Liver-related deaths in HIV-infected patients between 1995 and 2010 in France: the Mortavic 2010 study in collaboration with the Agence Nationale de Recherche sur le SIDA (ANRS) EN 20 Mortalité 2010 survey.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the proportion of liver-related diseases (LRDs) as a cause of death in HIV-infected patients in France and to compare the results with data from our five previous surveys. METHODS: In 2010, 24 clinical wards prospectively recorded all deaths occurring in around 26 000 HIV-infected patients who were regularly followed up. Results were compared with those of previous cross-sectional surveys conducted since 1995 using the same design. RESULTS: Among 230 reported deaths, 46 (20%) were related to AIDS and 30 (13%) to chronic liver diseases. Eighty per cent of patients who died from LRDs had chronic hepatitis C, 16.7% of them being coinfected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Among patients who died from an LRD, excessive alcohol consumption was reported in 41%. At death, 80% of patients had undetectable HIV viral load and the median CD4 cell count was 349 cells/µL. The proportion of deaths and the mortality rate attributable to LRDs significantly increased between 1995 and 2005 from 1.5% to 16.7% and from 1.2‰ to 2.0‰, respectively, whereas they tended to decrease in 2010 to 13% and 1.1‰, respectively. Among liver-related causes of death, the proportion represented by hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) dramatically increased from 5% in 1995 to 40% in 2010 (p = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: The proportion of LRDs among causes of death in HIV-infected patients seems recently to have reached a plateau after a rapid increase during the decade 1995-2005. LRDs remain a leading cause of death in this population, mainly as a result of hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection, HCC representing almost half of liver-related causes of death.

Changing profile of encephalitis: Results of a 4-year study in France.

CONTEXT: In 2007, we performed a nationwide prospective study to assess the epidemiology of encephalitis in France. We aimed to evaluate epidemiological changes 10years later. METHODS: We performed a 4-year prospective cohort study in France (ENCEIF) from 2016 to 2019. Medical history, comorbidities, as well as clinical, biological, imaging, and demographic data were collected. For the comparison analysis, we selected similar data from adult patients enrolled in the 2007 study. We used Stata statistical software, version 15 (Stata Corp). Indicative variable distributions were compared using Pearson's Chi2 test, and means were compared using Student's t-test for continuous variables. RESULTS: We analyzed 494 cases from 62 hospitals. A causative agent was identified in 65.7% of cases. Viruses represented 81.8% of causative agents, Herpesviridae being the most frequent (63.6%). Arboviruses accounted for 10.8%. Bacteria and parasites were responsible for respectively 14.8% and 1.2% of documented cases. Zoonotic infections represented 21% of cases. When comparing ENCEIF with the 2007 cohort (222 adults patients from 59 hospitals), a higher proportion of etiologies were obtained in 2016-2019 (66% vs. 53%). Between 2007 and 2016-2019, the proportions of Herpes simplex virus and Listeria encephalitis cases remained similar, but the proportion of tuberculosis cases decreased (P=0.0001), while tick-borne encephalitis virus (P=0.01) and VZV cases (P=0.03) increased. In the 2016-2019 study, 32 causative agents were identified, whereas only 17 were identified in the 2007 study. CONCLUSION: Our results emphasize the need to regularly perform such studies to monitor the evolution of infectious encephalitis and to adapt guidelines.

[Troponin dosage in a patient with asymptomatic myocarditis due to trichinellosis]. / Myocardite asymptomatique au cours d''un cas de trichinellose: intérêt du dosage de la troponine.

Human trichinellosis is a potentially severe parasitic disease occurring after ingestion of undercooked meat infected with Trichinella sp. larvae. We report the case of a patient who ate an undercooked bear meat hunted in Canada; he presented with the usual symptoms of trichinellosis (i.e, facial oedema, myalgias and fever) complicated with an asymptomatic myocarditis. Myocarditis is a rare, but potentially lethal complication of trichinellosis. Myocarditis should be screened systematically even when specific symptoms are missing; dosage of troponin serum is a simple and reliable mean for such screening.

Taenia crassiceps invasive cysticercosis: a new human pathogen in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome?

A fluctuant, painful, subcutaneous, and intermuscular tumor developed in a 38-year-old man with severe acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in which immunodeficiency was severe. Surgery revealed lesions that formed a multilocular pouch embedded in deep tissues in the forearm filled with tapiocalike material containing a viscous fluid, granules, and cysticercilike small vesicles. Pathologic and parasitologic evaluation showed cysticerci embedded in a fibrocollagen reaction with inflammatory granulomatous reaction. Each cysticercus contained an invaginated scolex with two rows of small (i.e., 80 microm) and large (i.e., 114 microm) rostellar hooks, identical to larva of Taenia crassiceps. All clinical, parasitologic, and pathologic features of these cysticerci were very different from those of all other larval cestode (i.e., Taenia solium cysticercosis, coenurosis, sparganosis, cysticercosis due to Taenia saginata [Cysticercus bovis], primary and secondary hydatidosis [Echinococcus species]). T crassiceps cysticerci usually develop in subcutis and pleuroperitoneal cavities of rodents, whereas the adult tapeworm is commonly found in the digestive tract of foxes. Biologic properties of T crassiceps cysticerci and epidemiologic characteristics of pandemic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) could eventually indicate new potential cases of T crassiceps cysticercosis in humans.

Adverse effect of polyvalent immunoglobulin in the treatment of Guillain-Barre syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Acute polyradiculoneuropathy or Guillain-Barre syndrome is a neurological disease which may present with severe forms which have a poor prognosis. The patient's management requires multidisciplinary specialised care. Morbidity has been reported to be significantly improved with initial therapy using high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). However, this therapy represent an immunological risk which has remained overlooked by clinicians in the majority of cases and is not clearly stated by the pharmaceutical companies. Therefore, the use of IVIG in the intensive care unit can cause some problems. CASE REPORT: A 32-year-old woman presented with clinical signs of Guillain-Barre syndrome. The patient received high-dose intravenous immunoglobulin (TEGELINE). Nine days after beginning therapy, she presented with severe immunological hemolytic anaemia; the IVIG was suspected as the cause. The blood cell count returned to normal approximately two months after the onset of the hemolytic syndrome. CONCLUSION: Despite the effectiveness of IVIG therapy in the management of various diseases, intensive care clinicians should be aware of possible major adverse effects which make a careful assessment of the patient necessary before treatment. It may also be important to consider the patient's ABO blood group before initiating IVIG treatment, particularly in patients bearing A and/or B blood group antigens.

[Red fingers syndrome in the course of HIV infection. A new case]. / Syndrome des doigts rouges au cours de l'infection par le VIH. Une nouvelle observation.

Human immunodeficiency virus can be associated with vascular manifestations such as arteritis mainly with cerebrovascular localization, arterial aneurysms or accelerated formation of atherosclerosis lesions. Red fingers syndrome has been recently described in i.v.-drug patients with HIV and hepatitis C infection. We report a new case in a 36-year old woman, and suggest that this syndrome must be considered as a new microcirculatory manifestation of HIV infection. Red fingers syndrome in patients with HIV is likely secondary to co-infection with hepatitis C or immunological disturbances-associated such as cryoglobulinemia.

[Clinical and therapeutic aspects of spontaneous pneumothorax in human immunodeficiency virus infection: 9 cases]. / Aspects cliniques et thérapeutiques des pneumothorax spontanés au cours de l'infection par le virus de l'immunodéficience humaine: neuf observations.

Spontaneous pneumothorax in HIV infected patients are mostly due to a sub-pleural necrotizing pneumonitis most often related to Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. From our experience of nine patients and a review of the literature, we describe the clinical characteristics and therapeutic management and confirm the frequent failure of simple chest tube drainage and the high morbidity and mortality rate despite treatment. An aggressive stepped-care management of thoracoscopic talc poudrage as initial therapy should be evaluated.

[Pyogenic osteomyelitis in Gaucher's disease]. / Ostéomyélite à pyogène au cours de la maladie de Gaucher.

Gaucher's disease is a sphingolipidosis which may be accompanied by severe pain in the bones. We report a case of Bacteroides fragilis osteomyelitis consecutive to surgical biopsy. The bone pain may be due to ischaemia of the bone or to a pyogenic osteomyelitis which is iatrogenic in most cases. The clinical and paraclinical features of these two entities are described after a review of the literature, and the main complementary examinations leading to their diagnosis are presented.

[Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis of the mandible. A case report]. / Ostéomyélite chronique multifocale récurrente. A propos d'un cas de la mandibule.

UNLABELLED: Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is a disorder rarely localized to the lower jaw. CASE REPORT: A fourteen-year-old boy complained of a swollen of his lower jaw. After a CT Scan, a bone biopsy was performed and yielded S. oralis against which an adapted intravenous antibiotherapy was administered without efficacy. The absence of malignant process and the revelation of an other focus of fixation at the Tc bone scan localized on humerus called to mind the diagnosis of CRMO. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of this disease is difficult and based on a number of concording arguments:clinical and radiological signs of osteomyelitis, multifocal presentation, recurrent relapses and remissions, inaction of antibiotics, elimination of the other differential diagnosis, in particular the infectious osteitis.

[Osseous site of systemic cryptococcosis in an immunocompetent patient]. / Localisations osseuses d'une cryptococcose systemique chez un sujet immunocompétent.

Cryptococcosis is a cosmopolite mycosis caused by an opportunistic fungus usually infecting immunodeficient subjects. A 50-year old patient, with no particular medical history was seen with metaphyseal and diaphyseal bony lesions of a non-specific lytic aspect. This demonstrates that such an infection may also occur in apparently immunocompetent subjects. Diagnosis may be difficult and needs a special investigation looking for Cryptococcus neoformans. It should perhaps be made when first-intention investigations of a lytic bony lesion does not reveal any precise aetiology.

[Severe pseudouveitis associated with moxifloxacin therapy]. / Pseudo-uvéite sévère associée à l'utilisation de moxifloxacine.

INTRODUCTION: Moxifloxacin is an antibiotic of the fluoroquinolone class, marketed in France since 2002. It is used primarily in the treatment of bacterial sinusitis and acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis. The purpose of this study is to report a possible severe ocular side effect following the systemic use of moxifloxacin. PATIENT AND METHODS: Case report of a patient who presented with the appearance of a severe acute uveitis after being treated with systemic moxifloxacin. Eleven days after initiation of moxifloxacin treatment, the patient developed simultaneous bilateral eye pain, pigment dispersion and diffuse iris transillumination. This case was further complicated by ocular hypertension. Etiologic investigations for other causes of the uveitis were negative. In particular, an anterior chamber tap was performed and PCR for herpes viruses (HSV, VZV, EBV, CMV) was negative. DISCUSSION: Drug-induced uveitis is relatively rare. The relationship between systemic fluoroquinolone treatment and the occurrence of uveitis has been considered "possible", according to World Health Organization criteria, in a recent retrospective analysis of 40 case reports. Moxifloxacin was suspected in 25 of these cases. The presence of both iris transillumination and pigment dispersion appears specific to the uveitis in question. CONCLUSION: It appears that practitioners prescribing moxifloxacin and ophthalmologists should be informed of this possible adverse effect, so that it may be quickly recognized, managed and reported.

Cryptococcosis in sarcoidosis: cryptOsarc, a comparative study of 18 cases.

AIM: To describe the main characteristics and the treatment of cryptococcosis in patients with sarcoidosis. DESIGN: Multicenter study including all patients notified at the French National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals. METHODS: Retrospective chart review. Each case was compared with two controls without opportunistic infections. RESULTS: Eighteen cases of cryptococcosis complicating sarcoidosis were analyzed (13 men and 5 women). With 2749 cases of cryptococcosis registered in France during the inclusion period of this study, sarcoidosis accounted for 0.6% of all the cryptococcosis patients and for 2.9% of the cryptococcosis HIV-seronegative patients. Cryptococcosis and sarcoidosis were diagnosed concomitantly in four cases; while sarcoidosis was previously known in 14/18 patients, including 12 patients (67%) treated with steroids. The median rate of CD4 T cells was 145 per mm(3) (range: 55-1300) and not related to steroid treatment. Thirteen patients had cryptococcal meningitis (72%), three osteoarticular (17%) and four disseminated infections (22%). Sixteen patients (89%) presented a complete response to antifungal therapy. After a mean follow-up of 6 years, no death was attributable to cryptococcosis. Extra-thoracic sarcoidosis and steroids were independent risk factors of cryptococcosis in a logistic regression model adjusted with the sex of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Cryptococcosis is a significant opportunistic infection during extra-thoracic sarcoidosis, which occurs in one-third of the cases in patients without any treatment; it is not associated to severe CD4 lymphocytopenia and has a good prognosis.