[Buschke-Lowenstein tumor associated with scrotal melanoma. A case report]. / Tumeur de Buschke-lowenstein associé à un mélanome scrotal. À propos d'un cas.

Buschke-Lowenstein tumour (BLT) is a giant condyloma acumina, which is rare entity and represents only 1% of all populace. It is a rare viral disease, essentially transmitted by sexual intercourse, characterized by a potential for malignant transformation, invasion and recurrence after treatment. We report a case of BLT associated with perinea-scrotal melanoma. This association was never described in the literature. The purpose of our case report is to discuss the clinical and pathological appearances of these two entities and to outline the recent studies of molecular biology, which can explain this association.

[Epidemiological and biologic profile of breast cancer in Fez-Boulemane, Morocco]. / Le profil épidémiologique et biologique du cancer du sein à Fès-Boulemane (Maroc).

In a retrospective study of 265 patients with breast cancer over 3 years (January 2007-September 2009) we examined the epidemiological profile of breast cancer to determine the impact of biological and prognostic factors on survival over 3 years and on the epidemiology of this cancer. Estrogen (RE), progesterone (RP) and human epidermal growth factor receptors (HER2) were evaluated and RE/RP/HER2 status determined. The patients were young (median age 45 years). Invasive tumours were found in 95.5% of the women. The average tumour size was big [3.6 (SD 2.6) cm] and only 14% were histological grade 1. Large tumour size and high histological grade were independent of patient's age. Overall survival at 3 years was only 49% for the RE-/RP-/HER2- subtype and 75% for the RE-/RP-/HER2+ subtype, while it was 96% for the RE+/RP+/HER2- subtype. The young age, large tumour size and high histological grade in our population suggest a lack of awareness of women about breast cancer.

Cervical and thoracic spine tumor management: surgical indications, techniques, and outcomes.

Since the first pioneering work in the area of tumors of the spine, medical professionals have sought to determine the proper role of spine surgery in the management of spinal tumors. Experience has proven that spine surgery is effective in the treatment of spinal cord compression for decreasing pain and improving quality of life with low rates of surgical complications. We use several staging systems to assess the patient's prognosis, to determine the best type of tumoral resection in preoperative surgical planning, and to provide guidance as to the best therapeutic option for the patient. In the surgical treatment of spine tumors, one of two opposing strategies must be chosen: (1) palliative surgery with cord decompression and spine stabilization or (2) curative surgery with en bloc radical resection of the tumor and stabilization. In this article, we describe indications and surgical techniques related to cervical spinal tumors: fixation and laminectomy of the upper and lower cervical spines, corporectomy, and partial and total vertebrectomy. For tumors of the cervicothoracic region, the most frequent level of spine metastasis and thoracic spine tumors, we describe the fixation and laminectomy technique, en bloc tumor resection, and partial and total vertebrectomy. The last part of the article addresses outcomes following spinal surgery, including outcomes related to en bloc Pancoast Tobias tumor resection, malignant dumbbell schwanomas, and metastasis.

Two-levels mini-open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion: technical note.

OBJECTIVE: Mini-open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (oTLIF), previously described by Mummaneni et al., is a well-established technique that uses tubular dilators and retractors for treatment of single-level lumbar spinal stenosis. TECHNIQUE: We describe eight patients with two-level spinal stenosis who were operated on with minimally invasive spinal arthrodesis via a transforaminal route with the use of tubular retractors. This approach allowed us to obtain double-level cages insertion in all patients, with direct visualization of pedicular entry points and no screw malpositioning. CONCLUSION: The oTLIF represents a good compromise in patients with two-level lumbar degenerative disease deserving surgery. Compared to standard open TLIF, it is associated with less postoperative muscular trauma, and faster recovery. This seems to be more evident in that category of patients in whom open approaches need longer incisions and more muscular fiber splitting. Compared to percutaneous TLIF (pTLIF), it allows for bilateral root decompression in every case. Bilateral cage insertion was also possible with this technique.

[Ischemic fasciitis. A case report]. / La fasciite ischémique. A propos d'un cas.

Ischemic fasciitis, also called atypical decubital fibroplasia, was recently described as a distinctive fibroblastic proliferation occurring predominantly in elderly, bed-ridden individuals. It is very rare. Forty cases only are reported in the literature. We report the observation of a 50-year-old patient, having an antecedent of prolonged confinement, who presents since 1 year a tumefaction compared to the higher end of the tibia of soft consistency with inflammatory signs in glance. The pathologic examination shows a pseudo tumoral lesion of ischemic fasciite type. Through this observation, we suggest to review the various problems of diagnostic differentials in particular with a sarcoma of soft tissues and to discuss the anatomoclinic features of this recent description lesion.

[Solid pseudotumoral tubo-ovarian actinomycosis. A case report in Morocco]. / Une actinomycose pseudo-tumorale tubo-ovarienne. A propos d'une observation marocaine.

Tubo-ovarian actinomycosis is a rare location for infection by actinomyces. Only around 50 cases have been described in the world literature since 1963. Diagnosis can be difficult due to the highly misleading solid pseudotumoral appearance of this infection. The purpose of this report is to describe the case of a 40-year-old patient with an intrauterine device who presented abdomino-pelvic pain associated with guarding in the right iliac fossa. Pelvic ultrasound revealed an ovarian mass. Histological examination of the surgical specimen after annexectomy demonstrated tubo-ovarian actinomycosis. Based on this case involving a rare clinical form of the actinomycosis, we review the various clinical aspects of this infection and underline the importance of histology in achieving diagnosis. We also provide a general review of the literature.

[Role of cervical smear in the diagnosis of cervical cancer in Fes-Boulemane region of Morocco]. / La place du frottis cervico-vaginal dans le diagnostic du cancer du col utérin au Maroc, région Fès-Boulemane.

A retrospective study was conducted between 2000 and 2003 on 1620 women (mean age 39.6 years) in northern Morocco to determine the incidence of cervical cancer and assess the value of cervical smear in the diagnosis. Patients were interviewed using a questionnaire before carrying out a gynaecological examination and taking a cervical smear sample. Of the total sample, 23.1% had an abnormal cervical smear, of whom 5.6% showed intraepithelial lesions, both low and high grade. The women presenting with cervicitis represented the highest percentage with suspect smears (30.8%); 90.9% of the smears showing high grade lesions were histologically confirmed as cervical cancer. A screening programme is a matter of urgency in northern Morocco.

[Femoral metaphyso-diaphyseal chondroblastoma: a case report]. / Chondroblastome métaphyso-diaphysaire du fémur: à propos d'un cas.

Chondroblastoma is a rare benign tumor of cartilage tissue accounting for less than 1% of all bone tumors. The epiphysis of long bones is the typical localization, often extending to the metaphysis. Metaphyseal, metaphysodiaphyseal or pure diaphyseal forms are exceptional. We report a case in a 15-year-old boy who presented a metaphyso-diaphyseal chondroblastoma of the distal portion of the left femur. The inaugural signs were pain and limited joint motion. We discuss the anatomic aspects and the clinical course of this rare tumor and present current knowledge of the histogenesis.

Tokuhashi score and other prognostic factors in 260 patients with surgery for vertebral metastases.

BACKGROUND: Metastatic disease of the spine is an increasingly common public health problem. Surgery should be an integral component of the overall cancer treatment plan and, importantly, must neither delay not jeopardize any of the other components. The prognosis governs the choice of the surgical strategy. Tokuhashi et al. developed a prognostic score in 1990, then revised it in 2000 and 2005. Here, our objective was to evaluate the performance of the Tokuhashi score in a cohort of 260 patients and to look for other variables that might improve preoperative outcome prediction. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We retrospectively established a single-centre cohort of 260 patients who underwent spinal metastasis surgery between 1998 and 2008. For each patient, the following data were collected prospectively: socio-demographic features, history of the malignancy, variables needed to determine the Tokuhashi score, and treatments used. SAS 9.0 software was chosen for the statistical analysis. Variables were described as mean ± SD, overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and survivals in subgroups were compared by the log-rank test. To assess agreement between survival predicted by the Tokuhashi score and observed survival, we computed Cohen's kappa and interpreted the results according to Landis and Koch. RESULTS: There were 143 females and 117 males with a mean age of 59 years and overall median survival of 10 months. Median observed survivals in the three Tokuhashi score categories (< 6, 6-12, and > 12 months predicted survival) were 5, 10, and 36 months, respectively. These survival times differed significantly (P < 0.0001). Cohen's kappa indicated moderate agreement between predicted and observed survivals. Other factors associated with significant survival differences were time from cancer diagnosis to metastasis diagnosis (synchronous, < 2 years, 2-5 years, or > 5 years; P < 0.0001) and age (< 70 years or ≥ 70 years, P = 0.0053). CONCLUSION: Our cohort study supports the validity and reproducibility of the Tokuhashi score. Our finding that shorter time to metastasis diagnosis and age ≥ 70 years were also significantly associated with survival in our population invites further efforts to improve and update the Tokuhashi score.

Pre-Emptive Retransplantation in Patients With Chronic Kidney Graft Failure.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the group of patients receiving a new kidney transplant before starting dialysis again (pre-reTR) with a group of patients receiving a new kidney transplant after restarting dialysis (reTR). METHODS: This retrospective cohort included all the kidney retransplantations (second transplantations) between 2000 and 2012 performed at our center and their follow-up until July 2014. We analysed graft and patient survival, rejection rates, and immunologic parameters of these patients. RESULTS: We studied 18 patients who had pre-reTR and 83 who had reTR. In the pre-reTR group no patient had panel-reactive assay (PRA) >10% at any time. In the reTR group 26.5% had PRA >10% at the time of transplantation (P = .014) and 54.2% had a historical highest PRA >10% (P < .001). The rejection rate was 11.1% in the pre-reTR group and 27.7% in the reTR group during the first year post-retransplantation (P = .227). Patient survival rate was 100% in the pre-reTR group at 5 years of follow-up, whereas in the reTR group at 1 year it was 95.2% and 85.9% at 5 years after retransplantation. Allograft survival at 1 and 5 years was 88% and 89%, respectively, in the pre-reTR group. On the other hand, in the reTR group it was 89% after the first year and 65% at 5 years post-retransplantation. CONCLUSION: Pre-emptive renal retransplantation is a feasible option that should be assessed in patients with kidney graft failure and may help to minimize the morbidity associated with dialysis reinitiation.

Enhanced cytotoxicity of doxorubicin encapsulated in polyisohexylcyanoacrylate nanospheres against multidrug-resistant tumour cells in culture.

We have studied the cytotoxicity and accumulation of doxorubicin encapsulated in polyisohexylcyanoacrylate nanospheres in a model of doxorubicin-resistant rat glioblastoma variants differing by their degree of resistance to this drug. We observed that the particulate form of doxorubicin was always more cytotoxic than free doxorubicin, whereas coadministration of drug-unloaded nanospheres with free doxorubicin did not modify significantly doxorubicin cytotoxicity. In C6 0.001 cells, which were 6-fold resistant and present a pure multidrug-resistant phenotype, the reversal of doxorubicin resistance was complete. In C6 0.1 cells, which were 60-fold resistant, as with C6 1V cells (selected with vincristine), the reversal of doxorubicin resistance was almost complete, with a residual resistance factor of 2-3. In C6 0.5 cells, which were 600-fold resistant to doxorubicin, the reversal of resistance was only partial and, in all cases, not above the expected participation of P-glycoprotein to the phenotype of resistance. Intracellular drug accumulation after 2-h exposure to 17.2 mumol/l doxorubicin was systematically reduced by a factor of 2-3 when doxorubicin was incubated under the form of nanospheres; doxorubicin accumulation after a 2-h exposure to IC50 was also highly reduced in all cell lines for doxorubicin-loaded nanospheres. This work shows that association of doxorubicin with nanoparticles could provide a useful tool for circumventing multidrug resistance, probably by a bypass of P-glycoprotein rather than by an inhibition of this pump.

Aspects of the cellular pharmacology of N-l-leucyldoxorubicin in human tumor cell lines.

We have compared the cytotoxicity, incorporation and metabolism of doxorubicin (dox) and N-l-leucyldoxorubicin (leu-dox) in two human tumor cell lines in culture, the MCF-7 breast cancer line and the K562 leukemia line, and their dox-resistant counterparts. Dox was 3-4-fold more cytotoxic than leu-dox in the MCF-7 lines, and 7-10-fold in the K562 lines. This could be explained by differences in cell incorporation of the drugs, which differs by the same proportion as the cytotoxicities in the various cell lines, rather than by differences in biotransformation of leu-dox into dox, which is similar in all of the cell lines.

Antifungal treatment with carvacrol and eugenol of oral candidiasis in immunosuppressed rats.

Carvacrol and eugenol, the main (phenolic) components of essential oils of some aromatic plants, were evaluated for their therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of experimental oral candidiasis induced by Candida albicans in immunosuppressed rats. This anticandidal activity was analyzed by microbiological and histopathological techniques, and it was compared with that of nystatin, which was used as a positive control. Microbiologically, carvacrol and eugenol significantly (p<0.05) reduced the number of colony forming units (CFU) sampled from the oral cavity of rats treated for eight consecutive days, compared to untreated control rats. Treatment with nystatin gave similar results. Histologically, the untreated control animals showed numerous hyphae on the epithelium of the dorsal surface of the tongue. In contrast no hyphal colonization of the epithelium was seen in carvacrol-treated animals, while in rats treated with eugenol, only a few focalized zones of the dorsal surface of the tongue were occupied by hyphae. In the nystatin treated group, hyphae were found in the folds of the tongue mucosa. Thus, the histological data were confirmed by the microbiological tests for carvacrol and eugenol, but not for the nystatin-treated group. Therefore, carvacrol and eugenol could be considered as strong antifungal agents and could be proposed as therapeutic agents for oral candidiasis.

An effective approach to treating decubitus ulcers in home healthcare patients.

An innovative study conducted by the Visiting Nurse Association of Southern New Jersey resulted in a variety of benefits, including a more effective way for visiting nurses to help patients with pressure sores.

[Microsurgical treatment of impotence of vascular origin]. / Traitement microchirurgical de l'impuissance d'origine vasculaire.

Impotence of vascular origin may be due to a defect of the arterial blood supply, a cavernous venous leak or a combination of the two phenomena. Several microsurgical techniques have been proposed to restore physiological erectile function, without the use of intracavernous injections of vasoactive drugs or implantation of penile prostheses. We have used this type of surgery in motivated and selected patients for more than 15 years (72 patients treated, 57 patients evaluated after surgery). In patients with impotence of arterial origin, we perform a Michal II arterio-arterial revascularisation in the case of limited proximal or distal lesions with preservation of one of the two dorsal arteries, (13 patients) and arterialisation of the deep dorsal vein of the penis in the case of diffuse distal lesions (8 patients). 62% of positive results were obtained with both forms of revascularisation with a mean follow-up of 22 months. In patients with impotence of venous origin (11 patients), we perform arterialisation of the deep dorsal vein of the penis, with 92% of positive results with a mean follow-up of 12 months. In patients with impotence of arterial and venous origin (25 patients), we carry out a Michal II revascularisation and ligation of the dorsal vein or arterialisation of the dorsal vein achieves 64% and 58% of positive results with a mean follow-up of 12 months and 5 months, respectively. In the light of these results, the authors try to define the place of vascular microsurgery in the treatment of impotence.

Empowering home care nurses through education.

The recent increase in specialized patient care creates a need to produce well-rounded home care nurses who are able to provide quality holistic care to their patients. Empowering the nursing staff to provide this care generates the need to develop creative modes of teaching and updating patient assessment skills. One visiting nurse association implemented a two-day nursing skills lab to achieve this goal.

[Breast cancer in young patient in Morocco]. / Cancer du sein chez la femme jeune dans le Nord-Est du Maroc.

OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer occurring in young women is rare with epidemiological, diagnostic and prognostic characteristics of their own. It is more often linked to genetic predisposition and especially correlated with a lower survival and higher rates of recidivism. The aim of the study was to analyze epidemiological, clinicopathological, biological and evolutionary characteristics. PATIENTS AND METHODS: It is a retrospective study concerning 74 patients aged 35 and younger, in whom a diagnosis of invasive breast cancer was made between September 2004 and December 2009. RESULTS: Incidence of breast cancer in women aged under 35 in our series was 18.6%, mean age was 30.62years and five patients (6.75%) had a family history of breast cancer. The mean tumor size was 3.9±2.6cm; 45.4% of tumors were locally advanced. It was an infiltrating ductal carcinoma of grade III of Scarff-Bloom and Richardson (SBR) in 45.7% cases and half the time it was accompanied by an axillary lymph node involvement. Negative hormone receptor (HR-) was found in only 28.7% of cases and 13 cases overexpressed Her2. Eighteen percent of the tumors were classified as triple negative. The overall survival at 3years was 87.8%. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The incidence of breast cancer in young Moroccan patients is high. In our context, it is distinguished by a delayed diagnosis explaining the advanced stage at diagnosis. Biological characteristics are often more aggressive, including high histological grade, lack of hormone receptors and the higher rate of triple negative tumours significantly reducing treatment options.

[Management of spinal metastases of lung cancer]. / Prise en charge des métastases rachidiennes de cancer bronchopulmonaire.

INTRODUCTION: Spinal metastases of lung cancer occur frequently and lead to the risk of spinal cord compression. Our objective is to clarify the management of this disease, emphasizing, in particular the use of prognostic scores. BACKGROUND: The first step is to evaluate the characteristics of the spinal lesion and its impact on the autonomy and quality of life of the patient. A clinical examination is complemented by imaging procedures, such as X-rays, MRI of the spine, and PET scanning. The precise characterization of the spinal lesion permits the calculation of a predictive score for mechanical stability. The characteristics of the disease (number of metastatic sites, therapeutic possibilities, co-morbidities) can be used in decision-making. VIEWPOINTS: The use of prognostic scores is recommended by the Global Spine Tumour Study Group (GSTSG) for the management of spinal metastases. Among these scores, the most used are the Tokuhashi index, and the Tomita classification. They help to identify the treatment modalities, sometimes combined that might be used in the management: surgery, vertebral resection, tumour embolisation, radiotherapy, chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The management of spinal metastases of lung cancer should be multidisciplinary. Use of prognostic scores should be encouraged to identify optimal management.

[Spontaneous resorption of thoracic calcified disc herniation: Report of two cases and review of the literature]. / Résorption spontanée de hernies discales thoraciques calcifiées : à propos de deux cas et revue de la littérature.

We report on two cases of spontaneous resorption of a calcified thoracic hernia. This phenomenom is widely recognised in lumbar and cervical hernia, but is exceptional at the thoracic level. The potential mechanisms underlying this resorption are discussed trough a review of the literature. We think this could be another argument for a "wait and watch" period before a surgical decision in the patients who have few symptoms.