[Is there a place for stepped hormone assay in the development of hyperandrogenism?] / Comment j'explore Le dosage hormonal étagé a-t-il une place dans la mise au point des hyperandrogénies ?

Clinical hyperandrogenism is common in women. Nevertheless, it is important to identify the cause. As the hyperandrogenism may be ovarian or adrenal in origin, making the difference requires hormonal testing and ovarian and/or adrenal imaging. We present the case report of a patient explored in our clinic, that illustrates the difficulties to determine the origin of the endocrine disorder. The interest of employing selective ovarian and adrenal venous catheterization to aid in the diagnosis and the localization of the androgen-secreting tumor is discussed.

L'hyperandrogénie clinique est un motif de consultation fréquent. Le diagnostic différentiel permet d'établir l'étiologie parmi les causes ovariennes ou surrénaliennes. Outre le repérage de signes pathognomoniques cliniques, des examens complémentaires biologiques et iconographiques sont nécessaires pour la mise au point. Les difficultés diagnostiques sont illustrées à partir d'un cas clinique traité dans notre institution. L'intérêt du bilan hormonal étagé par cathétérisation des veines ovariennes et surrénaliennes afin de localiser l'origine de la sécrétion hormonale pathologique est discuté.

[High-flow nasal oxygen in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure]. / Oxygénothérapie à haut débit nasal dans l'insuffisance respiratoire aiguë hypoxémique.

Although standard oxygen is the first-line therapy in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, high-flow nasal oxygen has gained major popularity in ICUs due to its simplicity of application, good comfort for patients, and efficiency in improving oxygenation. Physiological effects of high-flow oxygen therapy can limit the physiological consequences of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure and may mitigate the deleterious effects of high and prolonged inspiratory efforts generated by patients. Although clinical studies have reported a decreased risk of intubation with high-flow oxygen therapy as compared with conventional oxygen therapy, its benefits with regard to survival are uncertain. However, a more precise definition of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure including a classification of severity levels based on oxygenation levels is needed, the objective being to better compare the efficiency of different non-invasive oxygenation supports (conventional oxygen therapy, high-flow oxygen and non-invasive ventilation). Moreover, other clinical trials are needed to confirm the place and the benefit of these oxygenation supports, particularly high-flow nasal oxygen therapy, in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, especially in the severe forms.

[Use of high-flow nasal oxygen therapy after extubation]. / Place de l'oxygénothérapie à haut débit en post-extubation.

The decision of extubation is difficult in ICUs because in case of reintubation mortality is particularly high. High-flow nasal cannula oxygen therapy (HFNC) and noninvasive ventilation (NIV) are two respiratory supports that help to improve oxygenation, to decrease work of breathing and to decrease the risk of reintubation in selected patients. In the ICU, HFNC seems effective in patient with mild hypoxemia at time of extubation (risk of reintubation<10%) while prophylactic NIV is particularly effective in patients at high-risk of extubation failure (risk of reintubation>20%). Patients older than 65 years, those with underlying chronic cardiac or respiratory disease, or with hypercapnia are patients at high-risk easily identified at time of extubation. The best oxygenation strategy for management of post-extubation respiratory failure is unknown. HFNC has never been assessed in this setting, and NIV may have deleterious effects in patients with post-extubation respiratory failure. In postoperative patients, standard oxygen is sufficient even after major planned surgery (risk of intubation<5%), but should probably be switched to HFNC in patients with hypoxemia (risk of intubation 10-15%) and further to NIV in patients with respiratory failure with hypoxemia and clinical signs of respiratory distress (risk of intubation 50%).

[Locally-advanced cervix cancer : multidisciplinary management]. / Cancer du col utérin localement avancé : approche multidisciplinaire.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women and is linked in over 95 % of cases to papillomavirus infection, the incidence of which has fallen in recent years due to screening and vaccination. Almost half of these cancers are diagnosed at a locally advanced stage with an overall 5-year survival of around 65 %. In recent decades, the management strategy of these locally advanced cancers has changed considerably and has allowed the improvement of survival but above all of local control as well as the reduction of toxicity, due to the implementation of imaging. Standard treatment consists of external beam radiation therapy combined with concomitant chemotherapy followed by intrauterine brachytherapy. The role of neo-adjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy is still being evaluated. New therapeutic approaches (particularly immunotherapy) in addition to standard treatment are also being studied.

Le cancer du col de l'utérus est le quatrième cancer le plus fréquent chez la femme et est lié, dans sup�rieur a 95 % des cas, à une infection par le papillomavirus, dont l'incidence a chuté ces dernières années grâce au dépistage et à la vaccination. Près de la moitié de ces cancers sont diagnostiqués à un stade localement avancé avec une survie globale à 5 ans de l'ordre de 65 %. Ces dernières décennies, la stratégie de prise en charge de ces cancers localement avancés a considérablement changé. Elle a permis l'amélioration de la survie, mais surtout du contrôle local, ainsi que la réduction de la toxicité, grâce notamment à l'implémentation de l'imagerie. Le traitement standard consiste en une radiothérapie externe associée à une chimiothérapie concomitante, suivie d'une curiethérapie intra-utérine. La place de la chimiothérapie néo-adjuvante et adjuvante est toujours en cours d'évaluation. De nouvelles approches thérapeutiques (immunothérapie), en complément du traitement standard, sont aussi à l'étude.

[Pseudotumoral pelvic actinomycosis : one should think of it]. / Le cas clinique du mois - Actinomycose pelvienne pseudo-tumorale : il fallait y penser.

Actinomycosis is a rare chronic disease caused by a group of anaerobic Gram positive bacteria. It may mimic a neoplasia at various anatomical levels. A pelvic localization is exceptional but has an increasing incidence since the use of intrauterine devices. In such cases, pelvic actinomycosis may present as a gynecological or a lower colonic malignancy. For all atypical clinical, with a prominent infectious or inflammatory context, the diagnosis of actinomycosis must be suggested and discussed with the pathologist to whom the biopsy will be submitted. In the absence of a preoperative diagnosis, an inadequately aggressive pelvic surgery might be performed and rendered particularly complex due to the adherent and diffusely inflammatory pattern of the disease. The treatment of choice remains a long-term therapy with antibiotics that leads to a complete clinical and radiological response in the majority of cases. We report the case of a 27-year-old woman with a clinical and radiological diagnosis of rectal carcinoma but with limited preoperative biopsy that revealed a pelvic actinomycosis and allowed a conservative and successful antibacterial treatment.

L'actinomycose est une pathologie bactérienne rare pouvant prendre un aspect pseudo-tumoral. La localisation pelvienne est exceptionnelle, mais d'incidence croissante depuis l'utilisation des dispositifs intra-utérins. La présentation peut alors évoquer une néoplasie gynécologique ou colique basse. Devant tout tableau clinique atypique suggérant une malignité pelvienne mais dominé par un contexte infectieux et/ou inflammatoire, le diagnostic d'actinomycose doit être évoqué et discuté avec le collègue anatomo-athologiste auquel les prélèvements histologiques seront soumis. En l'absence de diagnostic pré-opératoire, une chirurgie radicale peut être pratiquée de manière inadéquate et se révéler particulièrement délabrante en raison du caractère adhérent et diffusément inflammatoire de la lésion. Le traitement de choix est une antibiothérapie au long cours amenant à une résolution clinique et radiologique complète dans la majorité des cas. Nous rapportons le cas d'une patiente de 27 ans chez laquelle un diagnostic de néoplasie rectale primitive est suggéré cliniquement et radiologiquement, mais chez qui les biopsies pré-opératoires limitées ont permis un diagnostic d'actinomycose pelvienne et un traitement conservateur.

[Primary and secondary prevention for women at high risk for breast cancer]. / Prévention primaire et secondaire chez les femmes à haut risque de cancer mammaire.

Many factors determine a woman's risk of breast cancer; some genetic are related to family history, others are based on personal factors such reproductive and medical history. A high-risk woman must benefit of a specific screening regimen including breast examination, mammography, ultrasonography and contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance. But she can also benefit of chemo prevention or/and risk-reducing surgery such bilateral prophylactic salpingo-oophorectomy and bilateral prophylactic mastectomy.

[Breast cancer in Belgium: why are we the first in Europe?]. / Le cancer du sein en Belgique: pourquoi sommes-nous les premiers en Europe?

Breast cancer incidence in Belgium is on the top of European countries, with 9.697 new cases in 2008 and 106/100.000 women/year. The explanation of this high incidence in our country is probably the accumulation of risk factors (many of them are linked to lifestyle), and the impact of screening and registration of cases. The relative impact of each of theses factors is less clear because we don't have powerful statistical studies. Belgium is slightly above the European mean for breast cancer mortality, with 19,4/100.000 women/year and an all stages 15-year survival of 75%. Breast cancers are responsible for around 3% of all-cause mortality in Belgian women. This article discusses the causes of this high Belgian incidence and of current decrease of incidence in western countries, and reviews known and less known risk factors of breast cancers, with a special focus on menopause hormonal treatments.

[Adenomyosis: update on a frequent but difficult diagnosis]. / L'adénomyose: le point sur une pathologie méconnue.

Adenomyosis is a frequent entity, with difficult diagnosis, often obtained by pathological analysis performed after hysterectomy. This condition can cause abnormal uterine bleeding and dysmenorrhea, frequent reasons for consultation and hysterectomy. The development of ultrasonographic and magnetic resonance imaging techniques allow preoperative diagnosis. They also permit the use of hysteroscopic techniques for conservative uterine surgery, and have brought diagnosis and management of this disease to the front of the scene. This article reviews the pathological description of the disease, its epidemiology, clinical presentations, useful and necessary explorations, etiopathogeny and available therapies.