Kyste hydatique du foie ouvert dans la vésicule biliaire : à propos d’un cas

The opening in the intra hepatic bile ducts is the most common complication of hepatic hydatid cyst. The opening in the gallbladder is unusual.We report the case of a 65-year-old woman with complaints of right upper quadrant pain and fever. Various explorations have found a hydatid acute cholecystitis due to an opening of a hydatid cyst of the liver in the gallbladder. Treatment was surgical.     

Incidence and Characteristics of Atypical Femoral Fractures: Clinical and Geometrical Data

Despite the multitude of studies published on atypical femoral fractures (AFFs), a profile for patients at risk does not exist. This study aimed first at estimating AFF incidence over a 19‐month‐period in Quebec City using the ASBMR Task force criteria to define AFF. The medical records of patients hospitalized for hip or femoral fracture between June 1, 2009, and December 31, 2010, were reviewed. Thirty‐six cases of atypical fractures were identified during the 19‐month period, representing an AFF incidence of 7.0 (range, 4.7 to 9.3) cases per 100,000 person‐years. In the second part of the study, data regarding the characteristics suspected of increasing the risks of AFF were collected from medical and pharmacological records, proximal femur radiographs, and patient interviews. The data regarding each patient with an AFF during years 2008‐2011 were compared to two controls with a hip or femoral fragility fracture or a traumatic fracture, paired for age and sex. Twenty patients with AFF were added to the 36 patients with AFF selected in the first part, thereby 56 patients with AFF were investigated. The association between the occurrence of AFF and bisphosphonates (BPs) use was proven statistically significant in multivariate analysis, odds ratio (OR) = 10.39 (95% CI, 2.22 to 48.58; p = 0.0029). Compared to controls, patients with AFF had excessive femoral offset (43.1 mm versus 38.3 mm, p = 0.0007), proximal femoral neck angle in varus (128.9 degrees versus 134.0 degrees, p < 0.0001), and had greater proximal cortical thickness. This retrospective study confirms the low incidence of AFF, confirms its significant association with exposure to BPs, and reveals the possible contribution of proximal femoral geometry in AFF occurrence. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.     

Structure properties and dielectric relaxation of Ca0.1Na0.9Ti0.1Nb0.9O3 ceramic

In this paper, the synthesis of Ca_0.1Na_0.9Ti_0.1Nb_0.9O₃ (CNTN) ceramic by a solid-state reaction method is reported. The results of Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns at room temperature showed a pure tetragonal perovskite (P4mm space group). Raman spectroscopy analysis, ranging from of 50 to 1000 cm⁻¹, at room temperature, validates the results of XRD. The dielectric properties was studied by complex impedance spectroscopy examined in broad frequency range, 100 Hz to 200 kHz, at different temperatures. The dielectric permittivity for our CNTN compound confirms the typical relaxor behavior. The investigation of the diffuseness of the transition was conducted by fitting the experimental data with modified Curie–Weiss law; Gaussian distribution and Power law confirm the presence of a short-range association between the polar nanoregions (PNRs). The obtained values of the diffuseness coefficient are of the order 1.6, which corresponds to the diffuse phase transition (DPT) ascribed to the existence of various states of polarization, thus various relaxation times in different regions. The value of diffuseness is of the order 85 and the degree of relaxor (ΔT_cm = 65 K) is interesting as far as microelectric applications are concerned. Moreover, based on the frequency dependence of temperature at dielectric maxima using Vogel–Fulcher relationship, a strong evidence for a static freezing temperature with regards to thermally-activated polarization fluctuations was found.

In this paper, the synthesis of Ca_0.1Na_0.9Ti_0.1Nb_0.9O₃ (CNTN) ceramic by a solid-state reaction is reported. The results of Rietveld refinement of X-ray diffraction patterns at room temperature showed a pure tetragonal perovskite (P4mm space group).     

Molecular Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 in Tunisia (North Africa) through Several Successive Waves of COVID-19

Documenting the circulation dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants in different regions of the world is crucial for monitoring virus transmission worldwide and contributing to global efforts towards combating the pandemic. Tunisia has experienced several waves of COVID-19 with a significant number of infections and deaths. The present study provides genetic information on the different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 that circulated in Tunisia over 17 months. Lineages were assigned for 1359 samples using whole-genome sequencing, partial S gene sequencing and variant-specific real-time RT-PCR tests. Forty-eight different lineages of SARS-CoV-2 were identified, including variants of concern (VOCs), variants of interest (VOIs) and variants under monitoring (VUMs), particularly Alpha, Beta, Delta, A.27, Zeta and Eta. The first wave, limited to imported and import-related cases, was characterized by a small number of positive samples and lineages. During the second wave, a large number of lineages were detected; the third wave was marked by the predominance of the Alpha VOC, and the fourth wave was characterized by the predominance of the Delta VOC. This study adds new genomic data to the global context of COVID-19, particularly from the North African region, and highlights the importance of the timely molecular characterization of circulating strains.     

Formes pseudo-tumorales de l’amibiase digestive. A propos de 3 cas

Amoeboma is a cosmopolitan parasitic tumor. It is often difficult to distinguish it from cancer. We report 3 cases of patients operated for digestive cancer. The final diagnosis was amoeboma of the gallbladder, the caecum and the left colon. In the first case, the patient was operated for a mass in the fourth segment of the liver in contact with the gallbladder. For the two other cases, patients were operated in emergency for a complication (abscess and peritonitis).     

Contribution of phage typing and ribotyping in investigating a typhoid fever outbreak in Tunisia

A study was carried out to investigate an outbreak of typhoid fever that occurred in Sousse city and in the vicinity of Sousse (Tunisia) during summer 1999. Twenty four isolates of Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi were isolated in hospitalized patients with a typhoid fever in two hospitals (Farhat Hached Sousse and M'saken) and were studied with the help of two molecular typing methods: phage typing and automated ribotyping. Twenty one isolates with the Vi antigen had profile DVS (Degraded Vi Strain), one isolate with the Vi antigen belonged to phage type A and two isolates were non phage typable (no Vi antigen). The same ribotype was found in 22 out of 24 isolates. The results suggested that ribotyping is more discriminative than phage typing in this case in distinguishing strains and the strains shared the same source of the contamination. Unfortunately the precise source of the contamination could not be determined.     

Bacteriologic features of urinary tract infections in children in the Sousse area, Tunisia

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is frequent in childhood. Our purpose is to determine the bacteriologic profile of UTI in children through a retrospective study of 1281 urinary specimens analysed in the Laboratory of Microbiology of F. Hached University hospital of Sousse between 1997 and 2002 (2000 except). The most frequent pathogens recovered were E. coli (71%), K. pneumoniae (10%) P. mirabilis (8%), Staphylococcus (1.6%), P. aeruginosa (1%) and others (2%). E. coli susceptibility to antibiotics was characterised by the high resistance percentage to amoxicillin (60%), to amoxicilline - acid clavulanic (54%) and to cotrimoxazole (40%). The resistance percentage to third generation cephalosporins, to aminoglycosides and to nitrofurane remained very low, respectively of 1.5%, 1% and 1%. High resistance rates among K. pneumoniae strains towards to amoxicillin - acid clavulanic and Cefotaxim, respectively of 63 and 39% were noticed. The resistance percentages to amikacin and cotrimoxazole were respectively of 17 and 65%, but only of 4% to nitrofurane. 70% of P. mirabilis strains were resistant to amoxicillin, 63% of them remained susceptible to amoxicillin - acid clavulanic. No resistance was shown to amikacin against 31% towards cotrimoxazole.