Morphological diagnosis of pseudocystic tumors of the liver

Ten cases of pseudocystic hepatic tumors were observed during the past ten years. This entity is very rare in comparison with benign hepatic cysts. Careful analysis of the characteristics of these lesions usually allows to differentiate them from benign cysts. Of importance are wall thickness, mural nodules and fluid/fluid levels on ultrasound and/or computed tomography scanning. In our series, sonography depicted the true morphology of these cystic masses more clearly than computed tomography. If definitive diagnosis cannot be made by morphologic examinations, percutaneous aspiration of the cystic lesion, a simple and safe method, should be considered.     

Correlates of Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy in HIV-Infected Children in Lomé, Togo, West Africa

We assessed pediatric adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and examined associated factors among children in Togo, West Africa. Structured interviews of caregivers of consecutively enrolled HIV-infected children receiving ART in three HIV/AIDS care centers in Lome, Togo were conducted. Child perfect adherence reflected caregivers’ report of no antiretroviral drug doses missed neither in the past 4 days nor in the month before the interview. A total of 74 ART-treated children were included (median age 6 years). Of these, 42% of caregivers declared perfect adherence. In univariate analyses, the major factors relating to child non-adherence were: being female, living in an individual setting (vs. compound with enlarged family), receiving other ART than an NNRT-based regimen, drug regimens with six pills/spoons or more per day, caregiver other than biological parent, caregiver not declaring HIV-status, not participating to support groups and having perceived difficulty of antiretroviral (ARV) administration. In multivariate analysis, female gender, living in an individual setting, receiving other than NNRTI-based regimen and caregivers’ perceived difficulty of ARV administration remained independently associated with the reported child’s non-adherence. These data show low rates of perfect adherence to ART in children in West Africa, influenced by child and caregiver characteristics and suggest a need for counseling and education interventions as well as continuous psychological and social support.     

Gynecologic tumor imaging

Anatomy of the female pelvis is superbly delineated by MRI due to excellent soft tissue contrast. In patients with infertility, MRI is the best technique to evaluate suspected myomata. Since tumors are directly visualized, MRI can be an effective technique for staging cervical, uterine, and vaginal malignancies.