[Presenting skin disorders in black Afro-Caribbean patients: a multicentre study conducted in the Paris region]. / Motifs de consultation en dermatologie des sujets de peau noire d'origine africaine et antillaise: enquête multicentrique en région parisienne.

BACKGROUND: There have been few studies in France concerning the specific features of dermatological practice regarding dark skin (Fitzpatrick's phototype V and VI) or the special requirements of black African and Afro-Caribbean patients. AIM: To determine the principal reasons for dermatological consultation among black patients of African or Afro-Caribbean descent in the Paris region. METHODS: This was a prospective clinical study conducted between 15 February and 15 May 2004. The diagnoses of cutaneous conditions leading to dermatological consultation for all black patients of phototype V to VI were recorded by 10 dermatologists practicing in 14 centres within the Paris region. LIMITS: The method used did not allow any conclusions to be drawn regarding the incidence of the presenting conditions among the global population nor did it allow comparison between populations of different phototypes. The absence of any preset list of diagnoses or of precise inclusion criteria regarding evaluation of skin colour left individual investigators with a broad margin of interpretation. RESULTS: In 836 adults and 228 children (half of whom were from Africa and half from the West Indies), diagnoses were as follows: acne in 29.2% of adults and 13.2% in children, and eczema in 6.8% of adults and 27.2% of children. Among dermatoses more specific to black subjects, scalp conditions were frequently seen in both adults (alopecia 7% of diagnoses) and children (tinea capitis 9.6% and alopecia 3.6% of diagnoses). In at least 25% of cases, consultation was associated with dyschromia. Clinical signs suggesting the use of skin lightening products were seen in 95 patients. CONCLUSION: In France, as in other industrialized countries, black patients consult dermatologists essentially for common benign dermatoses also seen amongst white people. Nevertheless, it is important to emphasise the presence of skin problems specific to black patients such as dyschromia and pigmentary disorders, hair and scalp dermatoses, and side effects associated with the use of skin lightening products.

[Anti-SS-B antibody : marker of Gougerot-Sjögren's connective tissue disease independent of the dry syndrome]. / L'anticorps anti-SS-B : marqueur de la "connectivite de Gougerot-Sjören" indépendamment du syndrome sec.

We studied the predictive value of anti-SS-B antibody on 48 patients having this antibody and no other antinuclear antibody. 25 patients had a typical Sjögren syndrome and the rest had no sicca syndrome but generally an unclassified disease. Between these two groups of patients we observed an identity of clinical and biological manifestations except for the sicca syndrome. We conclude that anti-SS-B antibody is not a marker for Sjögren syndrome, but is correlated with the presence of an autoimmune disorder inconstantly associated with the sicca syndrome. This auto-immune disorder has the clinical and biological features of systemic Sjögren syndrome but the sicca syndrome.

Search for supernova-produced 60Fe in a marine sediment.

An 60Fe peak in a deep-sea FeMn crust has been interpreted as due to the signature left by the ejecta of a supernova explosion close to the solar system 2.8+/-0.4 Myr ago [Knie, Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 171103 (2004)10.1103/PhysRevLett.93.171103]. In an attempt to confirm this interpretation with better time resolution and obtain a more direct flux estimate, we measured 60Fe concentrations along a dated marine sediment. We find no 60Fe peak at the expected level from 1.7 to 3.2 Myr ago. Possible causes for the discrepancy are discussed.

[Retroperitoneal seminoma without testicular lesion. A case report and review of the literature]. / Séminome rétropéritonéal sans lésion testiculaire. Une observation et revue de la littérature.

The case of a 54-year-old man with a retroperitoneal seminoma and normal testes is reported. Diagnosis was established late, when the tumor had become large and inoperable and produced symptoms of subocclusion. Onset of gynecomastia, an uncommon occurrence, had been recorded two years earlier and should have given rise to suspicion. The tumor was a histologically unmixed seminoma with very significant beta-HCG secretion. A chemotherapy-radiotherapy combination produced dramatic improvement. From data from a review of the literature, pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of this uncommon type of seminoma are discussed.