Double Sigmoid colon perforation due to migration of a biliary stent.

Migration of pancreatico-biliary stents is a rare event, usually benign, but which can lead to severe complications such as digestive tube perforation. We report the case of a patient with double sigmoid perforation due to distal migration of a biliary stent placed to decompress a pancreatic head carcinoma.

[Role of self-expanding stent in the treatment of obstructing colorectal cancer]. / L'endoprothèse dans l'occlusion colique tumorale.

BACKGROUND: Obstruction due to colorectal cancer is a common occurrence. It often arises in patients in poor general condition with malnutrition and advanced tumor stage. Prognosis can be improved by prompt resolution of obstruction through a mininimally invasive approach. GOAL: To analyze the management of cases of acute colorectal obstruction and evaluate the efficacity and morbidity/mortality associated with the use of endocolic stent prostheses. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study at a single center evaluated patients presenting with acute colorectal obstruction between January 2003 and May 2008, assessing the patient sample, cancer characteristics, treatment, and morbidity/mortality. RESULTS: The mean age of the 26 patients was 75 years; ASA Class was greater than III in 63% of cases, The colorectal cancer was located in the sigmoid in 65% of cases and was a Stage IV tumor in 73% of cases. Placement of an endocolic stent was the primary intervention in 94% of patients. Morbidity was 12% and mortality was 4%. CONCLUSION: Colonic stenting is an effective therapeutic option in the elderly with painful symptoms of obstruction and should be the initial approach.

[Common variable immunodeficiency and total villous atrophy regressive after gluten-free diet]. / Déficit immunitaire commun variable et atrophie villositaire totale régressive après régime sans gluten.

A patient with a commun variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is hospitalized for chronic symptoms of malabsorption (weigh loss and diarrhea). The duodenal histology show a total villous atrophy. Investigations are negative and a gluten free diet is given. Symptoms of malabsorption disappear and improvement is histologically confirmed. Our observation suggest that the coincidence of gluten sensitive enteropathy and CVID is possible and clinicians should be aware of this association and should consider giving a gluten free diet. The sensitivity of serologic testing in this conditions is unknown.

[Divided pancreas. General review apropos of 6 cases]. / Le pancréas divisum. Revue générale à partir de six observations.

The aim of this work is to perform a general review of pancreas divisum. Six cases are reported. A clinical and therapeutic study is made, successively studying the circumstances of discovery, the morphological and functional studies, and the therapeutic methods. A discussion underlines the learnings and contradictions of the literature about this issue.

Hepatitis E and hepatitis C virus infections among French soldiers with non-A, non-B hepatitis.

Serologic markers of HCV and HEV were investigated in 74 French soldiers with non-A, non-B hepatitis and in 18 patients involved in an outbreak of non-A,non-B hepatitis in Algeria. Moreover, anti-HCV antibodies were detected in 13 patients with non-A,non-B hepatitis of parenteral origin. HEV antibodies were investigated in 61-65% of patients involved in the 2 enterically transmitted outbreaks of non-A,non-B hepatitis observed in Algeria and Chad. The third cluster of non-A,non-B hepatitis observed in French soldiers serving in French Guyana is more likely to be attributed to malaria prophylactic treatment with Amodiaquine than to a viral origin. HCV infection was observed in 93% of acute or chronic cases associated with blood transfusion or parenteral drug abuse. Among acute cases, none of the soldiers who contracted the disease in Africa or in French Guyana was found to be anti-HCV positive compared to 78% of those who contracted the disease in France. HCV infections resulted in chronic hepatitis in 61% of cases.

[Genetic hemochromatosis disclosed by isolated increase of aminotransferases]. / Hémochromatose génétique révélée par une élévation isolée des aminotransférases.

The authors report five cases of genetic hemochromatosis in asymptomatic patients with elevated serum aminotransferases. They precise the interest of liver biopsy and hepatic iron concentration especially of hepatic iron index.

[Role of nocturnal hypertension in the deterioration of diabetic nephropathy]. / Rôle de l'hypertension artérielle nocturne dans l'aggravation de la néphropathie diabétique.

UNLABELLED: Nocturnal hypertension (HTA), even a relative one, consequence of the change of the circadian pattern of blood pressure, may increase the whole day blood pressure in diabetic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: blood pressure has been measured every 15 minutes for 24 hours in 101 diabetic patients (43 insulin-dependent: type 1, 58 non insulin-dependent: type 2) by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. 39 of them are hypertensive patients. Among these 101 patients, 19 have a nocturnal relative HTA corresponding in a lack or a negative difference between the diurn and the nocturn systolic or diastolic pressure (Group 1). The Group 2 is constituted by the 82 other patients; 24 hour-microalbuminuria was assayed by immunoturbidimetry for two days on end. RESULTS: patients of Group 1 were significantly older (p less than 0.01) than in the Group 2 (61 +/- 9 years vs 54 +/- 13 years). There was no significant change between the two Groups concerning the kind of diabetes (type 1 or type 2), the glycosylated hemoglobin and the frequency of degenerative complications. Microalbuminuria was significantly higher (p less than 0.01) in Group 1 (72 +/- 104 mg/24 h) than in Group 2 (20 +/- 30 mg/24 h). Both nervous dysautonomic cardiac failure and HTA treated were significantly higher in Group 1 than in Group 2, respectively (14/19 vs 28/82; p less than 0.01) and (15/19 vs 24/82; p less than 0.001). The causal blood pressure measurement was similar in the two Groups, but the whole day ambulatory blood pressure monitoring revealed a significant increase of the average of systolic (Group 1: 133 +/- 14 mmHg vs Group 2: 119 +/- 12 mmHg; p less than 0.001) and diastolic (Group 1: 81 +/- 12 mmHg vs Group 2: 75 +/- 8 mmHg; p less than 0.01) blood pressure during 24 hours. COMMENTS: the causal blood pressure measurement fails to appreciate the increase of the whole day blood pressure consequent to the suppression of nocturnal hypotension and sometimes to the occurrence of real nocturnal hypertension. This observation is probably in relation with the nervous dysautonomic cardiac failure and is associated with an increase of the microalbuminuria (patients with microalbuminuria greater than 30 mg/24 h--Group 1: 9/19 vs Group 2: 17/82; p less than 0.05). This situation can lead to an aggravation of degenerative complications. Such results should urge practitioners to assess the circadian pattern of blood pressure in diabetic patients more accurately.