[Brain abscess and Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome: Do not forget to look for pulmonary arteriovenous malformations]. / Abcès cérébral et maladie de Rendu-Osler-Weber : pensez à rechercher des malformations artério-veineuses pulmonaires.

INTRODUCTION: Osler-Rendu-Weber syndrome or hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia affects between 1/5000 and 1/8000 people. It is characterized by presence of recurrent epistaxis, mucocutaneous telangiectasia and visceral arteriovenous malformations. It is a genetic disease with autosomal dominant transmission inducing an endothelial cells hyper-proliferation. CASE REPORT: A 68-year-old women with Osler-Rendu-Weber syndrome was referred for management of general impairment with confusional syndrome and hyperthermia. Various examinations have allowed us to conclude at diagnosis of brain abscess with ventriculitis probably favored by right-left shunt secondary to pulmonary arteriovenous malformations. Evolution was favorable after antibiotic treatment and endovascular embolization. CONCLUSION: In case of brain abscess without obvious promoting factor, don't forget to looking for a right-left shunt providing septic or aseptic emboli. Furthermore, diagnosis of Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome should be considered presence of telangiectasias and/or epistaxis.

[Postoperative herpetic meningoencephalitis after lumbar surgery: a case report]. / Une méningo-encéphalite herpétique après chirurgie lombaire: à propos d'un cas.

We report a case of a patient with an herpetic meningoencephalitis complicating lumbar surgery. A combination of factors like a postoperative sepsis, an abnormal MRI, and a positive viral PCR and culture made the diagnosis. A prolonged acyclovir treatment was employed with satisfactory results. This case remembers us the possibility of herpes reactivation in a stressful situation (including surgical stress).