[Fractures of the ankylosed spine: MRI features]. / Fractures du rachis ankylosé: intérêt de l'IRM.

The diagnosis of transverse spinal fractures in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and Forestier's disease (DISH) may be difficult. The MRI features of 9 such fractures at the disk, vertebral body, spinal canal and posterior elements are presented. Fractures of the posterior elements (posterior arch fractures and/or rupture of interspinous or supraspinous ligaments and contiguous soft tissue structures) were present in all cases, underscoring the importance of MR signal abnormalities of posterior structures for diagnosis of these fractures. MR is advantageous due to its ability to demonstrate signal abnormalities of the posterior elements, which combined with disk and vertebral body abnormalities, play a major role for accurate diagnosis of this type of fracture.

[Thyroglossal duct cysts. Apropos of 17 cases in the National Hospital Center in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso]. / Les kystes du tractus thyréoglosse. A propos de 17 observations au CHN de Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The thyroglossal duct cysts originate from thyroglossal duct involution default. The case record of 17 patients admitted for that disease in the ORL department of the national hospital of Ouagadougou during those past 7 years, is reviewed. They represent 1.5% of patients operated in this department during the same period, all diseases concerned. In the present report, the thyroglossal duct cysts are essentially observed in children under 10 years old (13/17 patients). In most of the cases (12/17), our patients have needed medical advice for an anterior cervical tumefaction 7 years after the first symptoms. Between clinical and paraclinical findings we give preference to the first ones that can avoid, in most of the cases, a lot of complementary tests which are of limited interest and too expensive in our countries. In the therapeutic field, the Sistrunk technic has been recognized since 1920 as the best method. Our patients who have been operated according to that technic have no tendency to relapse.

[Cervical adenophlegmon (apropos of 57 cases)]. / Les adénophlégmons de siège cervical (à propos de 57 cas).

Neck adenitis remain a frequent occurrence in our areas. Within one year only, 57 cases were collected in the ORL department of University Hospital of Ouagadougou. Children were mostly affected (70% of cases) and the starting point or supposedly was mainly pharyngeal (67% of cases); streptococcus were the dominant microbes. Concerning the treatment, our preference was for wide antibiotherapy, in monotherapy but using wide spectrum, including staphylococcus aureus, due to its frequency in this pathology. But the primum movens remained the incision drainage. The post-operative period were regularly simple for our 57 patients.

[Short- and long-term results of parotidectomy, apropos of 24 cases at the Ougadougou University Hospital Center]. / Résultats à court et moyen terme de la parotidectomie (a propos de 24 cas au CHU de Ouagadougou).

We reported the short and medium results of the 24 parodectomies performed at the ORL Department of the NHC of Ouagadougou between 1985 and 1993 in order to assess the frequency of the complications and to search for their causes. It is a retrospective study on 15 women and 9 men aging between 14 to 56 years. The research for the VII has been always done at the trunk. In the absence of an extemporan histological test, 3 exofacial parotidectomies have been performed for slight injuries of the superficial ear-lobe, 2 total parotidectomies in the other cases. All our sick persons have a 3-years recession. We registered: 1 case of post surgery haemorrhagia (4%) 2 cases of additional infection (8%) 3 cases of facial paralysis that are recessive or not (12.5%) 6 cases with Frei syndrome (25%). Multiple factors can explain the profile that follows surgery of our sick-persons. We insist on the fact that there is minimum specialist that are used to this kind of surgery and to the smallest of the technical board. Complications and after effects after-parotidectomy were in our view almost frequent in our conditions of work. It is true that it is a delicate surgery, but the after effects can be better improved by additional specialist in ORL and with an adequate equipment.

[Salivary gland tumors. Apropos of 48 surgical cases]. / Les tumeurs des glandes salivaires. A propos de 48 cas opérés.

The interest of tumors of salivary gland has increased according to the nosology, diagnosis and therapeutic aspects. This study object to appreciate the frequency of this pathology at the ENT Department of the University Hospital Center of Ouagadougou and to report our experience in their diagnostic and therapeutic management. We have collected 48 cases, representing 2% of the department surgery activity and 7% of the tumors operated between 1985 and 1996. This report has concerned 32 parotid tumors (66.7%), 10 submaxillary tumors (20.8%), 6 minor gland tumors (12.5%). This series was composed of 28 women and 20 men with an average age of 41 years. Diagnosis management was based on clinical, radiologic and echographic examination. The correlation between preoperative and histological diagnosis was correct in 88.7% cases. Benign tumors represented 83.3% of the cases with essentially pleomorphic adenomas, and the malignant tumors 16.7% cases. Post operative evolution was simple in 85.4% cases. After 3 years, local recurrence occurred in 4 cases. The prognosis of malignant tumors has been unsatisfactory: the survival rate at 3 years has been 20%.