The role of stem cells in suppurative environments

Purpose:  To evaluate all consecutive patients treated with infliximab for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS).
Patients and methods:  Within 1 year, all consecutive patients seen in our department for HS (1) resistant to usual medical therapies (2) which could not be easily cured by surgery (3) not treated with new medication within 2 months before inclusion were treated intravenously with infliximab (5 mg/kg) without corticosteroids premedication. Four infusions were planned (week 0, week 2, week 6 and week 10) before the interruption of therapy and follow-up. Clinical activity of HS and quality of life of the patients were assessed immediately before the first, the third and the fourth infusions of infliximab.
Results:  Seven patients were included. Five completed the four infusions. Two patients received only three infusions because of severe side effects. The Sartorius score moderately improved with infliximab (mean score at week 0: 94 ± 39, at week 6: 71 ± 38 and at week 10: 83 ± 48). At week 6, patients judged the efficacy of therapy as marked ( n  = 1), moderate ( n  = 4) or null ( n  = 2). At week 10, five patients were evaluated and judged this efficacy as marked ( n  = 2), moderate ( n  = 2) or null ( n  = 1). The mean Skindex-29 score varied from 22 ± 11 (E: 25 ± 9, S: 13 ± 5, F: 28 ± 12) at week 0 to 18 ± 10 (E: 22 ± 8, S: 12 ± 8, F: 22 ± 12) at week 10.
Conclusion:  The efficacy of infliximab in severe HS is partial. More experience is needed before finding a place for infliximab in the therapeutic armamentarium for HS.     

Aneurisma de aorta abdominal infrarrenal en asociación con riñón en herradura: aportación de un caso

We review the association between surgically resolvable aortic disease and horseshoe kidney with a discussion of diagnostic problems and therapeutic options.Male patient 81 years of age with horseshoe kidney and an abdominal aortic aneurysm that was discovered by chance in an abdominal ultrasound during a check-up for his prostate condition.A retroperitoneal approach was used in order to resect the aneurysm and perform an aorto-aortic bypass with no complications occurring. Two years after the diagnosis, the patient is still asymptomatic from a vascular point of view.The co-presence of horseshoe kidney and aortic disease needing surgical correction is infrequent, but it significantly increases the technical complexity of aortic reconstruction. A literature review is included.