[Tumoral form of abdominal actinomycosis: a retrospective case series of seven patients]. / Actinomycoses abdominales à forme tumorale : une série rétrospective de sept observations.

PURPOSE: Abdominal actinomycosis is an uncommon chronic infectious disease due to Actinomyces, a Gram-positive bacteria. This saprophytic bacteria of digestive tract and genital mucosa can occasionally become pathogenic mimicking a digestive neoplasia. The aim of this study was to underline diagnostic features of abdominal actinomycosis and to summarize data about clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic approach of this type of infection. PATIENTS: From January 1995 to December 2007, retrospective data concerning patients with abdominal actinomycosis who were followed-up in the University Hospital Sahloul (Sousse, Tunisia) were analysed. RESULTS: Seven patients with abdominal actinomycosis were identified during the study period. All presented with an abdominal mass. The diagnosis of actinomycosis was obtained after surgical resection in all cases. The histological study permitted the diagnosis in six cases, and the surgical samples grew up Actinomyces in two patients. For the five patients who received prolonged and adapted antibiotic therapy, a favourable outcome was observed. CONCLUSION: Actinomycosis must be included in the differential diagnosis of invasive abdominal lesions with "malignant appearance".

[Tumoral form of abdominal and retroperitoneal actinomycosis]. / Actinomicoza abdominala si retroperitoneala--forma tumoral.

We present a case of abdominal and retroperitoneal actinomycosis, clinicaly evidenced by a large tumor in the left inferior abdominal quadrant, in a 72-year-old male. Following clinical and laboratory investigations (imaging), strong suspicion of a left colon neoplasm was raised. Surgery consisted in an exploratory laparotomy and multiple biopsies of the great omentum and retroperitoneal space, the case being considered above the therapeutic resources. Histopathological diagnosis was a surprise by setting actinomycotic etiologies and enabled the establishment of a proper antibiotic treatment, followed by a favorable evolution. Postoperative follow-up revealed disappearance of lesions and healing.

Linfangioma abdominal infectado por Salmonella enteritidis / Abdominal lymphangioma infected by Salmonella enteritidis

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Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in four children infected with the human immunodeficiency virus. Association with Epstein-Barr Virus and treatment.

BACKGROUND: Reports on lymphoid malignancy and its treatment in children infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are limited. METHODS: Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) were detected by indirect immunofluorescence. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood lymphocytes or biopsy specimens. Polymerase chain reaction was run using primers for EBV. Reaction products underwent Southern blot analysis to confirm EBV specificity. Tumor clonality was assessed by immunohistochemistry and by Southern blot analysis of immunoglobulin heavy-chain and T-cell receptor beta-gene rearrangement. RESULTS: Within 1 year, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) was diagnosed in four children infected with HIV. All four were EBV-seropositive and had detectable EBV DNA in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The EBV-linked disorders lymphoid interstitial pneumonia and recurrent parotid enlargement preceded NHL in three and two of the children, respectively. In all four patients, NHL involved at one time the central nervous system (CNS). All three tested NHL tissues were positive for EBV DNA: A 12-week course of chemotherapy given to two children resulted in rapid tumor regression. One of these children experienced meningeal relapse and died 16 months after diagnosis. The other child, who in addition received local irradiation of the affected eye and who underwent surgical removal of the involved ovaries, has been in continuous remission for 20 months. CONCLUSIONS: EBV-associated NHL may be seen more frequently in pediatric patients with HIV. Treatment protocols taking into account NHL propensity for the CNS in this age group need to be developed.

Human papillomavirus, type 16, DNA in multicentric anogenital neoplasia associated with idiopathic panmyelopathy. A case report.

A 27-year-old woman suffering from panmyelopathy for six years presented with a cervical low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL), vulvar high grade SIL and perianal squamous cell carcinoma with an inguinal metastasis. Southern blot hybridization with 32P-labeled human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA revealed HPV 16 DNA in varying copy numbers in material from the four locations. HPV 16 genomes persisting after surgery on the perianal tumor area were no longer detectable after betatron radiotherapy.

Antibody against synthetic peptide derived from Epstein-Barr virus-determined nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) in child non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Antibody reactivity against a synthetic peptide derived from Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA-1) was determined in 56 cases of child non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 31 controls. The patients were divided into subgroups based on tumour location and histology and the antibody responses in the various groups were compared. A significant increase in both IgG and IgM antipeptide titres was detected in patients with tumours localized in the abdomen. High IgG titres were also noted in Burkitt-type, lymphoblastic, and centroblastic lymphomas. On the other hand, low or nil IgG titres were found in unclassified malignant lymphomas, in four cases of centroblastic-centrocytic lymphoma and in lymphomas located in the mediastinum. Surprisingly, the occurrence of antipeptide IgM antibody was highest in those tumours, where IgG titres were low, i.e. in subjects with mediastinal tumours and in unclassified malignant lymphomas. However, with the exception of tumours localized in the abdomen and unclassified tumours, the IgM titres in positive individuals were low and comparable with titres found in a part of healthy controls.

Demonstration of Epstein-Barr virus in immunoblastic sarcoma of B-cells arising in a child with primary immunodeficiency disease.

The subject of this investigation was an 11-month-old infant girl who presented with a pathological fracture of the right femur due to a metastasis from an abdominal immunoblastic sarcoma. Her past history included recurrent, intractable bacterial and fungal infections. Investigations of her immune status revealed low numbers of T-lymphocytes, a reversed T-helper (TH)/T-suppressor (TS) cell ratio, no response of her peripheral blood lymphocytes to pokeweed mitogen, phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, and Candida albicans, and an inability of her cells to react in a mixed lymphocyte culture. Serum levels of IgG, IgM, and IgA were all below normal. No thymic shadow was visible on the chest radiograph. There was no evidence of adenosine deaminase or nucleoside phosphorylase deficiencies. The tumor cells exhibited both surface IgM and IgG, and many of the cells contained large amounts of cytoplasmic IgM. Light chain specificity was restricted to lambda chain for both surface and cytoplasmic immunoglobulin. Ultrastructural study of the tumor cells revealed the presence of both intranuclear and cytoplasmic virions in roughly 1% of the tumor cells. These viral particles strongly resembled herpes viruses. DNA-hybridization studies on the neoplasm revealed the presence of 7-10 genome equivalents of Epstein-Barr virus-DNA per tumor cell.

Epstein-Barr-virus-carrying lymphoma in a patient with ataxia-telangiectasia.

An undifferentiated lymphocytic lymphoma of mesenteric lymph nodes occurred in a young boy with ataxia-telangiectasia. Two independent tests, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-cRNA/DNA hybridisation and EBV DNA/DNA reassociation kinetic analysis, showed 53 and 68 EBV genome equivalents per cell respectively, which was compatible with an EBV-genome-carrying tumour. Whether this was a polyclonal lymphoproliferation or a monoclonal tumour could not be determined owing to lack of suitable material. The presence of EBV genomes should be sought in lymphomas arising in ataxia-telangiectasia and other immunodeficiencies.

Morphologic evidence for retrovirus production by epithelial cells derived from a human testicular tumor metastasis.

Ultrastructural examination of primary and subcultured epithelial cells established in vitro from an abdominal metastasis of a human testicular tumor revealed particles with the morphology of retroviruses. These structures, found only after extensive scanning of the cells, were observed budding from microvilli and from the outer cell membrane and as extracellular particles. Production of these virus particles was stimulated by the incubation of cells in culture medium containing 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine and dexamethasone.

Yersinia enterocolitica as a causative agent of septicaemia.

The authors describe the first case of isolation of Yersinia enterocolitica from blood in a septic infection in Czechoslovakia. They also isolated a strain of Y. enterocolitica from an inguinal tumour in the same patient. Both strains belonged to biotype 4, serotype 0:3 and phagotype 8 and were non-pathogenic for guinea pigs and hares.