Early drain site tumor recurrence post adjuvant chemotherapy for locally advanced colon carcinoma: Case report and literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Colon carcinoma is the most common type of gastro-intestinal cancer. Despite radical surgery, locoregional recurrence has been observed in 4-11.5 % of patients. Abdominal wall metastasis at the drainage site is an extremely rare finding and only a few cases are described in the literature. The mechanism of this metastasis is unknown, and its management remains unclear due to the rarity of the condition. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old patient underwent left colectomy for locally advanced colonic adenocarcinoma. Eight months after the end of adjuvant chemotherapy, the patient complained of a progressive mass of the left lumbar centered on the previous drain site scar. Abdominal wall recurrence was suspected. The patient had R0 mass excision. Histopathologic examination showed a parietal infiltration by a colloid adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent adjuvant chemotherapy. No recurrence was observed. DISCUSSION: Since 1999 only six cases of colon cancer drainage site metastasis have been reported. Metachronous solitary abdominal wall metastasis after radical colectomy may occur via cancer cell implantation, lymphatic or hematogenous route, or direct invasion. In case of drain site metastasis, the most likely hypothesis is the implantation of tumor cells into the abdominal wall through the drainage route performed during surgery. CONCLUSION: The appearance of abdominal wall mass after colon cancer resection must always be considered suspicious. To reduce the risk of abdominal wall metastasis we recommend minimizing tumor manipulation, resection the route of previous percutaneous drainage and performing a radical surgery. Metastasis resection combined with chemotherapy is the appropriate approach to treat these metastases.

An original preoperative orthopaedic management of a complex spinal deformity in a 16-year-old patient with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita.

PURPOSE: Spinal deformities in patients with Spondyloepiphyseal Dysplasia congenita are particularly challenging to treat. Addressing these deformities requires a holistic surgical strategy. The aim of this case report is to highlight an original preoperative protocol combining atlantoaxial instability stabilization by halo jacket with progressive correction of a thoracic kyphoscoliosis using continuous elongation by tension plaster cast as described by Stagnara. METHOD: A 16-year-old patient with spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita presenting a severe thoracic kyphoscoliosis associated with atlantoaxial instability causing cervical myelopathy was managed through a preoperative protocol combining a halo jacket with a Stagnara elongation cast allowing progressive correction of the kyphoscoliosis while stabilizing the cervical instability. RESULTS: The preoperative protocol allowed a safer and a more effective surgical spine fusion, reducing neurological risks, improving the final correction, and offering better postoperative recovery. Clinical and radiological solid fusion was observed at 3-year-follow-up with significant improvement of the patient's quality of life. CONCLUSION: This case report highlights the effectiveness of the preoperative preparation combining a halo jacket with a Stagnara elongation cast to safely stabilize the cervical spine while correcting the thoracic kyphoscoliosis. This strategy can serve as a valuable tool for spine teams when addressing complex spinal deformities particularly in this patient with SEDc. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Safety of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for Cholecystitis during Pregnancy.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety of laparoscopic cholecystectomy to treat acute cholecystitis during pregnancy. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter study including pregnant women with acute cholecystitis managed in surgery departments in Tunisia from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2019. Results: Seventeen centers of surgery department participated in this study including 107 cases of acute cholecystitis. The average maternal age was 30.5 years. Nonoperative management was performed in eight patients, whereas 99 other patients had surgery. Postoperative follow-up was uneventful in 93.8% of cases and eventful in 6.2% of cases. There was no mortality as far. A medical complication occurred in two patients with a medical morbidity rate of 1.7%. It was about thromboembolic disease. A surgical complication occurred in two other patients with a surgical morbidity rate of 1.7%. It was about intraperitoneal infection in one case and biliary collection in the other case. In univariate analysis, variables related significantly to maternal complication were: age equal or over 35 years old (P = 0.001), jaundice (P = 0.024), C-reactive protein value equal or over 20 mg/L (P = 0.05), and biliary peritonitis (P = 0.05). In multivariate analysis, independent variable predictive of maternal complications was age equal or over 35 years old (P = 0.003), jaundice (P = 0.003), and biliary peritonitis (P = 0.011). Conclusion: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholecystitis can be safely achieved in pregnant women with low rates of morbidity and mortality. This study showed that independent variable predictive of maternal complications was age equal or over 35 years old, jaundice, and biliary peritonitis.

Posterior cruciate ligament avulsion associated with an epiphyseal fracture of the proximal fibula: a case report of a 13-year-old child.

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) avulsion fractures are rare among the pediatric population. Reported PCL injury incidence varies from 1 to 40% depending on the study population. PCL lesions can be isolated or associated with other ligamentous lesions, which makes their management challenging. Knee ligament reconstruction is essential to restore knee stability and, thus, prevent future menisci and cartilage degeneration. However, surgical management of these injuries can lead to subsequent iatrogenic growth disturbances. Case presentation: The authors describe the case of a 13-year-old child involved in a sports accident causing a PCL avulsion fracture associated with an epiphyseal fracture of the proximal fibula resulting from an incomplete peel-off injury of the lateral collateral ligament. The patient was scheduled for open reduction and internal fixation on the same day of the presentation. A long-leg cast was then applied for 6 weeks. By 3 months postoperatively, the patient regained full range of motion, and return to sport was possible 6 months after the surgery. Conclusion: In children and adolescents, PCL avulsion fractures are often associated with other occult lesions. Although good functional and clinical outcomes using operative management for these lesions are reported, specific treatment recommendations are lacking in skeletally immature patients.

Growing rods for early-onset scoliosis in Ehlers-Danlos disease.

PURPOSE: To study the results and complications of Traditional Growing Rods (TGR) for the treatment of Early-Onset Scoliosis (EOS) in patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). METHODS: This is a retrospective study of patients with EDS treated for EOS between 2012 and 2018 by TGR. For each patient, we evaluated the evolution of the Cobb angle of the main coronal curve before the first surgery, postoperatively and at the last follow-up. We also noted every complication. RESULTS: Four patients have been evaluated. Age at the index surgery ranged from 3- to 6-year-old. All the patients had a Kyphoscoliosis. The preoperative Cobb angle of the main coronal curve ranged from 70° to 104°. Prior to surgery, a progressive correction of the spinal deformity by Halo-gravity traction was performed for all patients. One patient had several complications with a poor result after final fusion. Three patients did not sustain any complication and presented good results. Follow-up ranged from 3 to 8 years. For two of our patients, further lengthening procedures are still needed. CONCLUSIONS: TGR is a good surgical option for the treatment of EOS in EDS. A progressive preoperative correction is recommended. Anchor-related complications must be minimized in these patients with an important kyphosis. Level of evidence Level IV.

Case Report: Caecal volvulus management from diagnosis to treatment in a young patient.

Caecal volvulus (CV) is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction, defined by an axial torsion of the caecum, ascending colon, and terminal ileum around the mesenteric vascular pedicles, leading to ischemia and bowel necrosis. A 20-year-old woman, with no significant medical history, was admitted for generalized abdominal pain evolving for three days, along with constipation and abdominal distension, but with no vomiting. Physical examination showed a generalized abdominal tenderness with no rigidity or rebound tenderness, associated with abdominal distension and tympanic upon percussion. Laboratory findings were within normal limits. An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed distension of a loop of the large bowel with its long axis extending from the right lower quadrant to the epigastrium or left upper quadrant. Colonic haustral pattern was absent. An abdominal computed tomography scan showed a rounded focal collection of air-distended bowel with haustral creases in the upper left quadrant. In addition, spiraled loops of the collapsed cecum (giving a whirl sign) were noted, along with low-attenuating fatty mesentery from the twisted bowel. The patient underwent an emergency laparotomy and caecectomy using GEA 80 charges. The patient had no complaints post-operation. CV is a rare cause of bowel obstruction, mainly caused by an exceedingly mobile caecum. Despite its rareness, CV represents the second most common cause of large bowel volvulus, behind sigmoid volvulus. For acute obstruction by CV, it is hard to differentiate it clinically from obstruction of the small bowel; therefore, radiological exams are needed. Surgery is the gold standard treatment for CV. We report a rare case of CV to highlight the rarity of this pathology, specify its diagnostic and therapeutic means, and its clinical and biological evolution.

Ankle sprain injury in child and adolescent: Diagnostic pitfalls.

Introduction and importance: Sprained ankles in children and adolescents are rare. Certain diagnostic pitfalls must arise in the mind of the clinician because many differential diagnoses must be confirmed or refuted urgently. Among them, the infectious osteoarticular pathology including acute hematogenous osteomyelitis of the tibia or distal fibula and septic arthritis of the subtalar joint.The main purpose of this work, through four clinical cases, we will discuss diagnostic pitfalls in the course of ankle trauma in children and adolescents. Case presentation clinical: In this work, we have demonstrated through four cases some diagnostic errors in the context of ankle trauma in children and adolescents. Infectious and malignant tumor pathologies are real diagnostic and therapeutic emergencies. For all these cases, the initial diagnosis was a sprained ankle following a gambling or sports accident. Discussion: Ankle trauma in children and adolescents is a frequent reason for consultation in emergencies. The fear of the orthopedic surgeon is to miss a serious pathology and wrongly make the simple diagnosis of a sprained ankle. Temperature measurement must be systematic. The clinical examination must be meticulous. The interpretation of the radiograph must be cautious. Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis and malignant tumor pathology should be on the surgeon's mind. Conclusion: We have shown through these four examples that a serious pathology can simulate a sprain. Hence, a careful analysis of clinical, biological and radiological elements is the only guarantee of adequate care.

Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis in children: Management of pandiaphysitis with extensive bone destruction: A case series of thirteen child.

Introduction: and Importance: Acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHO) poses a public health problem in severe forms from the outset or with delayed diagnosis. The aim of this work is to describe the management of pandiaphysitis with extensive bone destruction by the Ilizarov external fixator and antibiotics and to evaluate the results. Methods: This is a retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional and single-center study. It was performed over a seven-year period. We included children with acute hematogenous osteomyelitis complicated by pandiaphysitis of the long bones with extensive bone necrosis. All patients underwent stabilization with an Ilizarov external fixator and antibiotic therapy adapted to the antibiogram in ten cases. One patient had the induced membrane technique. All the patients underwent dynamization of the Ilizarov external fixator followed by immobilization with a cast or a splint for the lower limb. Outcomes: 13 medical files were collected during the study period. The sex ratio was 1.6, the average age was 7.56 years. Three localization sites: humerus for 3 cases, femur for 3 cases and tibia for 7 cases. The germ has been identified in ten cases. Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus was the most common. Bone consolidation is obtained in all cases with an average delay of ten months. Conclusion: The Ilizarov external fixator associated with antibiotics has proven its effectiveness in the management of pandiaphysitis with extensive bone destruction. This method is an alternative in the therapeutic arsenal available to pediatric orthopedic surgeons. Level of evidence: IV, Case series.

Calcaneal lengthening osteotomy in the management of idiopathic flatfoot in children: cCase series of twenty-one feet.

INTRODUCTION: Flatfoot is a frequent reason for consultation in pediatric orthopedics. The calcaneal lengthening osteotomy according to the EVANS technique is a therapeutic alternative. The objective of this work was to evaluate the short and medium term clinical and radiological results of calcaneal lengthening osteotomy in children with idiopathic flat foot valgus. METHODS: This study concerned 12 children and 15 ft treated surgically by calcaneal lengthening osteotomy by an orthopedic surgeon in a pediatric orthopedic surgery center. The evaluation of the results was clinical according AOFAS score and radiological. RESULTS: The deformity was reducible in all of our patients. The mean preoperative AOFAS score was 61, postoperatively 90. The overall result was excellent in 11 cases (11 ft) and good in 4 cases. The postoperative radiological result was close to normal values. CONCLUSION: Calcaneal lengthening osteotomy is a reliable and recommended technique for the correction of symptomatic idiopathic flatfoot. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, Case series.

Right Colon Clear Cell Carcinoma of Müllerian Type.

Clear cell carcinoma (CCC) is usually seen in tissues originating from the paramesonephric (Müllerian) ducts such as the kidneys, the ovaries, the cervix and the vagina. The pathogenesis has not yet been elucidated. The diagnostic hallmark is the clear cytoplasm. Primitive CCC of the colon is a very rare entity. There are two types of CCC of the colon; the intestinal type and the Müllerien type. The differential diagnosis arises mainly with secondary metastases of renal or ovarian origin. Immunohistochemistry allows retaining the primitive character. The treatment is not yet consensual. It depends on the type of tumor and its stage. The treatment is based on surgery and possibly chemotherapy. We report the case of a 75-year-old female patient who underwent surgery for a tumor of the ascending colon. Microscopic examination concluded an extensively necrotic carcinomatous growth which infiltrated all the layers of the intestinal wall and the peritoneum. The tumor was made of clusters and spans of clear cells which were separated by thin conjunctivo-vascular septa. The tumor cells were round to polygonal with a clear, optically empty, pseudo-vegetative (physaliferous) cytoplasm. Immunohistochemistry study showed a positive staining with CK7 and a negative staining with CK20, CDX2, PAX8, P63, CD10, chromogranin, and synaptophysin. We performed a Medical Literature databases (Pubmed and Google Scholar) research. Only forty-two cases were reported in English literature. The main age is 55.7 (25-89). The sex ratio is one, but female cases were younger (52 vs. 61). The rectum is the most involved site. The left colon location is more frequent than the right one. The Müllerian type was found only at the level of the left colon and rectum. There was no CCC in the right colon of Müllerien type. The case we report herein is the first right colon CCC which is positive in CK7 staining.

Gayet-Wernicke's encephalopathy complicating prolonged parenteral nutrition in patient treated for colonic cancer - a case report.

BACKGROUND: Gayet-Wernicke's encephalopathy (GWE) is a neurological pathology caused by a Thiamine deficiency. While it is most often related to chronic alcoholism, GWE can occur in any situation that results in thiamine deficiency. It is a fairly common pathology that is frequently underdiagnosed and therefore under-treated, and is associated with a high mortality and morbidity rate. In the absence of pathognomonic signs, the diagnosis of GWE relies on a range of clinical, biological and radiological assessments. GWE is considered a medical emergency. We present a case of Gayet-Wernicke's Encephalopathy resulting from complete parenteral nutrition in an undernourished North African male operated for a left colon tumor. Through this report, our aim was to put the light on this often underknown disease and to remind the interest of thinking about this pathology in patients at risk of undernourishment especially in oncology. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old North African male with no personal or family history was operated for a sigmoid colon tumor. He was put on exclusive parenteral nutrition on day thirteen post-operatively and presented with a GWE on day sixteen post-operatively. The patient was treated with intravenous vitamin B1 on day eighteen post-operatively and deceased on day twenty-four post-operatively. CONCLUSIONS: Although most often associated with chronic alcoholism, GWE occurs in any situation where there is an increased energy demand or decreased nutritional intake especially in oncology. GWE is common but under-diagnosed and remains lethal if not treated urgently, hence the importance of prophylactic treatment.

Torticollis in Connection with Spine Phenotype.

PURPOSE: Torticollis is not of uncommon occurrence in orthopaedic departments. Various theories and studies concerning the pathogenesis of the deformity have been suggested. We aimed to highlight and discuss the underlying cervical and spine malformation complex in correlation with torticollis via radiographic and tomographic analysis and its connection with a specific syndromic entity. METHODS: Torticollis has been recognised in six patients (2 boys and 4 girls with an age range of 14-18 years), in addition to a couple of parents manifested persistent backpain. A variable spine malformation complex was the main reason behind torticollis. In addition, some patients manifested plagiocephaly, facial asymmetry and scoliosis/kyphoscoliosis. In some patients, conventional radiographs were of limited value because of the overlapping anatomical structures. Three-dimensional reconstruction CT scanning was the modality of choice, which enlightens the path for the phenotypic characterisation. RESULTS: A 16-year-old-boy presented with torticollis in correlation with pathologic aberration of the spine cartilaginous stage was analysed via 3DCT scan. Comprehensive clinical and radiological phenotypes were in favour of spondylomegepiphyseal dysplasia. The genotype showed a mutation of the NKX3-2 (BAPX1) gene compatible with the diagnosis of spondylo-meg-epiphyseal-metaphyseal dysplasia. His younger male sibling and parents were heterozygous carriers. In two patients with pseudoachondroplasia syndrome, in which odontoid hypoplasia associated with cervical spine synchondrosis causing life-threatening torticollis, Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) gene mutation was identified. MURCS syndrome has been diagnosed in two unrelated girls. Torticollis associated with cervical kyphosis was the major presentation since early childhood. Interestingly, one girl showed omovertebral bones of the lower cervical and upper thoracic spine. Her karyotype manifested a balanced translocation of 46 XX, t (14q; 15q). CONCLUSION: To detect the underlying etiological diagnosis of torticollis, a skeletal survey was the primary diagnostic tool. Conventional radiographs of the craniocervical junction and spine resulted in confusing readings because of the overlapping anatomical structures. Cranio-cervical malformation complex could have serious neurological deficits, especially for children with indefinite diagnosis of torticollis. The widely used term of congenital muscular torticollis resulted in morbid or mortal consequences. Moreover, some patients received vigorous physical therapy on the bases of muscular torticollis. Sadly speaking, this resulted in grave complications. Understanding the imaging phenotype and the genotype in such patients is the baseline tool for precise and proper management. The value of this paper is to sensitise physicians and orthopaedic surgeons to the necessity of comprehensive clinical and radiological phenotypic characterisations in patients with long term skeletal pathology.

Fournier's Gangrene: validation of the severity index.

INTRODUCTION: Fournier's gangrene is a serious infection and is considered a major emergency. A complete assessment of the severity factors using a severity score is essential and makes it possible to adapt the therapeutic management. AIM: Validate Fournier's Gangrene Severity Index and evaluate its benefits in the initial assessment of disease severity. METHODS: This is a retrospective, monocentric study which gathered all the cases of perineal gangrene that were managed in General Surgery Department of Habib Bougatfa Hospital in Bizerte over a period of 8 years. The primary endpoint in our study was mortality. RESULTS: Thirty-five cases of Fournier's gangrene were collected. The average age of our patients was 46 years. Mortality rate was 23%. We calculated the Fournier's Gangrene Severity Index for 22 patients. There was a significant difference in the average Fournier's Gangrene Severity Index score between the group of surviving patients (3.75) and the group of deceased patients (12.63) (p 9.5 (sensitivity 87.5%, specificity 100%), we noted that the mortality rate was significantly higher in the group with a score> 10 (100%) than in the group with a score ≤ 9 (6%) (p.

Infantile systemic hyalinosis: Variable grades of severity.

BACKGROUND: Infantile systemic hyalinosis (ISH) is an autosomal recessively inherited disorder. The classical natural history of the disease is characterised by hypotonia, multiple contractures, skin lesions, osteopenia, joint pain, bone fractures, persistent diarrhoea and growth deficiency. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two children manifested the severe type of ISH underwent genotypic confirmation. In order to identify which other family members have inherited the disease. We included siblings and cousins in this study. The baseline tool to study other family subjects was based on the phenotypic characterisations of each child. RESULTS: . Two children with the severe type of ISH showed craniosynostosis (brachycephaly and scaphocephaly) associated with multiple contractures, progressive joint osteolysis ending up with multiple joint dislocations. The full exome sequencing was carried out, revealing a previously reported heterozygous nonsense mutation с.1294С>Т and a novel heterozygous non-synonymous substitution c. 58T>A in ANTRX2 gene. Three children (sibling and cousins) manifested variable clinical manifestations relevant to ISH. Specifically, asymptoamtic skin and skeletal abnormalities of hypoplastic clavicles and 'shepherd's crook' deformity and coxa vara. CONCLUSION: It is mandatory to perform extensive family pedigree search to detect asymptomatic clinical features in siblings and cousins in families with first degree related marriages. Interestingly, in the mild and the moderate types of ISH, we observed undescribed combination of asymptomatic skin and skeletal abnormalities. This is a comparative study between the severe and the mild/moderate types in a group of children from consanguineous families. Our current study extends the phenotypic characterisations of ISH.

The "Patient management problem" as a formative evaluation during the internship.

INTRODUCTION: The evaluation of the internship in pediatric orthopedics is based on a clinical examination in the form of ECOS, after the internship period involving all surgical specialties. The validation of the clinical examination test does not necessarily mean that the student has achieved his internship objectives and vice versa. This discrepancy between the evaluation test and the field of the internship prompted us to question the need to establish a formative evaluation method during the clinical internship. METHODS: Our study is a prospective, evaluative, longitudinal study, from October 2019 until September 2020, in the infantile orthopedics and traumatology department of the "Béchir HAMZA" children's hospital in Tunis. We carried out a formative evaluation using the "Patient Management Problem" (PMP), with two different subjects, one on acute hematogenous osteomyelitis, the other on malignant bone tumors, with a Pre-test and a Post-test for each PMP. RESULTS: We had 18 interns, during the period between October 2019 and September 2020, including 13 who had medical training in Tunisian faculties. The score for the acute osteomyelitis pretest was 14.56 on average, the PMP score was 16.33 on average, with one interne scoring zero. The posttest mean was 18.11 [13.75-20], with a statistically significant difference from the pretest. The pre-test for the bone tumors' PMP had an average of 9.7 [3.75-15], that of PMP was 12.6 [0-20]. There was an improvement in post test scores with an average of 16.45. Comparing the two tests we noticed that the scores for the PMP osteomyelitis were higher than the scores for the PMP bone tumors with a significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this pilot project are encouraging for the establishment of a continuous evaluation by the PMP method, intended for interne during the pediatric orthopedic surgery internship. This method allows learning and formative evaluation of learners by evaluating clinical and therapeutic reasoning.

Isolated tuberculosis of the navicular bone in a child.

Tuberculosis is a topical issue in endemic countries. Foot involvement is rare and accounts for 5-10% of all osteoarticular tuberculosis. Pediatric cases of osteoarticular tuberculosis are uncommon especially in well vaccinated children. The clinical presentation is not specific and can be confused with common germ like staphylococcus. Biopsy is mandatory in endemic zone, and if the evolution is not good with antibiotherapy. Debridement can be indicated but must be gentle, because of the risk of navicular necrosis.

Management of septic non union and discrepancy of humerus in a child: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: The management of large bone defect in the upper limb is fraught with difficulties and problems. It's is a long course treatment which include many components: infection, osseous loosening and shortening. CASE PRESENTATION: We present our experience of an 12-years-old boy with septic non union of the proximal left humerus with length discrepancy of 6 cm treated with Ilizarov fixator(IL) followed by vascularized fibula graft (VFG) with a good clinical result without complications. DISCUSSION: The bone loss may be treated with allografts, bone transfer and bone substitute. Consideration of the quality of bed tissue and the size of the bone defect are condition to ensure a good result. CONCLUSION: Ilizarov fixator is an attractive and the most used technique for solving the problem of discrepancy and stabilizing in the upper limb.

Congenital pseudarthrosis of the forearm treated with induced membrane technique: A case report.

Congenital pseudarthrosis of the forearm (CPF) is an uncommon entity frequently described in association with neurofibromatosis type 1. Surgical treatment Is required. This is a challenging pathology in pediatric orthopedic surgery due to the difficulty of achieving a satisfying result in terms of bone defect healing. Many techniques are described such us free vascularized fibula, illizarov and induced membrane. We describe a first case of the forearm non union associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 successfully treated with 2 steps of induced membrane. Whatever the technique selected it's remain challenging problem in pediatric orthopaedic.

Penile metastasis of colon carcinoma: A rare case report.

Despite being one of the most common primary tumors in the world, colon cancer only metastasizes to the penis in singular cases. We report the case of a 53 year-old male presenting with hematuria, pain and induration of the penis 2 and half years after the diagnosis of left colon cancer. CT scan demonstrated involvement of the corpus spongiosum and corpora cavernosa with enlarged external inguinal lymph nodes and asymptomatic metastasis in the liver and lungs. The finding of a penile lesion in a cancer patient is an alarming sign and should indicate a disseminated disease. The prognosis of penile metastasis is poor.

Contribution of specific anti-hydatid IgG subclasses in the diagnosis of echinococcosis primary infection and relapses.

BACKGROUND: Serological diagnosis of hydatid disease still faces problems of sensitivity, limiting its use to either diagnosis or post-surgical monitoring. The use of IgG subclasses seems to overcome these difficulties. The contribution of IgG subclasses was evaluated in the diagnosis of primary infested and hydatid cyst relapse patients. METHODS: A group of patients (n = 34) diagnosed for the first time with liver cystic echinococcosis (CE) and a group of patients with CE surgical recurrence were included. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay anti-hydatid antigens (HA) specific IgG1, 2, 3, and 4 subclasses were analyzed by ROC curves. RESULTS: ROC curve analyses demonstrated that IgG4 had the ability to discriminate between primary infested and relapsed groups whereas IgG2 was not discriminatory. The sensitivity of IgG4 was statistically higher in the relapsed cases group (97.1% versus 70.6%, p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: anti-HA specific IgG2 was the best marker of primary infestation whereas IgG4 was the best marker of relapse.