[Locally advanced and metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma treated with cemiplimab]. / Carcinome spinocellulaire cutané localement avancé et métastatique traité par cémiplimab.

The treatment of locally advanced or metastatic cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) essentially relies on surgery and eventually radiotherapy of the treated site and afferent lymph nodes. Unfortunately, some cases are no candidates for surgery or radiotherapy and a systemic treatment may be indicated. Chemotherapies are only partially efficacious and associated with potential toxicities. A recent study evaluating the efficacy and tolerance of cemiplimab, a PD1 antagonist for locally advanced and metastatic cSCC demonstrated an objective response rate of 49 % and 47 % for locally advanced and metastatic cSCC, while maintaining a response of at least 6 months of 63 % and 60 %, respectively. We present a clinical case of a patient with a locally advanced cSCC of the forehead with bone resorption and cervical lymphadenopathies. After failure of multiple surgical interventions and radiotherapies, he responded partially to cemiplimab immunotherapy with a good safety profile.

Le traitement du carcinome spinocellulaire cutané (cSCC) localement avancé et/ou métastatique repose essentiellement sur la chirurgie et, éventuellement, sur une radiothérapie de la zone chirurgicale et de l'aire ganglionnaire afférente. Malheureusement, certains cas ne sont plus opérables ou accessibles à la radiothérapie et un traitement systémique est alors indiqué. Les chimiothérapies sont peu efficaces et potentiellement toxiques. Une étude récente évaluant l'efficacité et la tolérance du cémiplimab, un antagoniste PD1, dans les cSCC localement avancés et métastatiques, démontre une réponse objective confirmée de 49 % et de 47 %, respectivement, avec un maintien de la réponse d'au moins 6 mois de 63 % et de 60 %, respectivement. Nous présentons le cas d'un patient avec un cSCC localement avancé au niveau du front, avec effraction osseuse et adénopathies cervicales, ayant eu de multiples chirurgies et radiothérapies. Il a présenté une réponse partielle au cémiplimab avec un profil de tolérance satisfaisant.

[Alveolar echinococcosis]. / L'echinococcose alvéolaire: une zoonose d'apparition récente en Wallonie.

Alveolar echinococcosis is a serious parasitic disease, leading to large hepatic lesions. It must be distinguished from cystic echinococcosis, or hydatic cyst, caused by Echinococcus granulosus. Early diagnosis may allow surgical removal of the lesions by segmental hepatectomy, the only curative treatment. Parasitostatic medical treatment with albendazole may promote stabilization of the disease. Until recently, Belgium was considered a country at very low risk for alveolar echinococcosis, as no human case was reported, despite up to 51% of fox infection in southern Belgium autopsy series. Recently four patients presented with alveolar echinococcosis at the University Hospital Center of Liege, leading to the fear of a possible alveolar echinococcosis endemy in southern Belgium. Two of these patients underwent curative hepatectomy, but the other two had already pulmonary metastases at diagnosis and received palliative albendazole therapy. This article presents these cases, and reviews the clinical features of this parasitic disease.

[The clinical case of the month. Malignant whooping cough in an infant]. / Le cas clinique du mois. Coqueluche maligne du nourrisson: à propos d'un cas.

Morbidity and mortality of whooping cough remain significant among infants despite vaccination. This article presents a case of whooping cough with complications in a 3 month old infant who had already received his first dose of anti-pertussis vaccine at 2 months and 3 weeks of age.