[Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis: A report on two familial cases in Morocco]. / Microlithiase alvéolaire pulmonaire : à propos de deux cas familiaux au Maroc.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is a rare autosomal recessive disease. The majority of patients are asymptomatic. The disease is often diagnosed on routine radiological examination. CASE REPORTS: We report two familial cases of PAM. A 17-year-old girl with a chest X-ray showing an alveolar syndrome, especially on the right side, a bronchointerstitial syndrome, and diffuse calcifications. The thoracic CT scan showed calcified micro- and macronodules with pleural and pericardial calcifications. Respiratory function tests showed restrictive syndrome and normal blood gas values suggestive if PAM, which was confirmed by the presence of microliths in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Family investigation led to chest radiograph of a 14-year-old sister who was asymptomatic but presented with an aspect of "sandstorm" calcifications. CONCLUSION: PAM is known to be radio-clinically dissociative. In typical cases, radiology can suggest the diagnosis, which is often confirmed by SLC34A2 mutation or microliths in BAL or sputum. The prognosis is compromised in the long-term. The only effective treatment nowadays is lung transplantation.

[Negative pressure pulmonary edema following a cholecystectomy - A case report]. / Œdème pulmonaire à pression négative après une cholécystectomie ­ à propos d'un cas.

Negative pressure pulmonary edema (NPPE) or post-obstructive pulmonary edema (POPE) is a rare but a life threatening respiratory situation. The most frequent cause of NPPE is a post anesthetic laryngospasm. Edema is developed after relief of upper airway obstruction. Its incidence is 0.1 % of general anesthesia with tracheal intubation. We report this clinical case of a 28-year-old woman, who developed dyspnea followed by acute respiratory distress with unilateral pulmonary edema after extubation following general anesthesia for cholecystectomy under celioscopy. After elimination of any other cause, context, clinical and radiological characteristics, and the favorable evolution under oxygen and furosemide made it possible for us to link this acute respiratory distress to a NPPE whose pathophysiological causes and mechanisms are discussed.

[Skin sensitisation profiles to inhalant allergens for patients in Tétouan city (North West of Morocco)]. / Profils de sensibilisation cutanée aux allergènes respiratoires des patients de la ville de Tétouan (Nord Ouest du Maroc).

The prevalence of respiratory allergies is increasing and is a serious global health problem. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of skin sensitization to inhalant allergens in patients consulting for respiratory allergy, to identify the main allergens involved and to evaluate the profile of skin prick-test reactivity related to sex, age and season. This retrospective study included 379 patients consulting during 2009-2012 in three private medical offices of Tetouan. Of the 379 patients, 39.6% were monosensitized and 60.4% polysensitized. The percentages of polysensitized patients were higher in patients exhibiting rhinoconjunctivitis and astma-rhinoconjunctivitis than in subjects with asthma. The prevalence of symptoms according to sex showed no significant difference (P=0.64). Regarding age, a significant difference was observed in the case of rhinoconjunctivitis (P<0.01), while asthma and asthma-rhinoconjunctivitis showed no significant difference. Sensitization to house dust mites was the most frequent followed by grasses, olives and Parietaria. The multiple correspondence analyses (ACM) showed that patients under 20-years of age with asthma and asthma-rhinoconjunctivitis profile are more associated with sensitization to mites during the spring and autumn. The 20-49-year age group was represented mainly by polysensitized patients with rhinoconjunctivitis. Sensitization to mites ranks first in Tetouan followed by the percentage of sensitized patients to grass pollen and olive. The ACM showed that the house dust mite asthma seems to affect more children and adolescents while the 20-49 year age of polysensitized group suffers significantly rhinoconjunctivitis.