Tracheobronchopathia osteochondrodysplasias. About one case revealed by haemoptysis

Tracheobronchopathia osteochondrodysplasias is a benign and rare chronic disease, whose etiology remains obscure. It is characterized by the presence of subepithelial osteocartilaginous focal lesions without any relation to tracheal rings, essentially localized in the lower two thirds of the trachea and the major bronchi. We report a new case of tracheobronchopathia osteochondrodysplasias in a 47-year-old man, localized at the lower half of the trachea, revealed by haemoptysis. The lesion was suspected by bronchoscopy and the diagnosis was made histologically, showing heterotopic bone formation. The evolution of this affection was marked by a good clinical tolerance with only a symptomatic treatment.     

Prospective study of 420 biopsies realised in patients with duodenal ulcer with positive Helicobacter pylori

It's a prospective study leaded between September 1997 and july 1999 (23 months ) in 75 patients with duodenal ulcer and positif for Helicobacter pylori. All patients had a first endoscopy with antral, fundic and duodenal biopsies, followed one month later by a second control fibroscopy with biopsies of the same sites. A total of 420 biopsies was realised. Chronic gastritis was evaluated according to sydney system. Patients was divided by randomisation in 4 groups. Every group was received a different therapeutic association. The results was conform to liberation concering activity 80%, intestinal metaplasia 12%. inflammation 100%. Atrophy was observed in 56% of cases, this percentage is variable in literature; chronic gastritis was predominant in antre relatively to fundus (p<0.005). After treatment, a significative fall of Helicobacter pylori and activity and atrophy was established, contrarity to intestinal metaplasia and chronic inflammation witch are persisted. The prevalence of follicular gastritis was 57%. The better rate of ulcer cicatrisation and Helicobacter pylori eradication was respectively of 79% and 66% in group 1 treated by omeprazol, amoxcillin, metronidazol by comparison with the others 3 groups (p<0.005).     

Epidemiologic,clinical and therapeutic aspects of chronic lymphoid leukemia: apropos of 120 cases

We retrospectively studied 120 cases of chronic lymphocytic leukemia diagnosed between January 1988 and December 1998. The median age of our patients was of 66 years, 75% among them were male. The discovery of the illness was fortuitous in 20% of the cases, the peripheral adenopathy and the splenomegaly were noted respectively in 72 and 48% of the cases. The blood lymphocytosis was on average 51.109/1 with extremes of 5 and 818.109/1. Anemia was noted in 71% of the cases and a thrombopenia in 42%. Fifty patients were classified C stage of BINET and sixty elevated risk according to RAI. The therapeutic attitude was according to patient's age and the CLL stage. Thus, 94 patients received a chemotherapy and a complete or partial response was observed in 58 of the cases. The overall survival at 5 years were 47%. The retained prognostic factors were the stage according to the classifications of BINET and RAI, the thrombopenia and the lymphocytosis blood overhead 100.109/1.     

Splenic angioma. Value of MRI: two case reports

The splenic angioma is a rare tumour. Its aspects MRI are still badly known. The authors show that in the 2 brought back cases, there is a hypersignal on the 3 echoes of T2 with a catch of contrast slow and centripetal after Gadolinium injection. The hemorrhagic risk in connection with a spontaneous or traumatic rupture imposes the identification of this lesion.     

Splenic marginal zone lymphoma. One case report

Splenic marginal zone lymphoma is very rare B lymphoma, characterized by an indolent clinical course. We report the case of a 68-year-old woman with morphologic and immuno-phenotyping findings consistent with splenic marginal zone lymphoma. The patient had a splenomegaly and pancytopenia. The diagnosis was pathological based on a specimen provided by splenectomy. Two year after surgery, the patient had a normal blood count in the absence of any further treatment.     

Phenotypic and molecular characterization of macrolide and streptogramin resistance in Streptococcus mitis from neutropenic patients

OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of macrolide and streptogramin resistance in Streptococcus mitis isolates from neutropenic patients and to identify mechanisms of macrolide and streptogramin resistance in resistant isolates. METHODS: MICs of erythromycin, spiramycin, lincomycin and pristinamycin were determined for S. mitis isolates. Macrolide-resistance genes were characterized by PCR and ribosomal mutations by sequencing. RESULTS: A total of 169 S. mitis isolates were recovered from 66 patients at the Tunisian Bone Marrow Transplant Centre. Of these, 120 (70%) were non-susceptible to erythromycin and one was resistant to pristinamycin; 48.5% of isolates had an MLSB phenotype with cross-resistance between erythromycin, spiramycin and lincomycin, 4% had a dissociated MLSB phenotype with resistance to erythromycin and spiramycin but apparent susceptibility to lincomycin and 47.5% displayed the M phenotype. Resistance determinants were characterized in 33 isolates. Ten of 14 isolates with the cross MLSB resistance contained an ermB-like gene and four a combination of ermB- and mefA-like genes. Four of the five isolates with a dissociated MLSB phenotype contained ermB-like and one a combination of ermB- and mefA-like genes. All the 14 isolates with an M phenotype contained mefA-like genes. The pristinamycin-resistant strain had G105 and A108 substitutions in the conserved C terminus of the L22 ribosomal protein. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of macrolide resistance is high in S. mitis from neutropenic patients and is due to the spread of ermB- or mefA-like genes alone or combined. Resistance to streptogramins is rare and in this case associated with ribosomal mutation.     

Measles surveillance and control in Tunisia: 1979-2000

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyze measles epidemiology in Tunisia after the introduction of specific vaccine in 1979 and the results of the serological investigation of suspected cases, introduced as part of the National Program for Measles Elimination recently implemented. METHODS: Available data were used to examine trends in measles epidemiology from 1979 to 2000: number of reported cases, patient's age, reporting date, epidemiological link with similar cases and laboratory confirmation. Serological investigation included the detection, by ELISA, of measles and rubella IgMs in 542 suspected measles cases sampled from 1997 to 2000. RESULTS: Measles coverage level increased gradually and was maintained to over 90% since 1992. In parallel, the annual incidence of reported cases declined and outbreaks became less frequent, the latest occurred in 1992. Measles-specific IgMs were detected in only nine patients who received measles vaccine few days before blood collection, anti-rubella IgMs were detected in 52% of cases. CONCLUSION: Vaccination strategies including routine and supplemental immunizations, implemented in Tunisia, achieved a substantial decrease in measles incidence. Virological results highlight frequent confusion, at the clinical level, with the other etiologies of rash and fever and the importance of systematic serological confirmation of cases.     

Histologic and prognostic study of nephroblastoma in central Tunisia

Nephroblastoma is a common malignant tumour in childhood that benefited from therapeutic progress. This is a retrospective study of 35 nephroblastoma diagnosed and treated in the central region of Tunisia within the last 8 years (1991-1999). We report and compare clinical features, therapeutic results and prognostic factors with those reported in the literature. The mean age was 3-years and 9 months, and the main clinical symptom was abdominal mass. Pre-operative chemotherapy was done in 32 cases and the objective response rate was 58%. Thirty-three patients had radical nephrectomy and only one had partial nephrectomy. Histologic analysis concluded to an anaplastic nephroblastoma in 2 cases. Using the classification of the international society of pediatric oncology, 11.4% of tumours were stage I, 48.6% stage II, 5.7% stage III, 11.4% stage IV and 2.9% stage V. The overall 5 years survival was 80%; tumour relapse was only independent prognosis factor in multivariate analysis (P < 0.01). Prognosis of nephroblastoma has been improved with chemotherapy and the pluridisciplinar treatment.