on the cardiovascular system. Here, we report the case of a young man with myopericarditis and multiple systemic arteriovenous thrombosis developing several weeks after flu-like symptoms, with antigens indicating a past COVID-19 infection. This case highlights the multisystemic involvement of SARS-CoV-2, raising the possibility of concomitant myopericarditis and multiple systemic thrombosis after a COVID-19 non-severe infection. To our knowledge, there are no previous reports of such a case.     

Reversible splenial lesion syndrome (RESLES): Two patients as study cases

Reversible splenial injury syndrome (RESLES) is a rare clinicoradiological entity that defines a reversible lesion in the splenium of the callosum in magnetic resonance imaging.RESLES may be of infectious iatrogenic or metabolic origin. We report 2 cases of drug induced RESLES in our training.The presence of an isolated lesion of the corpus callosum in a context of polymedication by psychotropic drugs and the regression in less than 4 weeks suggests a toxic origin, in particular medicinal.The pathophysiology of these reversibles lesions of the splenium of callosum is not very clear, most often it is a phenomenon of vasogenic edema that is evoked, the clinical symptoms are very varied and nonspecific, and the prognosis is generally good in the absence of underlying disorder.