Images in gerontology: a case report.

Left ventricular aneurysm can complicate acute myocardial infarction. Clinical and electrocardiogram features are not specific. We describe a case with asymptomatic left ventricular aneurysm diagnosed by computerized-tomography angiography.

[Diagnostic performance of κ/λ serum free light chain ratio (Freelite® assay) and IgGκ/IgGλ ratio (Hevylite® assay) as prognostic biomarkers of the evolution of immune thrombocytopenia into a chronic disease in adult patients]. / Performance diagnostique des rapports κ/λ des chaines légères libres sériques (test Freelite®) et IgGκ/IgGλ (test Hevylite®) comme marqueurs pronostiques de chronicisation du purpura thrombopénique immunologique de l'adulte.

INTRODUCTION: Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an acquired hemorrhagic disease due to antiplatelet antibodies, that will become a chronic disease in 70% of adults. Most of chronic ITP patients display clonal restriction of antiplatelet antibodies. To date, there is no biomarker able to predict the evolution of the disease. The objective of the study is to determine whether Hevylite® and/or Freelite® assays are prognostic factors for progression to chronic ITP. METHODS: This is a retrospective, monocentric, prognostic study of a biomarker, performed using frozen samples stored in a serum library. Freelite® and a Hevylite® assays were performed on the samples collected at diagnosis for adult patients with newly diagnosed ITP at the University Hospital of Poitiers between 2014/01/01 and 2017/05/01. To predict the evolution into a chronic disease, a ROC curve analysis was performed on four variables: IgGκ, IgGκ/IgGλ ratio, IgGκ - IgGλ, and κ/λ ratio. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients were included and analyzed. No patient had an abnormal κ/λ ratio. Three patients had an abnormal IgGκ/IgGλ ratio. The following variables IgGκ, IgGκ/IgGλ, IgGκ - IgGλ, and κ/λ ratio were not able to predict progression to chronic ITP in our study. CONCLUSION: This study did not reveal any prognostic value of the Freelite® and Hevylite® tests on the evolution of ITP into a chronic disease.

[Diagnosis and management of acquired immune haemolytic anaemia excluding neoplasia. Adequacy with the current guidelines published in 2009]. / Diagnostic et prise en charge de l'anémie hémolytique auto-immune à l'exclusion des formes secondaires à une cause néoplasique. Adéquation de la prise en charge au PNDS octobre 2009.

OBJECTIVES: Describe the management of Acquired Immune Haemolytic Anaemia (AIHA) and correlate with the current guidelines published in 2009. The secondary objective was to calculate the positive predictive value of the Direct Antiglobulin Test (DAT) for the diagnosis of AIHA. METHODS: A retrospective and monocentric study was performed from 2010 to 2015 based on positive DATs, identified in the French Blood Agency database or in medical files. All patients managed for initial diagnosis or relapse of AIHA were included, excluding neoplasia. RESULTS: Six hundred and twenty-three patients had a positive DAT, 42 had non-neoplastic AIHA. Thirty-nine patients were included, 32 had warm antibodies, 5 had a negative DAT and 2 had cold antibodies. No cause was found for 46% (17/37) of the warm antibody and negative DATs AIHAs. Autoimmune disease was found in 11 cases (30%), infection in 4 cases (11%). The etiologic investigations were consistent with the guidelines in 49% of cases. Corticosteroids were first prescribed, as recommended. Second-line treatments were rituximab in 9 cases, splenectomy in 4 cases and azathioprine in 3 cases. The management of cold antibody AIHA complied with the guidelines. The positive predictive value of DATs in hospitalized population was of 14% (85/610). CONCLUSION: AIHA guidelines seem insufficiently applied in our center.

[Infectious events during the course of autoimmune diseases treated with rituximab: A retrospective study of 93 cases]. / Événements infectieux survenus au cours des maladies auto-immunes traitées par rituximab : à partir d'une étude rétrospective de 93 cas.

OBJECTIVE: Describe the occurring infections in patients treated with rituximab for an autoimmune disease. METHODS: Retrospective and monocentric study of 93 adult patients treated with rituximab for autoimmune indications over a nine years period. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients suffered from a total of 95 infections. Out of them, 18 patients (19 %) had had at least an infectious episode triggering a hospital admission and/or intravenous treatment. The infections occurred mainly during the first year of the treatment (65 %) and if the courses are repeated (P=0.04). They were mainly pulmonary infections. Severe infections, recorded in 79 % of the cases, were mostly of bacterial origin (43 %) and viral (23 %). Two cases of pneumocystis pneumonia and one case of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis were also recorded. The notion of vaccination was present in less than half of the cases, and 39 % of the patients were already receiving a prophylactic treatment against pneumocystis pneumonia. Patients over the age of 65 years (40 %) had developed less infections (P<0.05). Eight of the initial 93 patients died, half of them because of infectious complications. CONCLUSION: Infectious complications are frequent, become early and are potentially severe. Imputability to rituximab is not certain. However, this could lead to better codify rituximab prescriptions and take adapted and associated measures in order to facilitate infection prevention and, if an infection does occur, to treat it at the earliest stage possible. The age doesn't seem to be a risk factor.

[Breast lesions as the presenting feature of giant cell arteritis]. / Pseudo-tumeurs mammaires révélant une maladie de Horton.

INTRODUCTION: Giant cell arteritis most commonly involves the external carotid branches. Although they are less typical, extra-cephalic forms have also been reported. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 59-year-old female patient who developed bilateral, painful breast nodules with fever and altered general status since two months. Two weeks later, she presented frontal headache and scalp tenderness. A colour duplex ultrasound of the temporal artery showed a halo sign. The results of a breast needle biopsy were inconclusive but the temporal artery biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis. The disease course was rapidly favourable after institution of corticosteroids. INTRODUCTION: Breast involvement is rare but could be the first sign of giant cell arteritis. The internal mammary artery, which is a branch of the subclavian artery, can be affected and responsible for breast nodules.

[Infectious events during the course of systemic necrotizing vasculitis: a retrospective study of 82 cases]. / Événements infectieux au cours des vascularites nécrosantes systémiques: étude rétrospective de 82 cas.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the infections occurring in a series of 82 patients followed for a systemic necrotizing vasculitis and to determine potential risk factors. METHODS: We studied retrospectively the medical files of 23 Churg and Strauss syndrome, 18 periarteritis nodosa, 14 microscopic polyangiitis, and 27 granulomatosis with polyangiitis, over a 15-year period. Infection delay corresponded to the period from treatment to first infection or between two infections. RESULTS: A total of 61 patients developed 147 infections. Causal agent was identified in 70 cases, 42 were bacterial, 20 viral and 8 fungal. Bronchopneumonia was the most frequent infection (43 %). Sixty-two percent of infections occurred within 2 years after vasculitis diagnosis. Seven infections were major, requiring intensive care, with one infection-death related. Pneumocystis prophylaxis concerned 75 % of patients on cyclophosphamide. Significant factors reducing infection delay were initial hypergammaglobulinemia, hypoalbuminemia, lymphopenia, as well as cyclophosphamide and methotrexate treatment. Large quantities of corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide or azathioprine increased infection delay. This result underlines the early occurrence of infectious complications during vasculitis course. CONCLUSION: Infectious events occurring in systemic necrotizing vasculitis are frequent and occurs early in disease course, and could be prevented with simple prophylactic measures. Vasculitis relapse and infection share similarities and this require permanent clinical vigilance.

[Chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenia outcome during pregnancy (62 cases)]. / Évolution d'une thrombopénie chronique idiopathique en cours de grossesse (62 grossesses).

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the platelet count outcome during a pregnancy occurring in a series of 62 women followed for a chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenia. METHODS: We studied the medical files of women who had a previous history of chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenia persistently below 150G/L for at least 1 year, and who became pregnant over a 14-year period. RESULTS: Sixty-two pregnancies (including 41 in women suffering from an immune thrombocytopenic purpura according to updated definition criteria) which occurred in 50 women, were analysed. At the beginning of the pregnancy, platelet count was above 150G/L in 16% of the cases and lower than 50G/L in 8%. Platelets decreased by more than 25% for 55% of the pregnancies, remained stable during pregnancy in 33% and improved in 12%. Platelet count remained above 50G/L in 70% of the pregnancies and higher than 100G/L in 27%. Mean nadir was 84G/L at 31 weeks of gestation. A treatment was started in 40% of pregnancies, among them 64% of the cases during the last month only in order to allow locoregional anaesthesia at delivery. Platelet count was below 150G/L at delivery in 82% of the women (116±56G/L). No bleeding occurred in 83% of the pregnancies. Neonatal mean platelet count was 225±87G/L, thrombocytopenia occurred in 17% of the babies (platelet count below 150G/L), without any serious bleeding. CONCLUSION: Pregnancy worsens chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenia outcome in half of the cases, most of the time without any haemorrhagic complications.