[Diabetic papillopathy after intensification of insulin therapy: A case report]. / Papillopathie diabétique après insulinothérapie intensive : à propos d'un cas.

INTRODUCTION: Diabetic papillopathy is a rare ocular complication of diabetes. Its pathophysiology is not well known. It is a unilateral or bilateral optic disc edema with variable degrees of visual loss. OBSERVATION: A 66-year-old woman, with a twelve years old type 2 diabetes mellitus, suddenly presented a unilateral decreased vision. Her ocular examination was normal eight months earlier. Ocular examination, radiological investigations and laboratory analysis were conclusive of diabetic papillopathy. Medical history revealed a recent rapid improvement of blood glucose control after intensification of insulin therapy. A visual acuity improvement with spontaneous regression of papillary edema was observed. CONCLUSION: There is a risk of diabetic papillopathy associated with the rapid control of blood glucose levels after intensification of insulin therapy, even in diabetic patients without known retinopathy.

[Pseudo pheochromocytoma induced by professional stress: A case report]. / Un pseudophéochromocytome induit par le stress professionnel ; à propos d'un cas.

INTRODUCTION: An elevation of plasma or urinary catecholamines or their metabolites in the context of a suspicion of a secondary hypertension associated with paroxysms generally leads to the diagnosis of pheochromocytoma. However, this is not always true. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 39-year old man with a severe hypertension that was resistant to drug therapy and associated with paroxysms. Urinary fractioned metanephrines were elevated. However, no tumor could be found on tomodensitometry and MIBG scintigraphy. Thus, the causes of pseudopheochromocytoma were reviewed and the diagnosis of professional stress was finally held. In fact, his professional redeployment resulted in an improvement of blood pressure levels, the disappearance of paroxysms and the normalization of urinary metanephrines. CONCLUSION: This observation involves professional stress in pseudo pheochromocytoma.

Testicular adrenal rest tumours in young adult males with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: prevalence and impact on testicular function.

Testicular adrenal rest tumours (TARTs) have been described in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of TARTs in patients with CAH, the associated factors and their impact on gonadal function. It is a prospective study concerning six young adult men with CAH, four cases with 21-hydroxylase deficiency and two cases with 11-hydroxylase deficiency. All patients were under glucocorticoid therapy. The mean age was 25 years (range: 20-31). All patients underwent a physical examination with testicular palpation, scrotal ultrasonography, a blood sample for serum testosterone, FSH, LH, inhibin B, ∆4-androstenedione and 17-OH-progesterone measurements and a semen analysis. Ultrasound revealed TARTs in four patients; three were bilateral. The mean tumour size was 6.3 ml (range: 0.02-14.1). The tumours were palpable in two cases. 17-OH-progesterone was <10 ng/ml in all cases. Decreased testosterone level was found in one case. The semen analysis revealed azoospermia in one case and poor semen quality in four patients. TARTs were common and associated with impaired spermatogenesis.

[McCune-Albright syndrome associated with diabetes mellitus]. / Syndrome de McCune-Albright associé à un diabète sucré

McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) consists of the triad of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, cutaneous pigmentation, and multiple endocrine abnormalities. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is not included in MAS. We report the case of an 18-year-old girl who presented with McCune-Albright syndrome. The diagnosis was made by the presence of precocious puberty at the age of 6 years, cutaneous pigmentation, polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, and phosphate diabetes. Type 1 diabetes mellitus developed at the age of 16 years. We discuss this case, the relationship between type 1 diabetes mellitus and MAS, with a literature review.

[Evaluation of blood pressure control by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and study of factors associated with poor blood pressure control in 300 treated hypertensive type 2 diabetic patients]. / Évaluation de l'équilibre tensionnel par la mesure ambulatoire de la pression artérielle et étude des facteurs associés à un mauvais contrôle tensionnel chez 300 diabétiques de type 2 hypertendus traités.

UNLABELLED: Hypertension is frequently associated with type 2 diabetes and is often difficult to control. AIM: Evaluate the frequency of controlled hypertension in our type 2 diabetic patients with known and treated hypertension and determine the factors associated with poor blood pressure control. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Prospective study concerning 300 type 2 diabetic patients with a known and treated hypertension, sex-ratio: 0.64, mean age: 61.2±9.1 years (37-86). All subjects underwent physical examination, biological investigations and a 24 hours ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). RESULTS: Hypertension was well controlled in 70 patients (23.3%). The concordance rate between clinical measure of blood pressure and ABPM was 70.3%. Subjects with uncontrolled hypertension were older (61.8±8.9 vs 59.1±9.3 years, P<0.05), more frequently of male sex (sex-ratio: 0.77 vs 0.34, P<0.01), smokers (36.4 vs 21.7%, P<0.05) and with abdominal adiposity (P<0.05). Duration of diabetes, body mass index and the frequency of peripheral neuropathy, retinopathy and coronary insufficiency were not different between the two groups. Diabetic nephropathy was more frequent (29.8 vs 16.1%, P<0.05) in the group with uncontrolled hypertension. Loss of circadian blood pressure rhythm was noted in 239 patients (79.6%) and it was more frequently observed in patients with uncontrolled hypertension (84 vs 66%, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our type 2 diabetic patients had a poorly controlled hypertension. Close monitoring of blood pressure with adjustment of antihypertensive treatment are necessary to improve cardiovascular prognosis of our patients.

[Diverticulum of the left atrium detected antenatally. Management of a case]. / Diverticule de l'oreillette gauche découvert en anténatal. Conduite a tenir a propos d'un cas.

Cardiac diverticulae are rare, most often affecting the ventricles rather than the atria. We report the case of a diverticulum of the left atrium discovered during routine fetal echocardiography. The diagnosis was confirmed at birth with cardiac echography and an MRI. In view of the patient's age and asymptomatic nature, it was decided to defer surgery and to observe the infant with regular echocardiography. Surgery was eventually performed via a left thoracotomy after the appearance of signs of cardiac compression, and there were no complications in the post-operative period.

Predictive risk factors for deterioration from normoglycemic state to type 2 diabetes mellitus or impaired glucose tolerance in a Tunisian urban population.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the predictive risk factors for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) or impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) in a normoglycemic population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This is a ten-year prospective study in a randomly selected urban population including 1835 subjects aged >=30 years living in Tunis, 1460 were normoglycemic according to 2 hours blood glucose WHO criteria, and 701 among them attended the follow-up assessment ten years later. Subjects with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) were excluded. Subjects underwent a physical examination including weight/height, iliac circumference (IC) and blood pressure measurements. Fasting and 2-hour venous blood sampling, after a 75 g oral glucose load, were performed for the measurement of plasma glucose (G(0), G(2h)), insulin (I(0), I(2h)), total cholesterol (TC) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)) levels. RESULTS: Out of the 701 normoglycemic subjects in 1985, 77 developed diabetes and 130 impaired glucose tolerance after 10 years, giving a mean annual incidence rate of 1.1% for diabetes and 1.85% for IGT. Univariate analysis showed that risk factors for diabetes were age, BMI, IC, SBP, G(0) and total cholesterol in both sexes, I(0) and I(2h) in men only and DBP G(2h) and HbA(1c) in women only. Risk factors for IGT were BMI, IC and G(2h) in both sexes, I(2h) in men only and G(0) in women only. Multivariate analysis revealed that BMI, G(0) and G(2h) were independent risk factors for conversion to diabetes or IGT in both sexes, but HbA(1c) and IC were risk factors only in men. CONCLUSION: Early screening and prevention of diabetes must focus on obese subjects, especially those with central fat distribution, and those with moderate increase in fasting and/or two-hour blood glucose levels within the normal range.

[Role of surgery in subaortic stenosis. Report of 56 cases]. / Place de la chirurgie dans le rétrécissement aortique sous-valvulaire. A propos de 56 cas.

INTRODUCTION: Subaortic stenosis is a rare congenital heart disease defined as a left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. We reviewed our surgical experience in this cardiac disease with particularly attention to the different anatomical types of the obstruction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 1987 to December 1998, 56 patients with a mean age of 12.4 years underwent surgical treatment of subaortic stenosis in our Institution. The diagnosis included: subaortic membrane in 44 cases, fibromuscular process in seven and tunnel like hypertrophy in five. RESULTS: There were two hospital deaths (2/56 = 3.5%) and three patients presented postoperative heart block. The first postoperative echocardiographic control showed a mean fall in left ventricleaorta gradient of 78%. In a mean follow-up of 36 months, there were no deaths. All patients periodically controlled, showed an echocardiographic progression of the gradient and it was not related to the different anatomical types of the obstruction. There were no signs of aortic insufficiency progression. CONCLUSION: We can affirm that the surgical treatment of the subaortic obstruction is simple and safe. The medium and long-term progression toward the recurrence is independent to the anatomical type and justify the need of serial echocardiographic control.

[Revascularization of the lower limbs with extra-anatomic shunts. Report of 80 cases]. / Revascularisation des membres inférieurs par pontages extra-anatomiques. A propos de 80 cas.

UNLABELLED: The extra anatomical bypasses are those which do not follow the usual arterial pathway. The aim of this study is to define the indication of extra anatomical bypasses and to compare them with other revascularisation procedures. In this paper we report a retrospective study carried between January 1988 and December 1999 involving 80 patients (78 men and 2 women) who underwent extra anatomical bypasses for revascularisation of their lower limbs (83 bypasses). The mean age of the patients was 62 years. The indication for revascularisation was chronic arteritis of the lower limbs in 72 patients (90%), infected aneurysms in 6 cases (7.5%) and acute aortic dissection in 2 cases (2.5%). We performed an axillo-unifemoral bypass in 23 cases, an axillo-bifemoral in 17, a crossover ilio-femoral or femoro-femoral bypass in 41 cases, and 2 transobturator ilio popliteal bypass right and left in 1 case. Hospital mortality rate was 10%. Hospital morbidity was about 65%. Limb salvage was 78%. Sixty patients were regularly followed during a mean follow-up of 31 months. Late mortality was 10%. In the end of our study global limb salvage rate was 74%. IN CONCLUSION: extra-anatomical revascularization allows acceptable limb salvage rate along with lower operative risk even in poor state patients.

[Perforated gastroduodenal ulcers. Treatment by peritoneal dialysis. 72 cases]. / Ulcères gastroduodenaux perforés. Traitement par dialyse péritonéale. 72 observations.

Seventy-two perforated gastroduodenal ulcers were treated by an original method aimed at avoiding emergency surgery, which consists of peritoneal dialysis associated, during 3 days, with gastric aspiration. Over a 3-year period this method was applied to all patients admitted with a perforated ulcer. The ulcer was revealed by the perforation in 25 p. 100 of the cases, and 90 p. 100 of the patients had pneumoperitoneum. Contrast radiography with Gastrografine (sodium and meglumine amidotrizoate) located the perforation. Fifteen patients had another disease which made the prognosis worse. The time elapsed between perforation and treatment was 15 hours on average. Peritoneal fluid infection was present in 30 p. 100 of the cases. The outcome was favourable in 69 patients (96 p. 100). One patient died of pulmonary embolism, another was operated upon on the 4 th post-perforation day for a bleeding ulcer and a third patient with giant gastric ulcer developed subphrenic abscess. This method seems to be indicated in patients at high surgical risk (elderly people or people with severe underlying disease), and in young patients with perforated acute ulcer. In chronic ulcers, peritoneal dialysis ties the patient over the first hours, thus enabling radical surgery to be electively performed. In perforations seen after 24 hours, it helps in supporting the patient prior to surgery. The method in contra-indicated in gastric ulcers.