[Visceral larva migrans with cardiac manifestation: a case report and literature review]. / Syndrome de larva migrans viscéral avec atteinte cardiaque: une observation et revue de la littérature.

INTRODUCTION: Toxocariasis is a roundworm infection that may be associated with serious cardiac manifestations. We report one case and review another 12 cases in the literature. CASE REPORT: A 74-year-old man, presented with clinical features of myopericarditis. Eosinophil count was 20,000/mm(3). The ELISA and Western Blot were positive for Toxocara canis. The patient was treated with corticosteroids and antiparasite treatment. The outcome was rapidly favorable. DISCUSSION: In the other 12 cases, the cardiac manifestations were often severe: six myocarditis, three tamponades and three Loeffler's endocarditis have been published. Four therapeutic strategies have been reported: symptomatic treatment alone was associated with worse progressive; antiparasite treatment alone or companied with corticosteroids and corticosteroids alone had good results. CONCLUSION: The toxocariasis should be investigated systematically in case of eosinophilic cardiomyopathy. The treatment strategy is still controversial.

[Preauricular lymphadenopathy related to Bartonella henselae]. / Adénopathies prétragiennes liées à Bartonella henselae.

INTRODUCTION: Cat scratch disease is characterized by adenitis with usually positive outcome. We reported two cases of cat scratch disease with preauricular involvement occurring in immunocompetent patients. OBSERVATIONS: Observation 1: a 28-year-old man had a recent onset of left cervical swelling, with a peripheral facial paralysis and liver cytolysis. Serologies for EBV, viral hepatitis, CMV, HIV and toxoplasma were negative. Node excision biopsy suggested granulomatous lymphadenitis and Bartonella henselae PCR on lymph node was positive. With doxycyclin for 3 months, associated with rifampicin for 15 days, abnormal liver function disappeared and facial paralysis improved. Observation 2: a 17-year-old man had parotid swelling associated with right posterior cervical lymphadenopathies associated with fever and profuse sweating. A large right preauricular lymphadenopathy with necrotic remodeling was visible on the CT-scan. Lymph fluid B. henselae PCR was positive. Positive outcome occurs after surgical drainage and short azithromycin treatment. CONCLUSION: Physicians should be aware of the rare preauricular localization of cat scratch disease and ask for contact with a cat. Parotid tumor localization, lymphoma or tuberculosis should be ruled out. Diagnosis is based on the B. henselae PCR. Outcome is often spontaneously positive but surgical treatment may be required.

Imaging of inflammatory myofibroblastic cervical tumours: a case report.

Among the family of mesenchymatous tumours, inflammatory myofibroblastic tumours (IMT) are an increasingly recognised and defined lesional group due to the great many studies and recent publications. The aetiopathogenicity is still not fully understood. It seems that an immune origin is involved in the pathological process. These masses result from the proliferation of fibroblast and lymphocyte cells associated with collagen wickerwork. Most often benign, they may affect any organ or supporting tissue. However, these lesions remain non-specific and are difficult to distinguish from malignant tumoral processes. Here resides the value of imaging: to make the diagnosis, guide the biopsy and thereby avoid early damaging surgery or an aggressive medical treatment. This is all the more valid since recent papers have shown that corticotherapy of short duration is currently the first intention treatment We here describe the case of a female patient presenting disseminated erythematous lupus who presented a cervical myofibroblastic tumour. The early diagnosis allowed for the initial medical care, which turned out to be effective without resorting to surgery.

[Abdominal manifestations of Henoch-Schönlein purpura in adults. A retrospective study of 23 cases]. / Atteintes digestives du purpura rhumatoïde de l'adulte. Etude d'une série rétrospective de 23 patients.

INTRODUCTION: Gastrointestinal manifestations of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) in adults may be severe. Data about treatment are controversial and the outcome is seldom described. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with gastrointestinal manifestations of HSP (ACR criteria) were retrospectively studied. We proposed to use clinical and radiological (CT scan) severity scores to assess the usefulness and the efficacy of corticosteroid therapy. RESULTS: Age at onset ranged from 16 to 80 years (median 39). Gastrointestinal manifestations included abdominal pain (96%), vomiting (52%), gastrointestinal bleeding (39%), diarrhoea (13%) and intestinal obstruction (9%). Scores of disease clinical severity were calculated in 21 patients. Fourteen, three and four had severe, intermediate and mild disease, respectively. Ten patients in the group with severe clinical involvement underwent CT scan that showed severe radiological involvement (parietal thickening of several bowel loops of the same segment or several segments with ileal involvement). Eleven patients out of 14 with clinically severe disease were given corticosteroids. Two patients out of three with intermediate and three patients out of four with mild scores also received corticosteroids. The others received supportive care. In-patients with severe clinical scores, gastrointestinal symptoms improved within 2 days when they were given corticosteroids and within 12.3 days without corticosteroids (p<0.0002). No side effect was observed with steroid therapy. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that corticosteroids may reduce abdominal symptoms of HSP in adults with clinically severe disease. They are safe when CT scan is performed.

[Pituitary metastasis presenting as diabetes insipidus: a report of four cases and literature review]. / Diabète insipide révélateur de métastases hypophysaires : quatre observations et revue de la littérature.

INTRODUCTION: Pituitary metastases are a rare cause of central diabetes insipidus and usually complicate advanced cancers. CASE REPORTS: We report four cases in which diabetes insipidus revealed a metastatic stage of a lung (two cases) or a breast (two cases) cancer. One patient presented with a panhypopituitarism, three had diabetes insipidus including one with corticotroph insufficiency. In one case, the cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed a lymphocytic meningitis. On brain magnetic resonance imaging there was an absence of high intensity signal in the posterior pituitary lobe (one case) or an infiltration of the posterior lobe (three cases). CONCLUSION: Breast and lung malignancies are the most frequent causes of metastasis of the pituitary gland. In most cases there are often other metastatic locations; however insipidus diabetes can reveal the metastatic stage of the cancer. A pituitary biopsy may be necessary to obtain the diagnosis.

[Intra-alveolar haemorrhage without renal damage as the initial presenting feature of Goodpasture's syndrome: case report and review of literature]. / Hémorragie intra-alvéolaire isolée révélant un syndrome de Goodpasture sans atteinte rénale : à propos d'une observation et revue de la littérature.

Isolated pulmonary involvement in Goodpasture's syndrome is exceptionally described. We report a 36-year-old woman with pulmonary haemorrhage and review 28 additional cases of the literature. In fact, these patients had often mild urine abnormalities and constant glomerular lesions. Antiglomerular basement membrane antibodies testing should be systematically ordered in patients presenting with alveolar haemorrhage. Goodpasture's syndrome without renal abnormality could be an early stage of the disease with a better prognosis.

[Thromboembolic events at the time of highly active antiretroviral therapies against human immunodeficiency virus]. / Evénements thromboemboliques à l'ère des trithérapies antirétrovirales hautement actives contre le virus de l'immunodéficience humaine.

PURPOSE: Vein thrombosis risk and pulmonary embolism seem to be more important among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. METHOD: We performed a retrospective study including 780 HIV positive patients followed-up between January 2000 and June 2005 at the University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand. RESULTS: Among the 780 HIV-infected patients, six cases of thromboembolic events were identified including, four with pulmonary embolism. All the patients were receiving lopinavir/ritonavir combination. CONCLUSION: Although uncommon, pulmonary embolism occurs more frequently among HIV positive patients than in general population. Clinicians must remain aware about the possibility of the occurrence of a thromboembolic event especially during the first few months after introduction of the antiretroviral therapy.

[Nephrotic syndrome: don't forget to search for hypothyroidism]. / Syndrome néphrotique: penser à rechercher une hypothyroïdie associée.

INTRODUCTION: If abnormal thyroid function indices have been reported in patients with nephrotic syndrome, hypothyroidism is exceptional. EXEGESIS: We report three adult patients (1, 2, 3) with hypothyroidism associated with nephrotic syndrome (minimal change glomerulonephritis [1], idiopathic membranous nephropathy stage I [2], stage II [3]). Glomerulopathy treatment and thyroid hormone replacement therapy were both initiated. Low replacement (1, 2) was sufficient when proteinuria decreased. It was higher when nephrotic syndrome was uncontrolled (3). CONCLUSION: Excessive thyroxine-binding protein and thyroxine urinary loss generate low rate of free thyroxine and elevated TSH. Systematic thyroid hormonal test is necessary if nephrotic syndrome is severe and prolonged.

[Nitrofurantoin-induced lung disease: about two cases]. / Pneumopathie à la nitrofurantoïne: à propos de deux observations.

INTRODUCTION: Nitrofurantoin is commonly used in the treatment of urinary tract infection and may cause a potential severe complication: interstitial lung diseases. CASE REPORT: A 78-year-old and an 87-year-old woman treated with nitrofurantoin since respectively 10 months and 6 years developed cough and dyspnea. Antibiotics were ineffective and interstitial lung disease was found. Nitrofurantoin's stopping allowed a clinical and radiological improvement. CONCLUSION: A good medical supervision is important when nitrofurantoin is prescribed for a long time. The treatment has to be stopped when respiratory symptoms appear to allow an improvement of the symptoms.

[Should presumptive meningoencephalitis treatment in adults be active against Mycoplasma pneumoniae?]. / Le traitement de première intention d'une méningoencéphalite de l'adulte doit-il tenir compte de Mycoplasma pneumoniae?

INTRODUCTION: Meningoencephalitis is the most common central nervous system complication caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Its frequency is probably underestimated. OBJECTIVE: The study's aim was to determine the retrospectively incidence of M. pneumoniae meningoencephalitis among other cases of encephalitis diagnosed in infectiology, neurology and ICU at the Clermont-Ferrand University hospital in 2004 and 2005. DESIGN: A case of meningoencephalitis was defined by encephalopathy (altered level of consciousness and/or change in personality), with one or more of the following symptoms: fever, seizure, focal neurological findings, meningitis, electroencephalography or neuroimaging findings consistent with encephalitis. Tumor and hematoma diagnosed by scan were excluded. M. pneumoniae was considered as a possible cause when patients had positive serological test (IgM Elisa) and/or positive PCR results for the CSF. RESULTS: Four (8.3%) patients among 48 cases of encephalitis could have been caused by M. pneumoniae. All except one convulsed initially. Pneumopathy was found in two patients. All received a specific treatment later. Antibiotics seemed to influence evolution in only two patients. These 4 cases appeared during an epidemic between November 2004 and August 2005: 48 hospitalized adults had positive serological test for M. pneumoniae in 2005 and 15 in 2004, whereas the number of tests was the same in 2004 and in 2005. CONCLUSIONS: M. pneumoniae should be investigated as a cause of meningoencephalitis if initial tests are negative, if patients have respiratory symptoms and in case of epidemic. Presumptive treatment of meningoencephalitis should include an antibiotic active against M. pneumoniae.