[Cyclophosphamide-induced interstitial pneumopathy. Course data of bronchoalveolar lavage apropos of a case and review of the literature]. / Pneumopathie interstitielle liée au cyclophosphamide. Données évolutives du lavage broncho-alvéolaire à propos d'un cas et revue de la littérature.

A patient treated with cyclophosphamide for breast cancer developed functional and clinicoradiological signs of sub-acute diffuse interstitial pneumopathy. Bronchoalveolar lavage revealed lymphocyte alveolitis. Differential diagnoses were excluded and the course was favorable after cyclophosphamide withdrawal. The bronchoalveolar lavage results obtained initially and at follow-up and two previous lavages reported in the literature demonstrate the importance of this examination in the diagnosis of drug-induced pneumopathy.

[Uncommon complication of the use of implantable chambers in oncology]. / Complication inhabituelle de l'utilisation des chambers implantables en oncologie.

The catheter of an implantable chamber migrated into the pulmonary infundibulum in a patient given chemotherapy for bronchogenic cancer. Current management of such cases is to remove the catheter under pulmonary angiography control using a basket system.

[Ganglioneuroma of the mediastinum. Apropos of a case]. / Ganglioneurome du médiastin. A propos d'une observation.

The authors report a case of a large ganglioneurinoma located in the mediastinum. The clinical course of this rare benign neurogenic tumour of the posterior mediastinum includes a low risk of medullary compression. The treatment is surgical resection.

[Giant cell tumors of the ribs. Apropos of a case]. / Tumerurs à cellules géantes des côtes. A propos d'une observation.

The authors report a case of grade I-II giant-cell tumour of the ribs extending to the thorax and the vertebral column. The tumour was treated by surgical resection followed by vertebral curettage in two stages and adjuvant regional radiotherapy. Giant-cell tumours of the ribs are exceptional and rarely found in the literature. They raise a therapeutic problem (surgery is essential, but radiotherapy is controverted), and a prognostic problem (there is always a potential risk of recurrent malignancy).

External irradiation plus curietherapy boost in 108 base of tongue carcinomas.

From 1960 to 1983, 108 patients underwent an association cobaltherapy plus curietherapy boost for a base of tongue carcinoma. This group included 18 T1 tumors, 39 T2, and 51 T3. Cobaltherapy was delivered to a dose of 45 Gy/4.5 weeks to the primary site and the neck. It was completed by an electron boost or a nodal surgery in case of initial nodal disease. Two techniques of Curietherapy were used: plastic tubes and guide-gutters. As most of these implants have been done before 1975, all the doses have been recalculated on the 85% isodose according to the Paris system. They varied from 22 to 88 Gy. The tolerance of the implantation was excellent. Five-year survival of the whole group is 26%. The local control rate is 85% for T1 tumors, 50% for T2, and 69% for T3. Despite the importance of cumulated doses, a few necrosis were observed. Considering the poor outlook of this cancer, its treatment by exclusive radiotherapy requires very high doses which can only be delivered without major sequellae or complication by a combination of cobaltherapy and curietherapy boost.

Epstein-Barr virus related lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma of lung.

A malignant neoplasm localized to the lung is reported in a rather unusual host: a 40-year-old female, nonsmoker, of South-East Asiatic origin. The histology was of nasopharyngeal-like carcinoma character and ultrastructural examination confirmed a diagnosis of nonkeratinizing, poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. The clinicopathologic findings were more suggestive of a primary pulmonary origin than the manifestation of an occult nasopharyngeal primary. The immunological profile was highly suggestive of an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) associated epithelial neoplasia. This case might widen the spectrum of EBV-associated neoplasia, by inclusion of lower respiratory tract as a target organ.