Chronic diarrhea and parasitoses in adults suspected of AIDS in the Ivory Coast

148 adult patients with chronic diarrhoea and suspected to be HIV infected have had stool examinations. 46 are without any enteric parasite. Those detected in the others patients are Sporozoans: I. belli (16.2%) and Cryptosporidium sp. (6.7%) found alone or joint, together or with other parasites. Among those, all Flagellate species are identified, but T. intestinalis (6%) is predominant. Entamoeba coli (8.%) is the most frequent amebic species, however, E. histolytica histolytica have been found twice, once singly, the second associated with I. belli, Schistosoma mansoni and Candida albicans. Necator americanus (14%) and Strongyloides stercoralis (12%) are the predominant worm species. Among the yeasts, C. albicans (35.8%) is the most important species isolated, singly in 13.5% of the patients. In an intertropical and parasitical endemic area where many parasites are not considered uncommon, opportunist agents as I. belli, Cryptosporidium sp. and C. albicans appear in an non-negligible frequency in our study.     

Contribution of computed tomography in the diagnosis of symptomatic epilepsy

The aim of this retrospective study was to document the various causes of epilepsy determined by computed tomography (CT). We studied 205 CT scans carried out in patients with symptomatic epilepsy. We identified 52 (25.36%) pathological causes: 18 cases (34.62%) of infectious lesions, predominantly toxoplasmosis, 9 cases (17.30%) of tumors, 9 cases (17.30%) of vascular lesions and 8 cases (15.39%) of post-traumatic and atrophic lesions. CT is of great value in the diagnosis of epilepsy, not only in the assessment of the disease, but also for identifying the lesion responsible for the seizures, which may be treatable. It is advisable to carry out a CT scan for any patient presenting with symptomatic epilepsy.     

Endovascular treatment of hemifacial spasm associated with a cerebral arteriovenous malformation using transvenous embolization: case report

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: To illustrate that decompression of the facial nerve by transvenous endovascular treatment may relieve hemifacial spasm (HFS) caused by dilated veins. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 35-year-old man suffered severe chronic right HFS associated with a dilated right lateral mesencephalic vein lying in the vicinity of the facial nerve. This nonessential vein was recruited as a secondary collateral drainage from an inoperable left temporo-occipital arteriovenous malformation. INTERVENTION: The lateral mesencephalic vein was reached through the superior petrosal sinus using a transfemoral venous approach and was occluded with interlocking detachable coils (Target Therapeutics, Freemont, CA). There was complete remission of HFS without recurrence after 2.5 years of follow-up. CONCLUSION: This case report supports vascular compression in the pathogenesis of HFS and suggests that facial nerve injury is not essential for the therapeutic effect of surgical decompression.