[Kimura's disease on the hard palate in a patient from Martinique]. / Maladie de Kimura à localisation palatine chez un Antillais.

INTRODUCTION: We report an observation of Kimura's disease (angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia) in a Black patient from West Indies, in a rare localisation on hard palate. EXEGESIS: A 46-year-old male patient from French West Indies (Martinique) presented with a tumor of hard palate evolving from 2 years with locoregional lymph nodes. He had a history of chronic urticaria, prurigo, rhinitis and alopecia areata. Pathological examination of the tumor was consistent with the diagnosis of Kimura's disease. Blood tests showed hypereosinophilia, elevation of IgG and IgE. The serology of Toxocara canis with Western blott was positive. Corticosteroid therapy (0.7 mg/kg/d) and albendazole (800 mg/d) allowed regression of the tumor, lymph nodes, and urticaria. The remaining tumor was surgically excised. CONCLUSION: Kimura's disease was first described in Japanese young men, between 20 and 40 years old, with subcutaneous nodules on head and neck area. Involvement of oral mucosa is rare, and the occurence in West Indian patients has been rarely reported.

[Treatment of rectal prolapse with elastic circling of the anus: Perspectives of utilization]. / Cure du prolapsus rectal par cerclage élastique de l'anus. Perspectives d'utilisation.

The Thiersch technique for treatment of rectal prolapsus has been largely abandoned because the metallic or non-resorbable wire is poorly tolerated and non-extensible. Silastic can fulfil these requirements and was used in 11 patients, including two who underwent reoperations. Good results were obtained in 9. This technique is simple and can be proposed when the general status of the patient does not allow surgical cure of the prolapsus.

[Adenoma of the choledochus]. / Les adénomes du cholédoque.

Two patients with signs of an obstructed main bile duct underwent surgery. Choleductectomy was performed followed by Mirizzi exploration. Extemporaneous pathology examination of the intra-ductal tissue revealed benign adenoma of the main bile duct. Resection of the main bile duct with hepato-duodenal anastomosis was performed in the first patient and resection with end-to-end anastomosis in the second.

[Spontaneous rupture of the esophagus diagnosed late. Recovery by directed fistulization]. / Rupture spontanée de l'oesophage vue tardivement. Guérison par fistulisation dirigée.

Spontaneous rupture of the oesophagus is uncommon and is difficult to diagnose in the early stage. Clinical signs are lacking or incomplete, causing a delay in diagnosis and therapy which requires both intensive medical care and surgery. The surgical procedure depends on the time lapse to diagnosis. We report a case diagnosed 16 days after rupture in which directed fistulization led to complete healing.

[Splenic localization of von Recklinghausen's disease]. / Localisation splénique de la maladie de von Recklinghausen.

The authors report about one case of splenic site in a polyvisceral involvement by von Recklinghausen's disease. This site was not found in the literature. Since it was impossible to confirm the benignancy of the lesions, the degenerative risks of which are well known, the authors carried out partial gastrectomy and splenectomy.

[Primary malignant melanoma of the small intestine]. / Mélanome malin primitif de l'intestin grêle.

The small intestine is a frequent site for metastases of cutaneous or ocular melanoma. When the latter are absent, the diagnosis of primary intestinal melanoma can be proposed. Primary malignant melanoma of the small intestine arises from melanoblastic cells of the neural crests, which migrate to the distal ileum through the omphalomesenteric canal. Incomplete regression of the later leads to persistence of Meckel's diverticulum. We report herein a case of malignant melanoma of the small intestine without evidence of a cutaneous and/or ocular origin. Based on its location in the distal ileum, we propose that this tumor be classified as a primary malignant melanoma of the small intestine.