Possible introduction of Leishmania tropica to urban areas determined by epidemiological and clinical profiles of patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in Casablanca (Morocco).

Leishmaniases are a group of infectious diseases caused by protozoan Leishmania parasites and are transmitted by the bites of infected phlebotomine sandflies. The heterogeneity of these diseases is influenced by both parasitic properties and host factors. Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a major public health problem in Morocco, where the geographical expansion of CL (particularly CL caused by Leishmania tropica), the heterogeneous appearance of lesions and the difficulty in diagnosing CL contribute to late diagnosis of CL and delayed treatment of patients. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to describe the epidemiological and clinical profiles of patients with CL diagnosed in Casablanca (Morocco), which is a non-endemic area for CL. A cross-sectional study was conducted between 2010 and 2016, during which epidemiological and clinical data were collected from patients that met the inclusion criteria through an information sheet. Then, samples were obtained from each patient for parasitological and molecular diagnosis, and only patients with positive polymerase chain reaction and genotyping results were included in the study. Overall, 106 cases of CL were genotyped, of which 61 (57.5%) were caused by L. tropica, 38 (35.9%) by L. major and 7 (6.6%) by L. infantum. While all age groups were affected, CL cases wherein L. tropica was the causative agent were most frequently diagnosed in children aged 0-9 years (p = 0.005), whereas those caused by L. major were more frequently diagnosed in elderly patients (p = 0.004). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that two clinical variables were significantly associated with CL caused by L. tropica: lesion size (p = 0.002) and occurrence of lesion on the face (p = 0.005). Furthermore, the results of our survey highlighted the association of Leishmania infection when travelling to endemic areas. The high number of endemic foci where patients with CL were infected with L. tropica illustrated the tendency of this form to spread and generate epidemics, exposing young people to a greater degree to the disease. The epidemic status of CL caused by L. tropica in Morocco and the increased movement of the population from rural to urban areas indicate a possible introduction of this species to urban areas.

Efficacy of late concurrent hypofractionated radiotherapy in advanced melanoma patients failing anti-PD-1 monotherapy.

Advanced melanoma patients who failed anti-PD-1 therapy have limited options. We analyzed a cohort of 133 advanced melanoma patients receiving anti-PD-1 monotherapy in a referral center between April 2015 and December 2017, and included the 26 patients with confirmed progressive (PD) or stable disease who received additional radiotherapy with an unmodified anti-PD-1 mAb regimen. Tumor evaluations were done on radiated and nonradiated (RECIST 1.1) lesions, with abscopal effect defined as a partial (PR) or complete response (CR) outside radiated fields. Primary endpoint was the CR + PR rate in radiated + nonradiated lesions. Secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), melanoma-specific survival (MSS) and safety. First late radiotherapy, consisting of hypofractionated radiotherapy (3-5 sessions, 20-26 Gy), standard palliative radiotherapy or brain radiosurgery was begun after a median of 6.3 months of anti-PD-1 in 23, 2 and 1 patient(s), respectively. Best response was 8 (31%) CR, 2 (8%) profound PR allowing surgical resection of remaining metastases and 16 (62%) PD. Abscopal effect was seen in 35% of patients. Median PFS and MSS since anti-PD-1 initiation was 15.2 [95% CI: 8.0 not achieved (na)] and 35.3 [95% CI: 18.5 na] months, respectively. PFS curves seemed to achieve a plateau. We discontinued anti-PD-1 therapy in 9/10 of patients with no residual evaluable disease and observed one relapse after a median of 10 months off anti-PD1-therapy. No unusual adverse event was recorded. Limitations of the study include its retrospective nature and limited size. Hypofractionated radiotherapy may enhance anti-PD1 monotherapy efficacy in patients who previously failed anti-PD-1 therapy. Controlled studies are needed.

Nail Involvement during Pemphigus.

BACKGROUND: Pemphigus is an autoimmune bullous disease affecting the skin and mucous membranes. Associated nail involvement is underestimated and is characterized by a variety of clinical manifestations. Our aim was to describe the clinical aspects of nail involvement during pemphigus. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of patients with pemphigus over a period of 12 years. The diagnosis of pemphigus was based on clinical and immunopathological data. Clinical data were collected from patient records prior to initiation of treatment. RESULTS: Overall,141 cases of pemphigus were collected. Of these, 60 patients had nail involvement. After eliminating fungal origin, we selected 37 patients in our study. The main clinical forms were paronychia and dystrophy. Two cases of destruction of the nail apparatus were found in patients with pemphigus vegetans. The disease was bilateral in 11 cases (29.7%). The presence of ungual involvement was correlated with severity of pemphigus, particularly severe oral disease (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Nail lesions were polymorphic in our patients. These signs show accumulated inflammation of the nail after a long evolution of the disease. Nail involvement may precede, be concomitant, or follow the mucocutaneous lesions of pemphigus and be a sign of severity or relapse of the disease.

[Spindle-shaped hemangioma: an unusual location]. / Hémangiome fusiforme: une localisation inhabituelle.

Spindle cell hemangioma, formerly known as spindle cell hemangioendothelioma, was described by Weiss and Enzinger in 1986. Since the advent of immunohistochemical studies it is no longer considered as low grade angiosarcoma. It is a benign vascular tumor It almost exclusively affects the dermis at the distal ends. We report the first case of a patient with spindle cell hemangioma located in the scapular, breast, thighs and mandibular area. According to the literature, only 9 cases located in the head and neck were reported. We report a new case of this rare and poorly understood entity that can be confused with malignant tumors. Our patient suffered from spindle cell hemangioma located in the scapular, breast, thighs and mandibular area. He underwent excisional biopsy. The evolution was favorable with 6-month follow up, without relapse.

[Port wine stains and Pulsed Dye Laser: study of prognostic factors in 74 Moroccan patients]. / Angiomes plans et laser à colorant pulsé: étude des facteurs pronostiques dans une série marocaine de 74 cas.

Pulsed dye laser (LCP) is currently the gold standard for Port wine stains (PWS) treatment. However, predictive clinical criteria indicating a right or poor response are not yet clear in our context. This study aims to determine the factors associated with poor/good response in Moroccan patients with PWS treated with LCP. We conducted a retrospective study of patients treated for PWS at the dermatology department at the CHU Ibn Rochd in Casablanca between January 2008 and December 2013. We collected the following clinical parameters: age, sex, location, history, parameters used, number of sessions, phototype and physician satisfaction with outcome of the bleaching therapy. A good response was defined by the achievement of 50% lesional lightening at the end of the 6th session. Patients were contacted by telephone to measure their satisfaction. These results were correlated with the clinical parameters mentioned above. We set our significance level at 0.05. Seventy-four patients were eligible The female sex represented 69% and the median age was 18 years. It occurred predominantly on the face (94%). The comparative study of good/poor responders showed that the mean age in the group of good responders was lower than that of poor responders with a significant difference (p = 0.047). The number of sessions in the group of good responders was higher (p = 0.044). The parameters were variable from one patient to another. There was no difference in the type of skin between the two groups. The best bleached location was the area V2. This study showed that patients undergoing several PWS treatment sessions at a young age had a superior therapeutic response in our context. This highlights the role of early diagnosis and short interval management to improve outcomes and minimize adverse effects.