Reversible central respiratory events induced by valproic acid treatment: A case report.

Valproic acid holds a prominent position as the primary therapeutic option for epilepsy cases. The utilization of antiepileptic agents like valproic acid has been linked to disturbances in sleep architecture. Although scant, there exists a subset of studies that allude to the potential manifestation of sleep apnea as an adverse effect of valproic acid administration. In this context, we present a case report of a 76-year-old man with a past medical history of arterial hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome treated with continuous positive airway pressure since 2020. Following the commencement of valproic acid treatment for vascular epilepsy, obstructive sleep apnea evolved toward to central sleep apnea. This case exemplifies the need for a heightened awareness of the multifaceted implications of valproic acid therapy on sleep patterns.

Primary lung low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma: A rare case with A diagnostic dilemma.

Low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (LGFMS) is a rare, low-grade malignant soft tissue tumor that is often mistaken for benign or more rarely malignant tumor types. Commonly, this tumor affects young adults and typically arises in the deep proximal extremities or trunk with frequent recurrences and can metastasize to the lungs many years late. Visceral LGFMS is extremely rare. Only a few cases of primary LGFMS of the lung have been reported. Here, we present the clinical, gross, microscopic, and immunohistochemical characteristics of Evans tumor occurring in the lung with a review of the literature and discuss the differential diagnosis in this exceptional localization.

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in a healthy immunocompetent patient: A case report and literature review.

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, typically an opportunistic infection, is commonly associated with risk factors such as low CD4+ lymphocyte count, underlying malignancies, organ transplantation, or immunosuppressive medications. However, occurrences in healthy individuals without known risk factors are exceptionally rare and sparsely documented. In our retrospective analysis of a 42-year-old male without past medical history at Abderrahmane Mami Hospital, Tunisia, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia was diagnosed. The patient presented with fever, productive cough, hemoptysis, and a decline in general health. Clinical examination revealed fever and hypoxemia, and imaging studies demonstrated bilateral necrotic alveolar opacities. Despite empirical antibiotics, nonresponse necessitated bronchoscopy, confirming Pneumocystis jirovecii. Treatment with oral Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim yielded excellent outcomes. This case highlights the potential occurrence of Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in immunocompetent individuals, underscoring the importance of direct microbiological methods in assessing suggestive clinical and radiological features.

Pulmonary actinomycosis mimicking lung malignancy: About two cases.

Pulmonary actinomycosis is a rare anaerobic infection with non specific clinical and radiographic presentations that delay diagnosis. Throughout literature, a significant number of misdiagnosed cases have been reported. The diagnosis is substantially based on histopathological pattern. We describe the cases of two patients evaluated and treated in pulmonary department 1 of Abderrahmane Mami hospital of Tunisia with a diagnosis of pulmonary actinomycosis. There are two men. The first patient had hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the second one underwent surgery for bronchiectasis. Clinical presentation was consistent with productive cough, hemoptysis, and deterioration of general status. The medical examination was non-specific. The chest X-ray revealed an apical opacity, excavated in the first case and retractable in the second one. Biology showed an inflammatory syndrome. Bronchoscopy was performed in the two cases and showed lesions mimicking lung malignancy. Diagnosis is confirmed by histopathological examinations of surgical specimens in the two cases. Both patients were received antibiotic therapy. The results were excellent with a favorable clinical course and no deaths. This study highlights the misleading patterns of actinomycosis to prompt accurate diagnosis and earlier treatment, thus improving the outcome. Given either its low culture yield or the limited use of new molecular diagnostic tools in routine clinical practice, histological examination of lung tissue specimens is crucial to get the correct diagnosis.

Granular cell tumor of the lung and tracheobronchial tree: Two case-presentation with a review of the literature.

Pulmonary granular cells tumors (CGT) are rare tumors, that derive from Schwann cells. In the tracheobronchial and pulmonary tree, they remain a diagnostic challenge. There are no well-established criteria to differentiate between benign, atypical, and malignant GCT. Moreover, its real frequency in the respiratory tract is still unknown. Here, we represent 2 cases of bronchial and lung GCTs. We aim to highlight the frequency of all clinicopathological characteristics of this rare tumor in the tracheobronchial and pulmonary tree location based on our cases and the available literature in a large systematic review.

Rifampicin-induced acute tubulointerstitial nephritis during pulmonary tuberculosis treatment: A case report.

Drug-induced tubulointerstitial nephritis is an uncommon complication in patients on anti-tuberculosis therapy that can lead to permanent kidney damage. Rifampicin is the most offending drug. We report a case of a 41-years old man being treated for pulmonary tuberculosis and presenting with tubulointerstitial nephritis associated with rifampicin. We focus on diagnosis features and therapeutic challenges.

A life-threatening pericardial tamponade revealing disseminated tuberculosis: A challenging medical care.

Tuberculous pericarditis (TBP) is one of the most important causes of pericarditis in developing countries in which tuberculosis remains a public health problem. We report the case of a 20-year-old immunocompetent woman who presented with hypotension and tachycardia echocardiography showed a massive pericardial effusion and signs of tamponade. The patient underwent an urgent pericardiocentesis; 700 ccs of serosanguinous pericardial fluid was drained. She had a surgical biopsy of the pleuropericardial window. The pathological examination confirmed TBP. Oral anti-tuberculosis therapy was initiated. Two months after therapy started, she was admitted for dyspnea and edema of the lower limbs. Echocardiography showed paradoxical inter-ventricular septum and non-compliant dilated inferior vena cava. She has been set on diuretics associated with Akurit for another two months. Thoracic CT scan done at 4 months of tuberculosis treatment showed: thickening of the pericardial layers, with an encysted collection facing the trunk of the pulmonary artery, bilateral pleural effusion, and thickening of the peribronchovascular and interlobular septa of the right lung, due to lymphatic stasis. We then switched to dual therapy for a total of eight months. An ultrasound check at the end of treatment was performed showing the absence of pericardial effusion with diminished systolic ejection fraction (54%). This case is the witness that TBP can be life-threatening even for immunocompetent patients. The risk is the evolution towards sequelae and constrictive pericarditis. The high mortality and morbidity from TBP despite the use of anti-tuberculous drugs call for research targeting host-directed immunological determinants of treatment outcome.

E-cigarette dependence in former smoker: A Tunisian survey.

INTRODUCTION: Since its appearance, E-cigarette (EC) has experienced a strong craze among those seeking to reduce their conventional cigarette (CC) consumption. AIM: This study aimed to compare EC to CC addictive power in actual users of EC and former smokers of CC. METHODS: We conducted a comparative cross-sectional study including 65 EC users and former smokers. They were collected on Facebook using a questionnaire including Fagrestrom score (FS). RESULTS: The average total of FS was estimated at 3.45 ± 2 with EC vs 3.89±2.45 with CC (p=0.04). The dependence on the EC was strong in 8%, average in 25%, and weak in 35% of cases. The predictive factors of a medium to high dependence on EC were the duration of its consumption (p=0.008) and the daily quantity of e-liquid (p=0.009). The presence of medical history was inversely correlated with EC addiction. The duration of EC use was the only independent factor of dependence with an OR of 4.25 IC95% [1.019-17.729]. EC users continued to smoke TC in 68% of cases. CONCLUSION: Our study shows that even if it remains less important than that of CC, the dependence on EC is not negligible.

Bibliometrics of Tunisian publications on respiratory tract diseases from 2010 to 2014.

AIM: To describe the bibliometric characteristics of Tunisian publications on respiratory tract diseases, during the quinquennium 2010-2014. METHODS: This is a descriptive bibliometric study of respiratory medicine publications, indexed in "Medline", based on their MSDSs. All included articles were written by Tunisian researchers regardless of their position in the list of co-authors. The topics of the publications were explored through their "major" and "generic" keywords. RESULTS: A total of 340 publications was captured in Medline. These articles were co- authored by 218 authors in first position and 163 in last position. They were signed by pulmonologists, in first and last position respectively in 21.5% and 22.4% of articles. The A. Mami Hospital was the major affiliation of the first authors in 19.7% of the publications. These articles were published by 138 journals including "La Tunisie Medicale" in 11.8% of cases. They were "case reports" and written in English respectively in 44.4% and 54.1% of cases. Among 639 major keywords indexing, three were dominant: «Lung Neoplasms¼ (Tumeurs du poumon), «Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease¼ (Broncho-pneumopathie chronique obstructive) and «Tuberculosis, Pulmonary¼ (Tuberculose pulmonaire), in 13.5%, 10.3% and 7.4% of articles respectively. CONCLUSION: Tunisian research on respiratory tract diseases has been thematically concordant with the public health needs. However, it has often been of low-level evidence and published in low-impact factor journals.

Disciplinary and thematic mapping of Maghreb publications in "infectiology". Bibliometric study (Tunisia, 2010-2014).

AIM: To describe the essential bibliometric characteristics of Tunisian publications in "infectiology", during the five-year period 2010-2014. METHODS: This is a descriptive bibliometric study, on the papers of "infectiology", indexed in "«Medline¼", based on their data sheets. Were included all the articles written by Tunisian researchers regardless of their position in the list of co-signers. The themes of the publications were explored through the key words "major" and "generic" in the three chapters of the descriptors: "Bacterial Infections and Mycoses", "Parasitic Diseases", and "Viral Diseases". RESULTS: A total of 846 publications in "Infectiology" were analyzed, of which 66% were written in English and 31% were "case reports". They were signed by 536 authors in first position belonging mainly to microbiology (20.7%), parasitology (20.1%) and virology (7.1%). The 391 co-signatories in last position belonged to 44 specialties, of which pediatrics, internal medicine and infectious diseases respectively occupy the 4th, the 9th and the 10th positions. These publications were edited in 258 journals, mainly "Tunisie Medicale" (9%) and "Pan African Medical Journal" (3.8%). The greatest interest of the Tunisian researchers in infectious diseases have been staphylococcal / tuberculosis infections, chronic viral hepatitis C / human influenza, and echinococcosis / leishmaniasis. CONCLUSION: In Tunisia, infectious diseases research has been relatively prolific and concordant with the population's health needs. Infectious diseases physicians should build their network of care, research and education with biologists, while focusing their research on multicenter and high-level studies.