[Feasibility and practical value of statistical matching of a general practice database and a health insurance database applied to diabetes and hypertension]. / Faisabilité et intérét de l'appariement de données individuelles en médecine générale et de données de remboursement appliqué au diabète et a l'hypertension artérielle.

OBJECTIVES: Public Health actors in France are striving to improve the use of national databases for public health and research. The main objective of this project was to develop a research tool in ambulatory care by matching medical data and reimbursement data. METHODS: Data sources were the health insurance database (SNIIRAM) and the General Practice Observatory (OMG) database. The SNIIRAM is a national medical and administrative database comprising data used in healthcare reimbursement. The OMG is a medical database on ambulatory care recording presenting complaints called "Results of Consultation" (RC). Based on data for patients who consulted one of the 30 general practitioners selected in 2008, we performed a probabilistic matching of the two databases. RESULTS: The linkage procedure allowed matching of 89,211 consultations or doctor visits and 29,088 patients. Comparison of long-term diseases (ALD) and RC showed that 94% of patients with diabetes as ALD had at least one RC coded as diabetes during the year, but only 65% of patients with one RC coded as diabetes were reported as ALD for this disease. Matching of the databases identified 12% of diabetic patients without antidiabetic treatment and without ALD for this affection; these patients were therefore not identifiable in the SNIIRAM database. CONCLUSION: This study describes an innovative database matching methodology. It also illustrates the contribution of this model of matched data in terms of targeting populations at risk. Other approaches to analysis of comorbidities, medical practices and care pathways could be proposed.

Invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast: MRI pathological correlation following bilateral total mastectomy.

BACKGROUND: Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is more often multifocal and bilateral than invasive ductal carcinoma. MRI is usually recommended for detection of all ILC sites. The performance of known diagnostic breast MRI criteria for ILC characterization has not been evaluated to date using bilateral mastectomy specimens as gold standard. PURPOSE: To determine the value of BI-RADS 2006 MRI criteria for ILC detection and characterization, using pathological examination of bilateral mastectomy specimens as the reference standard. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 2004 and 2007, we retrospectively included all patients with pathologically documented ILC referred to our institution for bilateral mastectomy and preoperative bilateral breast MRI. The location, diameter, and characteristics (BI-RADS) of all lesions were compared with pathological findings. The sensitivity and positive predictive value of bilateral breast MRI for the diagnosis of ILC were calculated. Association of MRI BI-RADS categorical variables and characterization of ILC were assessed (Fisher exact test). RESULTS: Among 360 patients treated for ILC in 2004-2007, 15 patients qualified for this study. Thirty-one ILC foci were found on pathological examination (30 ipsilateral and 1 contralateral tumor; mean diameter 23 mm; range 2-60 mm) and all were identified on MRI, with 90% of masses and 10% non-mass-like enhancements; MRI features significantly associated with ILC included absence of smooth margins (P = 0.02) and rim-shaped enhancement (P = 0.039). Enhancement kinetics of the 31 foci were evenly distributed among wash-out, plateau, and persistent profiles. Eleven additional lesions were seen on MRI, mainly corresponding to fibrocystic disease; 91% presented as masses and 9% had a wash-out profile. CONCLUSION: Based on the 2006 BI-RADS criteria, breast MRI shows a high sensitivity for ILC detection, at the expense of a 26% false-positive rate, suggesting that a pathological proof by US- or MR-guided biopsy is required in case of suspicious MRI images in this context.

Effect of biologic treatments on growth in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Growth retardation is a frequent complication of severe juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Biologic treatments may improve growth velocity by controlling systemic inflammation and reducing corticosteroids. Our goals were to compare growth velocity before and after the onset of biologic therapy and to determine whether the JIA subtype, the use of steroids, the requirement of one or several biologic agents, or the disease activity influenced growth velocity. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the growth of children with JIA who never received growth hormone treatment, who started biologic treatment before puberty, and who were followed for at least 6 months afterward. RESULTS: We included 100 children (33 boys). Median patient age was 7.1 years (range: 1.6-15.7) at the onset of biologic treatment and 11.0 years (range: 2.3-19.5) at the latest followup. Forty-six patients had received corticosteroid and 34 had received more than 1 biologic agent. Patient median height expressed as SD score (SDS) was 0.31 (range: -2.47 to 5.46) at disease onset, -0.24 (-3.63 to 2.90) at biologic therapy onset (p < 0.0001), and -0.15 (-4.95 to 3.52) at the latest followup (p = 0.171 compared to biologic treatment onset). Patients who required several biologics and systemic patients had a significantly lower growth velocity after the onset of biologic treatment. At the latest followup, 18% of our study group had low growth velocities and 19% were below -2SD or shorter than genetically programmed. CONCLUSION: In a subset of patients, particularly systemic JIA patients and patients who required more than 1 biologic, biologic therapy may be insufficient to restore normal growth velocity.