[Disseminated strongyloidiasis, a rare cause of multiple organ failure]. / L'anguillulose maligne, cause rare de défaillance multiviscérale.

INTRODUCTION: Strongyloidiasis is an parasitic intestinal disease, frequent in tropical countries and fairly rare in temperate areas under certain conditions. Disseminated forms can provoke multivisceral damage. CASE REPORT: A 75 year-old woman, hospitalized for occlusion, developed multivisceral (cerebral, renal, cardiac pulmonary and hepatic) damage over 48 hours, attributed to strongyloidiasis. The diagnosis was confirmed by isolation of larvae in the tracheal and gastric aspiration fluids. Treatment combined ivermectin and albendazole. COMMENTS: Disseminated stronglyloidiasis is essentially observed in immunodepressed patients, under corticosteroids or HTLV1 carriers, although an HIV status does not appear to intervene. Larvae can be found in all the organs. Death occurs by multivisceral failure in 50 to 70% of cases. Broncho-alveolar washing and examination of the gastric fluids is the key to diagnosis. Treatment relies on thiabendazole, ivermectin or albendazole, and the symptomatic management of all the visceral deficiencies.

[Venous thromboembolic complications following air travel. Retrospective study of 40 cases recorded in Martinique]. / Accidents thromboemboliques veineux après un voyage aérien. Etude rétrospective de 40 cas recensés à la Martinique.

Thromboembolic events following air travel do occur, and have been reported several times in the literature. The authors report a high frequency of these incidence in their geographical region. A retrospective study of 40 cases of phlebitis or pulmonary embolism associated with air travel was conducted over the last 6 years. Cases were analyzed based on the following criteria: sex, age, duration of flight, latency period, diagnostic signs, way of discovery, date of diagnosis and thrombus localisation. The authors analyse these data and underline the main causes of these incidence, with an emphasis on the specific climatic factors in their region. Special attention is placed on the fact that these may occur in young individuals with no previous medical history. The authors conclude by suggesting preventive measures, including general measures and the use of anticoagulants.