[Pulmonary actinomycosis caused by Actinomycesodontolyticus in a two-year-old child]. / Actinomycose pulmonaire à Actinomycesodontolyticus chez un enfant de 2 ans.

INTRODUCTION: Pulmonary actinomycosis due to Actinomyces Odontolyticus is a rare and seldom reported pathology in pediatrics. The unspecific radio-clinical symptomatology and the slow growth of the germ make the diagnosis difficult. CASE REPORT: A 2-year-old boy is admitted to the emergency room for acute respiratory distress in a context of febrile bronchitis that had been evolving for 10days. Quickly, the patient's state deteriorate, invasive ventilation was required. Bronchial fibroscopy was performed immediately and enabled extraction of large mucous filaments, leading to significant improvement. Mechanical ventilation was stopped after 72hours. Five days later, blood culture tested positive for Actinomyces Odontolyticus. In the absence of any other cause and given a compatible clinical picture, the child was treated with long-term antibiotherapy for a total duration of 6months, which was stopped following reassuringly normal endoscopic and radiological control. CONCLUSIONS: This is the second pediatric case of pulmonary actinomycosis due to A. Odontolyticus reported in the literature. The clinical symptoms and imaging are not specific. The presence of sulphide granules on pathological examination or in germ culture at a sterile site confirms the diagnosis. Prolonged antibiotic therapy is still recommended to avoid pulmonary sequels.

Acute hepatic injury associated with minocycline.

Minocycline hydrochloride hepatotoxic effect occurred in one patient. Unlike the usual histologic features of tetracycline-induced hepatic injury, fatty metamorphosis was predominantly macrovesicular . The patient recovered when drug therapy was withdrawn. Close observation of liver function variables is recommended in patients treated with high parenteral doses of minocycline, particularly in cases of pregnancy or renal disease.

Helicobacter pylori: the link with gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer is the world's overall second most common cancer, and carries a bad prognosis. In the Correa model of gastric carcinogenesis, environmental factors (salt, nitrate, a lack of vitamin C and beta-carotene, bile reflux, bacterial overgrowth in atrophic gastritis with nitrosamine formation) are related to the evolution from normal gastric tissue through superficial gastritis, multifocal atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia to carcinoma. The incidence of H. pylori decreases with progressing preneoplastic lesions. In several studies, the prevalence of H. pylori was elevated in patients with gastric cancer, with a trend for a higher prevalence in intestinal type gastric cancer vs diffuse type. Family members of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma have a higher H. pylori prevalence than controls; patients infected with H. pylori have more family members with gastric cancer. Several epidemiological studies showed a higher H. pylori prevalence in regions or populations with high gastric cancer risk vs low-risk populations. Large-scale studies in China and Europe showed a correlation between H. pylori seroprevalence and gastric cancer incidence and mortality. Three prospective nested case-control studies showed that infection with H. pylori increased the risk of further development of gastric adenocarcinoma, showing that H. pylori infection precedes the development of gastric cancer. Several pathways can be identified explaining the association between H. pylori and gastric adenocarcinoma. We showed that gastric cell proliferation is increased in parallel with inflammation. The ascorbic acid concentrating mechanism is abolished in gastritis. Ammonia, generated by H. pylori's urease, gives rise to gastric mucosal atrophy. We showed that salt increases the gastric cell proliferation only in H. pylori-infected individuals. The organism's toxin may play a role in gastric cancer. Besides H. pylori, other environmental factors are important in determining the gastric cancer risk. For instance, we showed that in Belgium, Maghreb immigrants have a high prevalence of H. pylori infection but a low prevalence of intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer. Gastric lymphoma is rare (about 5% of all gastric tumours), but its incidence is steadily increasing. It was shown that H. pylori also increases the risk for low-grade as well as high-grade gastric lymphoma. Eradication of H. pylori has been shown to cure several cases of unequivocally proven gastric low-grade lymphoma.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Gastric screening prospects.

The incidence of gastric cancer is rapidly declining in the Western world, but it remains high in the Third World and in Japan. Systematic screening for gastric cancer has been undertaken in Japan, where barium X-ray is used in people over the age of 40. Evaluation data suggest a benefit in reduced mortality, but biases cannot be ruled out. A similar screening programme has been started in Venezuela. Currently, stomach cancer screening programmes cannot be recommended as public health policy, except in high-risk areas where they have already started. The Correa model of gastric carcinogenesis states that environmental influences cause a normal gastric mucosa to undergo successive stepwise changes, through superficial gastritis, atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, carcinoma and, finally, invasion. Incriminated environmental influences include irritant, antibodies, gastrectomy, nutritional deficits, intake of nitrogen compounds and Helicobacter pylori. These bacteria cause a chronic superficial gastritis, which may develop into atrophic gastritis. H. pylori is less frequently found in advancing preneoplastic lesions, and seldomly in gastric carcinoma tissue (it may, however, be identified more readily in the surrounding non-cancerous tissue). Several lines of evidence suggest that H. pylori may play an important role in human gastric carcinogenesis. We found that in some patients with H. pylori infection and without preneoplastic lesions, the gastric cell turnover was increased; this was correlated with the intensity of the inflammatory changes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Economics of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy.

The annual incidence of peptic ulcer disease in developed countries is around one to three per thousand inhabitants. Since the introduction of acid-secretion inhibitors, the indirect costs of this disease, which has a high rate of relapse, have steadily decreased, although direct costs have been increasing. The possibility of healing the patient through Helicobacter pylori eradication has the potential for a huge economic impact considering the long-term cost: benefit ratio. A recent study has shown that H. pylori eradication therapy can save between US$750,000 and US$1,000,000 per year per million inhabitants in western Europe compared to maintenance or episodic therapy. This paper reviews the cost implications of various management strategies for peptic ulcer disease, comparing the cost: benefit ratios of five different treatment regimens.

How come I've got it? (A review of Helicobacter pylori transmission).

Numerous epidemiological studies have shown the two main risk factors for Helicobacter pylori acquisition: childhood and low socio-economic level both in developing and developed countries. Nevertheless, in the absence of ubiquitous extra-human reservoir(s), the route(s) for person-to-person transmission remains undetermined. Very recent data favour the oro-oral route: besides gastric mucosa, mouth might be a sanctuary site and the oro-oral transmission hypothesis seems applicable worldwide. Nevertheless, the gastro-oral route (vomiting, gastro-oesophageal reflux) is still possible and deserves further research. In developing countries, feco-oral transmission (perhaps through the water supply) might be a significant mechanism of human contamination both for primary infection in children and perhaps, reinfection in adults.

Omeprazole-based antimicrobial therapies: results in 198 Helicobacter pylori-positive patients.

AIM: To compare the efficacies of omeprazole-based antimicrobial therapies in Helicobacter pylori-positive patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report the results of seven therapeutic trials combining omeprazole, clarithromycin, amoxycillin, colloidal bismuth subcitrate and tinidazole in 198 patients (peptic ulcer disease/non-ulcerative dyspepsia, 137/61) to eradicate H. pylori infection. The diagnosis of infection was performed by Sydney system biopsies, compliance was checked after a pill count at the end of the treatment and eradication was assessed at least 4 weeks after the end of the treatment either by the Sydney system for peptic ulcer disease or the urease breath test for non-ulcerative dyspepsia. RESULTS: When results were analysed on a protocol basis, the only significant difference in eradication (P = 0.006) was found between the total population of patients treated with amoxycillin-based combinations (27 eradications out of 48 patients) and those given a treatment that included clarithromycin (84 eradications out of 108). Forty-two patients (21%) dropped out either because of side effects (10 among patients taking clarithromycin and two taking amoxycillin) or because they were lost to follow-up (27 patients). Out of 64 patients with active ulcers, 43 (67%) were both H. pylori-negative and ulcer-free 4-8 weeks after the end of therapy, 12 out of 64 (19%) were ulcer-free but remained H. pylori-positive and nine out of 64 (14%) were H. pylori-positive and had active ulceration.

Helicobacter pylori eradication in duodenal ulcer disease is cost-beneficial: a Belgian model.

The eradication of Helicobacter pylori in infected patients with gastroduodenal ulcer disease the allows to obtain a definite healing of this chronically relapsing condition for which the direct costs have been steadily increasing (while indirect costs were reduced) for the last two decades. Both short-term studies performed on real time, and prospective simulations using a Markov's model over periods of one, five and up to fifteen years, revealed a significant cost/benefit advantage of an eradication policy: according to the Belgian model, the eradication of HP in patients with peptic ulcer would save between 750,000 and one million US dollars by million inhabitants when compared to maintenance or episodic treatment with anti-secretory drugs. Nevertheless, models are very sensitive to several factors: eradication rate, costs of screening and HP status assessment, frequency of peptic ulcer disease.

Strategies for Helicobacter pylori eradication in 1995: a review of international and Belgian experience.

After a decade of research, Helicobacter pylori eradication is still a problem because of the steady increase of bacterial resistance (imidazole, macrolides), pH-dependent efficiency of antibiotics, poor compliance of patients and frequent side effects of the therapies. After the failure of various monotherapies and the unefficiency of Amoxicillin-Imidazole combination for Imidazole-resistant strains, the two weeks ¿Oral Triple Therapy' with a 85% mean eradication rate, was abandoned because of a mean 35% side effects rate. The current goal is to obtain 90% eradication rate and the excellent results of german studies with a 2 weeks regimen combining a Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) with Amoxicillin have not been confirmed elsewhere in Europe. PPI plus Clarithromycin (two weeks) gave a mean 72% eradication rate on an ITT basis. The short, low-dose combination PPI-Clarithromycin-Imidazole for one week proposed by Bazzoli is very efficient in a population where Imidazole resistant strains are rare. The recent result of one week with (Omeprazole 20-Clarithromycin 250-Tinidazole 500) BID or (Omeprazole 20-Clarithromycin 500-Amoxi 1000) BID reached a 95% eradication rate but these very promising results are not confirmed in Belgium in an on-going study including 147 patients.

An endoscopic Doppler probe for assessing intestinal vasculature.

Flexible fiberoptic endoscopes permit the physician to inspect the mucosal surface of the upper gastrointestinal tract and colon. However, this visual inspection provides little information about the underlying vascular supply to the intestinal wall. We tested the hypothesis that a Doppler probe could be constructed small enough to pass through the biopsy channel of a fiber endoscope and be used with it while performing endoscopy. The purpose would be to determine the location of patent arteries or veins, determine the magnitude and waveforms of the velocity in them, and estimate their contribution or potential contribution to intestinal bleeding. For this purpose, a miniature catheter probe (1.8 mm O.D. and 2 m in length) and an electronic range limited pulsed Doppler unit were developed. This probe and unit were studied in a series of 13 dogs to determine efficacy of detecting arterial and venous flow and to test the safety of the device. The duodenum was surgically exposed and opened in the region of the common bile duct (CBD). Arteries and veins surrounding the CBD were studied. Particular attention was directed to arterial structures which clinically pose a risk of bleeding when performing endoscopic papillotomy, a therapeutic technique in which the papilla of Vater is cut to release bile duct stones. The results of the study revealed that the probe could indeed detect arterial and venous structures accurately. There was no evidence that the probe produced any injury to the common bile duct or pancreas by histological or serum amylase studies and the device was determined safe and suitable for clinical evaluation.

An endoscopic Doppler probe: preliminary clinical evaluation.

A new pulsed Doppler catheter has been developed for use during gastrointestinal fiberendoscopy. Modern gastrointestinal endoscopy allows inspection of the wall of the entire esophagus, stomach, duodenum, and colon. Diagnosis is performed by inspecting the surface of the mucosa, biopsy, and cytology. However, it is not possible to determine the characteristics of the blood vessels of the wall beneath the mucosa with available techniques. We have developed a Doppler system which is miniature and can be passed down the biopsy channel of standard fiberendoscopes. This 8 MHz device incorporates range limiting to select the depth of interrogation by Doppler. The length of the probe is 2 m, and the diameter is 1.8 mm. This device has been tested in animal studies for efficacy and safety and is now being tested clinically in patients. The probe has been tested for two indications: the detection of the retroduodenal artery prior to endoscopic papillotomy for retained bile duct stones (90 patients); and the detection of flow in esophageal varices before and after endoscopic sclerotherapy (33 patients). Preliminary results are encouraging and suggest that this device can give information about submucosal blood vessels which cannot be detected using other methods.

Comparative study of ultrasound and ERCP in the diagnosis of hepatic, biliary and pancreatic diseases: a prospective study based on a continuous series of 424 patients.

A prospective study of the diagnostic yield of ultrasound (US) and ERCP was made on a continuous series of 424 patients. Technical failures were slightly more frequent with US (11%) than with ERCP (8%), while US proved more accurate than ERCP in the diagnosis of focal hepatic disease--94% of correct diagnosis versus 41% (n = 17). In diffuse hepatic disease (n = 63) the accuracy of both methods was the same--87% of correct diagnosis with US, 83% with ERCP. US had better performances (91%), while ERCP was more accurate in the diagnosis of common duct lithiasis or tumour (98% for ERCP, 36% for US). Although ERCP has a better diagnostic yield for pancreatic diseases (92% to 100% of correct diagnosis according to the lesions) associate complications, such as pseudo-cysts, abscess formation and extravasations are better demonstrated by US (95% of correct diagnosis versus 73%). The two methods thus prove to be complementary.

[Clinical, endoscopic and histologic findings in 1,100 patients of whom 574 were colonized by Campylobacter pylori]. / Données cliniques, endoscopiques et histologiques chez 1100 patients dont 574 colonisés par Campylobacter pylori.

Of 1,100 patients checked by at least two diagnostic tests (urease, histology, culture) 574 (52.1 p. 100) were found to have Campylobacter pylori (C. pylori) in their antral mucosa. Significantly different frequencies of C. pylori (p less than 0.005) were evidenced in the group of patients with active gastroduodenal ulcer (212/298, 71 p. 100), in non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) with a previous history of GD ulcer (108/177, 61 p. 100) and NUD without antecedent history of GD ulcer (254/625, 41 p. 100). Whatever the group, males and immigrants were significantly at risk. Chronic alcoholism (greater than 60 g/day) and non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) intake were not predictive for the presence of C. pylori but smokers were significantly at risk when the total (n = 1,100) population was taken into consideration. C. pylori was found in 29 p. 100 of asymptomatic controls (n = 31). There was no significant difference in the frequency and intensity of symptoms when comparing C. pylori+ and C. pylori- patients. The macroscopic aspect of the antral mucosa was not predictive since 51 p. 100 of patients with normal endoscopy were C. pylori+. A strong correlation was observed between the incidence of C. pylori and the severity of gastritis at histology (p less than 0.001) and C. pylori was found in 7 p. 100 of patients with normal histology.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Surgical treatment of chronic pancreatitis]. / Traitement chirurgical de la pancréatite chronique.

Two cases of chronic pancreatitis treated by total pancreatectomy are reported. Diagnostic procedures and their impact on surgical strategy, the advantages and inconvenience of the different surgical techniques described in the literature are analysed in terms of mortality, morbidity and long-term results in order to define the appropriate surgical approach of the disease.

[Acute necrotizing pancreatitis. Large bowel complications (author's transl)]. / Les complications coliques de la pancréatite aiguë. A propos de 12 observations avec revue de la littérature.

Fifteen large bowel lesions are reported among 12 patients with acute necrotizing pancreatitis: 6 stenosis (transient in one case), 5 necrosis and 4 perforation. In 7 cases out of 12, abdominal plain film was suggestive of colonic involvement. Barium enema and coloscopy may confirm the diagnosis. Previously reported cases (56 stenosis, 84 perforations, 35 necrosis) are reviewed and clinical course radiographic features and the results of surgical management are discussed.

The reliability of urease tests, histology and culture in the diagnosis of Campylobacter pylori infection.

The accuracy of various staining techniques for immersion microscopy, of five media for culture and five urease test modalities for the detection of Campylobacter pylori infection is reported. It was found that 2% urea unbuffered gel preparation is the most accurate urease test (sensitivity: 89%, specificity: 98%) but a minimal amount of 10,000 CFU/ml is necessary to observe positivity and the sensitivity of urease tests drops to 52% in patients under antimicrobial treatment. For histological diagnosis, modified Giemsa staining was shown to be slightly superior to H&E. The most valuable diagnosis technique is culture when the biopsy specimen is transported and processed under appropriate conditions. A 94% sensitivity rate was observed with 'BCC agar', a new medium containing brain heart infusion, activated charcoal and horse serum.

[Dyspepsia in general medicine: current diagnostic approach]. / La dyspepsie en médecine générale: approche diagnostique actualisée.

Upper GI tract endoscopy remains a key investigation in dyspepsia. Nevertheless, since the development of non-invasive techniques for Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection detection and the current trend for immediate prescription of anti secretary drugs in "endoscopy negative gastro-oesophageal reflux disease" (NORD), accurate indications for endoscopy must be reconsidered. Careful recording of the medical history of the patient is crucial. Personal antecedents (diseases and drugs), familial history (especially gastric cancer) must be evidenced and three symptomatic groups must be identified: patients with alarm symptom(s), typical ulcer pain and GORD. Beside those three categories, most patients must be classified in "non specific dyspepsia". Immediate endoscopy is highly recommended in all patients with either alarm symptom(s) or typical ulcer pain (except in suspected relapse of a well documented duodenal ulcer disease). Age is a key determinant in GORD: endoscopy is not necessary in patients under 45 years of age. In case of "non specific dyspepsia" in patients under 45 years, a non-invasive test for Hp infection will favour when positive endoscopic investigation ("test and scope" policy). Nevertheless, in all patients above 45 years and in all patients with either a personal history of gastric ulcer, or a familial history of gastric cancer (whatever the age), endoscopy with biopsies remains the first recommended investigation.