Vertebral metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma secondary to viral hepatitis B: case report of 2 patients.

Bone metastases from liver cancer are rare. We report two cases of bone metastases revealing HBV-induced HCC. A 26-year-old african man presented with 4 months of low back pain in the context of general deterioration. Examination revealed a lumbar spinal syndrome and hepatomegaly. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a multinodular liver, and a CT scan of the spine revealed osteolytic lesions. Biological tests revealed a hepatic cytolysis syndrome, hepatic cholestasis and hepatocellular insufficiency. Alpha foetoprotein levels were elevated and hepatitis B serology was positive. We adopted the diagnosis of HCC of viral B origin with bone metastasis. The second case involved a 44-year-old African man admitted for 10 days with back pain. Examination revealed a spinal syndrome, paraplegia and hepatomegaly. A thoracic-abdominal-pelvic CT scan revealed typical HCC lesions and osteolytic lesions on the ribs, pelvis and vertebrae. The biology revealed a biological inflammatory syndrome, hepatic cytolysis, a hepatocellular insufficiency syndrome and a cholestasis syndrome. Alfa-feto proteins were elevated and HBV serology was positive. The diagnosis of bone metastasis of HCC secondary to HBV infection was accepted.

[Rheumatoid arthritis: remission without biotherapy? The experience of Burkina Faso (West Africa)]. / Polyarthrite rhumatoïde: la rémission sans biothérapie? L'expérience du Burkina Faso (Afrique de l'Ouest).

Introduction: the objective of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic response of patients treated with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: descriptive and analytical single-center cross-sectional study conducted in Burkina Faso from January 2019 to December 2021 in patients with RA meeting American Rheumatism Association/European League against rheumatism criteria. Therapeutic response was assessed according to the criteria of the European League Against Rheumatism, the clinical disease activity index and the simplified disease activity Index after at least six months of treatment. Results: one hundred and three patients, including 85 women were included. The average age of the patients was 50.14 years ± 15.04 years. Eighty-seven patients (84.47%) were ACPA positive and 50 patients (48.54%) had radiological damage at inclusion. The mean DAS28-CRP, CDAI and SDAI were 5.17, respectively; 32.16 and 35.48 at inclusion compared to 2.53; 7.83 and 8.76 after at least six months of treatment (p<0.0001). Ninety-six patients (93.20%) were treated with methotrexate. According to the criteria of the European League Against Rheumatism, 89 patients (86.41%) were good responders, 62 patients (60.19%) were in remission. Major improvement was observed in 53 patients (51.46%) as assessed by the Clinical Disease Activity Index and the Simplified Disease Activity Index. Conclusion: despite the unavailability of biotherapies in sub-Saharan Africa, remission of RA can be obtained by optimizing treatment with DMARDs and "tight control".

Pediatrics severe low back pain by disc herniation: an uncommon entity.

BACKGROUND: Common severe back pain due to disc herniation is rare in the paediatric population which involves children under eighteen years of age. Paediatric lumbar disc herniation (LDH) cannot be considered the same disease as in adults, as it has potentially different natural and clinical backgrounds. The treatment of pediatric LDH is the other particularity of this condition. Indeed, in children, delaying surgery for a conservative treatment is justified. We report 3 cases treated in 8 years. CASE PRESENTATION: Three patients, two of whom were 14 years of age and one 17 years of age, were admitted for L5 or S1 lumbosciatica. A CT scan showed a lumbar disc herniation L5S1 associated with bi-isthmic lysis (and a transitional abnormality in 1 case or spina bifida occulta in 1 other case). The last patient had an magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that showed a herniated L4L5 disc. The diagnosis of low back pain disc herniation was retained in two patients and that of disabling low back disc in one patient. Percutaneous discolysis in the two hyperalgesic cases and epidural corticosteroid infiltration in the disabling case were effective on lumbosciatica. CONCLUSION: Paediatric common lomw back pain caused by a disc herniation with a hyperalgic or disabling character posed a therapeutic problem which were solved by the invasive approaches that must be given priority nowadays with children.

Epidemiology of rheumatic diseases: a cohort of 23,550 patients in rheumatology clinics in Burkina Faso.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work is to study the epidemiological characteristics of rheumatic conditions in a cohort of 23,550 patients followed up in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a descriptive observational study on records conducted from February 2006 to December 2019 in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). All patients seen in rheumatology consultation in the city of Ouagadougou were included. The diagnosis of mechanical and degenerative osteoarthropathies was based on clinical and radiological findings; osteoarticular infection was based on clinical and biological findings. The diagnosis of gout was based on the clinical findings, uricemia, and/or the presence of sodium urate crystals in the synovial fluid on microscope. The diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus was based on the ACR/EULAR criteria. RESULTS: In total, 23,550 patients were included in the study. These were 14,995 female patients (63.70%) and 2555 male patients (36.30%). The average age of patients was 49.61 ± 15.36 years with extremes of 9 months to 120 years. Degenerative osteoarthropathies were the most common presentation (13,377 patients; 59.35%) followed by tendinopathies (2199 patients; 9.34%); chronic inflammatory rheumatism was in third place (841 patients; 3.57%) led by rheumatoid arthritis (434 patients); 51.61% of chronic inflammatory rheumatism, systemic lupus erythematosus and ankylosing spondylitis accounted for 71 patients (0.4%) and 63 patients (0.27%), respectively. CONCLUSION: The epidemiology of rheumatic conditions is characterized by its diversity in hospital setting. The scarcity of some conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis has been confirmed in this cohort. Key Points • Twenty-three thousand five hundred and fifty patients were included in the study • Rheumatoid arthritis was the most frequent (51.61%) chronic inflammatory rheumatism • Contrary to studies from Europe and America, systemic lupus seems rare in our series.

KINESIOPHOBIA: FREQUENCY, ASSOCIATED FACTORS AND IMPACT ON THE LIFE QUALITY OF PARTICIPANTS WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA.

OBJECTIVE: The aim: To study the frequency of kinesiophobia, the associated factors and its impact on the life quality in black Africa of participants with chronic low back pain. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: It was a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study, conducted over the period extending from March 2019 through September 2019. The study population included all black African participants with chronic low back pain who were seeking care at the rheumatology and physical medicine departments, during the study period. Pain intensity, duration of symptoms, medical history, endurance of trunk muscles, kinesiophobia index, and quality of life were assessed. We used the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to measure pain intensity, the Shirado-Ito and Sorensen tests to assess trunk muscles endurance. The kinesiophobia index, as well as its impact on life quality were measured using the "Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia" (TSK), and the Dallas Auto-Questionnaire (D.R.A.D) scale for spine Pain respectively. RESULTS: Results: One hundred and twenty patients were involved. Eighty-five patients (70.83%) had kinesiophobia. The factors associated with kinesiophobia included pain intensity (p = 0.0006); duration of symptoms (p = 0.027); hypertension (p = 0.03). Loss of endurance in trunk muscles, weight and gender were not found to be factors associated with kinesiophobia. Based on the DALLAS self-questionnaire, the quality of life was altered. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: Kinesiophobia was a recurrent disease. It was associated with the presence of hypertension, the intensity of pain, the duration of the low back pain with an impairment in quality of life.

Place de l'échographie dans la prise en charge de la scapulalgie en rhumatologie à l'hôpital de Dreux / Place of ultrasound in management of shoulder pain in the Rheumatology Department of Dreux Hospital

Contexte & objectif. Les données sur la prise en charge des épaules en rhumatologie sont très limitées. L'objectif de la présente étude était de décrire la place de l'échographie dans la prise en charge des épaules douloureuses en rhumatologie. Méthodes. C'était une étude transversale sur les scapulalgies, suivies en rhumatologie de l'hôpital de Dreux ; entre janvier et mars 2018. Tous les participants avaient réalisé une échographie. Résultats. Au total 40 patients ont été enrôlés. Leur âge moyen était de 61,7 ans, et le sex ratio M/F de 0,29. A l'examen clinique, un conflit sous acromial (67,6%) et un syndrome acromio-claviculaire (32,4 %) étaient souvent observés. Les manœuvres de Jobe (76,5%), Patte (20,6%), et Gerber (14,7%) étaient parfois positives. A l'échographie, on observait les lésions des tendons de la coiffe (82,5%), du long biceps (25%), une bursite sous acromio-deltoïdienne (BSAD : 55%), une arthropathie gléno-humérale (30%), acromio-claviculaire (30%) ou sterno-claviculaire (2,5%). Une infiltration sous échographie était réalisée dans 85% des cas : BSAD (67,5%), gaine du long biceps (7,5%), articulation acromio-claviculaire (7,5%) et sterno- claviculaire (2,5%). Conclusion. L'échographie est très importante dans la prise en charge des scapulalgies dans le département de rhumatologie de l'hôpital de Dreux. Elle permet un diagnostic précis et la réalisation des gestes échoguidées.

Context and objective. Knowledge on management of shoulder pain is limited. The objective of the study was to describe the place of ultrasound in the management of shoulder pain in the Rheumatology Department of Dreux Hospital. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients attending Rheumatology Department for shoulder pain from January to March 2018. All participants performed an ultrasound. Results. The mean age of the 40 patients included in the study was 61.7 years and the sex ratio was 0.29. On clinical examination, subacromial conflict (67.6%) and acromioclavicular syndrome (32.4%) were often observed. The Jobe (76.5%), Patte (20.6%), and Gerber (14.7%) tests were sometimes positive. Ultrasound lesions involved the rotator cuff (82.5%), subacromio-deltoid bursitis (55%), the long biceps tendon (25%), the glenohumeral joint (30%), the acromioclavicular joint (30%), or the sternoclavicular joint (2.5%). Ultrasound-guided infiltration was performed in 85% of cases. It concerned subacromio-deltoid bursitis (67.5%), long biceps sheath (7.5%), acromioclavicular joint (7.5%), and sterno-clavicular joint (2.5%). Conclusion. Ultrasound is very important in the management of shoulder pain in the Rheumatology Department of Dreux Hospital. It allows a precise diagnosis and the realization of echo-guided injections.

Case Series of Chronic Inflammatory Rheumatic Disease Patients Infected by Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a viral infection that appeared in December 2019. The risk of infection seems to be increased in chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases due to both immune disturbances related to the disease and treatment. In this case report, we describe the clinical features of 5 rheumatic immune disease patients with the concomitant presence of COVID-19. Among these patients, 3 had rheumatoid arthritis and 2 had systemic lupus erythematosus. Patients' age ranged between 38 and 63 years. Only one patient (SLE) had a severe subtype of COVID-19. All the patients were cured of COVID-19 and were subsequently discharged.

COVID-19, chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease and anti-rheumatic treatments.

Since December 2019, the pandemic caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) raises a real public health problem. COVID-19 appeared in Wuhan (Hubei province) in China. Drugs that have been used in rheumatology for decades seem to be effective in this infection and are for the most part being studied. The rational use of these anti-rheumatic drugs is based on the cytokinic storm (hyperproduction of IL1, IL6, TNF α) in the body by COVID-19 in its severe form. In this review, the authors make the difference between the infectious and auto-inflammatory part of COVID-19; the disease does not seem to be a risk factor for admission to the intensive care unit for patients suffering from inflammatory rheumatism; however, the poverty of studies on this subject should be noted. The authors also review anti-rheumatic drugs while studying COVID-19 treatment.

Prevalence and factors associated with self-medication in rheumatology in Sub-Saharan Africa.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with self-medication in patients with rheumatic diseases. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted from February to July 2013 in the rheumatology department. We included all patients who consulted for a rheumatic disease during the study period and who gave their consent. RESULTS: In total, 203 patients were included; of these, 146 patients (71.92%) had practiced self-medication. Furthermore, 99 patients (48.8%) had practiced self-medication for rheumatologic problems. The mean age of the patients was 45.5 years (range: 18-75 years). State officials accounted for 44.4% of patients. Eighty-one patients were schooled. Low back pain (29.29%) was the main reason for consultation, followed by polyarthralgia (12.12%). Using a visual analogue scale, the level of pain for which patients had used self-medication was rated as >70 out of 100 in 57.6% of patients. Fifty-five patients often self-medicated and 28 patients rarely. Drugs were bought from the pharmacy in 97% of cases. The main channel of self-medication was word of mouth (43.4%). The drugs used were mainly anti-inflammatory drugs (diclofenac: 54.54% and ibuprofen: 57.57%). Ten patients were unaware of the risks of self-medication. In multivariate analysis, sex, education level, and occupation were statistically associated with self-medication. CONCLUSION: Self-medication for a specific rheumatologic symptom appears less common than self-medication in general. The procedures for responsible self-medication should be defined in Burkina Faso in order to minimize the risks.

Clinical spectrum of rheumatologic diseases in a department of rheumatology in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso).

The aim of this study is to review over a period of 5 years the clinical spectrum of rheumatic diseases seen in a tertiary hospital in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. A retrospective study of case records was conducted from March 1, 2006 to March 30, 2011 in the Rheumatology service, Department of Internal Medicine of the University Hospital Yalgado Ouedraogo. Of the 4,084 patients seen, 2,381 were women (58.30%) and 1,703 were men (41.70%). The mean age at disease onset was 42.12 years, ranging from 3 to 92 years. Among the rheumatologic conditions, mechanical and degenerative disorders were the most common, found in 3,053 cases (74.76%). Among these cases, spinal pathology predominated, especially low back pain (19.93 %). The frequency of osteoarthritis was 19.70 % (804 cases) with a predominance of knee osteoarthritis (657 cases). Infectious pathology was dominated by osteoarticular tuberculosis (48 cases), particularly Pott's disease (43.68% of infectious diseases). Among the cases of inflammatory arthritides, rheumatoid arthritis was the leading cause (116 cases or 2.84%). It was followed by spondyloarthropathies in which arthritis related to HIV predominated (21 out of 81 cases). Metabolic diseases were mainly represented by the gout (162 cases or 3.96%) with male predominance. Comorbidities included high blood pressure (46.57%), diabetes mellitus (13.78%), hemoglobinopathies (9.66%), epigastric pain (7.25%), and peptic ulcer confirmed by endoscopy (6.75%). Rheumatology in Burkina Faso is booming. The profile of rheumatologic diseases in Burkina Faso, after 5 years of practice, confirms the diversity and importance of these conditions dominated by a degenerative pathology of the spine and limbs, including infectious diseases such as Pott's disease and the inflammatory and metabolic diseases.