Can FDG-PET/MR help to overcome limitations of sequential MRI and PET-FDG for differential diagnosis between recurrence/progression and radionecrosis of high-grade gliomas?

The aim of our study was assessing the potential of FDG-PET-MRI to overcome limitations of separately performed MRI and PET-FDG and improving the performance of high-grade gliomas evaluation. Combined PET-MRI analysis allowed differentiating between recurrence/progression and radionecrosis with improved diagnostic accuracy (95% vs 63% for PET and 82% for MRI). FDG being a reliable, cost-saving tracer in this indication, combined FDG PET-MRI analysis could play a significant role in the follow-up of high-grade brain tumors.

[Fever and cancer: components of diagnosis for optimal management]. / Fièvre et cancer : éléments de diagnostic pour une prise en charge adaptée.

Fever is defined as a body temperature above 37.8°C in the absence of antipyretic drug. It is a frequent and potentially severe event and its interpretation can be difficult in patients with solid tumors. It is usually alleged that more than half of cancer patients will be affected by the occurrence of this event during the course of their disease. Underlying causes are multiple but most frequent and severe causes include infections, the most life-threatening causes being, firstly, febrile neutropenia and secondly, healthcare-associated infections and more particularly infections related to catheter. Opportunistic infections are much less frequent than in hematology oncology but clinicians should be aware of two severe opportunistic infections: systemic candidiasis and Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia. Fever related to paraneoplastic or tumor necrosis complicates the diagnosis process. Other common causes of fever include venous thromboembolic disease or more rarely treatment related fever. We aim at examining the optimal diagnostic and therapeutic strategies when facing a cancer patient with fever.

[Pulmonary involvement of Bourneville's tuberous sclerosis. The value of early detection. A familial form]. / Les atteintes pulmonaires de la sclérose tubéreuse de Bourneville. Intérêts du dépistage précoce. A propos d'une forme familiale.

Pulmonary disease is very rare during the course of tuberous sclerosis of Bourneville (STB). The authors report two cases of STB with pulmonary involvement occurring in the same family, mother and daughter. Both presented with typical cutaneous manifestations of the disease and bilateral renal angiomyolipomas. In the daughter, the early pulmonary diagnosis was made by computed tomographic examination (TDM) which showed the images of the cyst very sharply, although the pulmonary radiograph was normal. Prolonged follow up with pulmonary function tests is important. Lung function tests were very abnormal in the mother with a frank diminution of the TLCO and hypoxia at rest. In the daughter, they revealed the development of obstructive airways disease. Bronchoalveolar lavage was carried out in both the mother and daughter and showed intra-alveolar haemorrhage (with a ground glass appearance on computed tomography in the mother). Pulmonary lymphangiomyomatosis (LPM) and STB with pulmonary involvement are clinical disorders which are anatomically closely related. If the value of hormonal treatment has been shown during the course of LMP, their efficacy in STB is variable.

[Primary ulcerations of the small intestine]. / Les ulcères primitifs du grêle.

The authors report a recent case of primary ulceration of the small intestine revealed by spontaneous perforation. This is a rare condition with a non specific semiology which only exceptionally permits diagnosis before complications occur. The latter are dominated by perforation, gastrointestinal hemorrhage and a sub-acute obstructive syndrome. The lesion, generally single, is found on the anti-mesenteric border of the jejunum or terminal ileum on a short only slightly inflammed segment and pathological examination does not reveal any specific process. Treatment is surgical. It confirms the diagnosis and enables a segmentary resection or simple suture to be carried out. The condition does not recur. A complete etiological investigation is required to exclude other causes of small intestinal ulceration before its "spontaneous" nature may be inferred. Infectious and vascular theories are most often proposed among the pathophysiological hypotheses. Far from being exclusive, these theories may interact and enable a coherent multi-factorial mechanism to be proposed as to the origin of the ulceration (regardless of its initial cause). Spontaneous ulcers are therefore included in a wider nosological classification ranging from stress ulcer to necrosing enteritis.