[Parasitological study of 78 cases of human cystic echinococcosis collected between 2005 to 2012 in Mustapha hospital center of Algiers]. / Étude parasitologique de 78 cas d'échinococcose kystique humaine colligés entre 2005 et 2012 au CHU Mustapha d'Alger.

AIM: The aim of this work is to know the fertility rate of the metacestodes resulting from patients suffering from hydatidosis, the one of protoscoleces's viability and by comparing the results obtained with those found elsewhere. It reports, also, the epidemiological, clinical and diagnostically aspects of the studied patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study has carried on 78 hydatics samples resulting from 78 patients collected between 2005 and 2012 at the laboratory of parasitology of the Mustapha hospital center of Algiers. A questionnaire on the epidemiological context (contact with an animal-host of the cycle, place of residence, presence of family cases reached of hydatidosis and knowledge on the hydatic disease) concerned 69 patients. For each sample, a direct microscopic examination is made with or without vital staining. The presence of protoscoleces made qualified the fertile cyst. Those visualized moving or resistant to eosin at 0.2% are considered viables. Indirect diagnosis is based on the techniques: passive hemagglutination, electrophoresis, Elisa IgG Echinococcus granulosus and immunoblotting IgG "Echinococcus". Molecular analysis is based on PCR and sequencing the partials fragments of two mitochondrial genes with the primers COX1 and ND1. RESULTS: The results obtained show that the surgical frequency of hydatidosis is significant at the young adult and at the child. The epidemiological context associated at the disease is the conjointly presence of a dog and herbivores. The fertility rate of human hydatid cysts is 88.4% and the ones of viability of the protoscoleces is 74.5%. In this series, the serology shows global positivity at 70%. The molecular characterization of five samples identify the species: E. granulosus ss. CONCLUSION: Finally, the viability and fertility rates found here are raised. Sometimes viables protoscoleses are found after use of scolicidal solution. In front of these results, the parasitical treatment is more than necessary in order to minimize the risk of occurred of secondary echinococcosis or the relapses postoperatives.

[Treatment of childhood cancer in Africa. Action of the Franco-African childhood cancer group]. / Le traitement des cancers de l'enfant en Afrique. Travaux du groupe franco-africain d'oncologie pédiatrique.

The childhood cancer survival rate is currently 75% in industrialized countries. Rates in developing countries are much lower. The Franco-African Childhood Cancer Group (French acronym, GFAOP) was founded in 2000 with aim of reducing this unfavorable situation in Africa. The GFAOP has developed two forms of action. The main form consists of organizing two- to twelve-month training sessions for physicians and nurses in France and Morocco. The other form involves assessing the feasibility of modern treatment protocols for various cancers in Africa. The first feasibility trials were carried out on nephroblastoma and Burkitt's lymphoma in 12 pilot units in North Africa, West Africa, and Madagascar. In the first study from 2001 to 2005 we treated 306 cases of Burkitt's lymphoma using French LMB protocols adapted to the African setting and achieved a survival rate of 61%. A second study started in 2005 using Endoxan alone achieved a highly satisfactory survival rate of 73% for neuroblastoma in all stages except bilateral. Altogether from 2001 to 2007 more than 1000 cases of nephroblastoma and Burkitt's lymphoma were treated in African hospitals by African doctors and nurses. No patients were transferred to Europe. The GFAOP supplied drugs when necessary and took care of most travel expenses. African and French doctors worked together on protocol design, trial management, and data analysis. These promising results show that the latest therapeutic techniques can be used to treat childhood cancer in Africa by adapting the protocol to conditions in developing countries. Sanofi-Aventis Laboratories in association with the International Union against Cancer has launched a major campaign to improve Pediatric Oncology in developing countries. Projects in four GFAOP units are being financed through this campaign. In 2006 the GFAOP began assessment of two new treatment protocols, i.e., one for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and the other for Hodgkin's disease. Two other projects are being planned, i.e., one for treatment of retinoblastoma and the other for treatment of some types of brain tumors.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis in children. Report of 7 cases and one associated with nephroblastoma.

8 cases of XGP in children are reported. The presence of urolithiasis together with xanthogranulomatous lesion in 7 cases and of nephroblastoma in one may be of help in understanding the aetiopathogenesis. In all the cases the involved kidney did not function thus necessitating subcapsular nephrectomy via retroperitoneal approach.

[Evaluation of the transfer of Algerian children with cancer to the Léon-Bérard center (1984-1987)]. / Evaluation des transferts d'enfants algériens en oncologie pédiatrique au centre Léon-Bérard (1984-1987).

From 1984 to 1987, 80 pediatric oncology patients were transferred from Algeria to the centre Léon-Bérard (Lyon, France). Diagnoses were mainly lymphomas neuroblastomas and bone tumours (75% of the total number of cases). Survival (39% at 46 months), number of hospitalization days (12,655) and cost (29,324,254 FF) were calculated. These costs were compared with the mean annual public health allocation per capita in Algeria and with the French limitations on accepting transfer of spending money for children from abroad. New directions are suggested to improve the efficiency of these transfers to optimize the use of limited resources in both countries and to increase survival of individual patients.

Effective multiagent chemotherapy in children with advanced B-cell lymphoma: who remains the high risk patient?

Between 1981 and 1985, 50 patients, mainly children and adolescents, with advanced B-cell lymphoma were entered on a protocol comprising eight drugs: cyclophosphamide, vincristine, prednisolone, high dose methotrexate, adriamycin, BCNU, cytosine arabinoside and thioguanine. Treatment to the central nervous system consisted of intrathecal methotrexate and cytosine-arabinoside in association with high dose methotrexate without irradiation. Data was collected prospectively with regard to response rate, treatment related complications and survival. Histology was reviewed in all referred cases and in 21 there was supportive evidence from immunological and cytogenetic studies. The overall complete response rate was 86%: 31/36 stage III and 12/14 stage IV. There were four treatment related deaths. The overall disease-free survival is 75% with a median follow up of 32 months. In the group of stage IV patients 5/7 with only marrow involvement, 2/4 with isolated CNS involvement and 1/3 with combined CNS and marrow infiltration survive. All the patients with CNS involvement at presentation underwent consolidation treatment with high dose chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant. These results demonstrate the very high curability of B-cell lymphoma using intensive multiagent therapy even with advanced abdominal disease. Bone marrow infiltration does not appear to be an adverse prognostic factor in isolation from bulk disease or CNS involvement. There remain, however, two groups of patients in whom further intensification of therapy is indicated, namely, those with initial CNS involvement, especially in combination with marrow infiltration, and those with extensive multiorgan involvement at presentation who fail to achieve remission with initial therapy. For the other patients, the large majority, a reduction in the intensity and duration of therapy is currently under study.

Abdominal Burkitt-type lymphomas in Algeria.

In a previous retrospective analysis from the principal paediatric centres of Algeria, Burkitt-type lymphomas (BL) were shown to account for around 46.5% of the total childhood non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphomas in that country. In the present study, a series of 49 abdominal BL from the Paediatric Clinic of Surgery, Mustapha Hospital, Algiers, has been studied. The age distribution shows a peak between 4 and 5 years of age, and the sex ratio is (M:F) 2.26:1. The disease is characterized by a rapid evolution in the absence of therapy. The major problem is an explosive form of the disease, which at present seems difficult to control in this country. Fifteen of the 49 patients (30.6%) died before completion of the first course of chemotherapy; however, complete remission (CR) was obtained for 30 patients (61%). Overall survival was 42.85% (21/49), whereas survival of patients who reached CR is 70% (21/30). When CR was obtained, deaths were related to cerebrospinal fluid involvement, local recurrence, secondary bone marrow involvement or therapeutic accidents. All patients alive with no evidence of disease (NED) 8-months after CR can be considered definitively cured. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) serology performed on 31 BL patients and on a control group of 25 children with other malignant tumours showed that most Algerian BL have elevated EBV titres. A search for viral markers within malignant cells in 17 patients indicated that 88% (15/17) of the BL cases were EBV-associated. Analysis of the immunological and cytogenetic data showed that, as in the rest of the world, these BL cases involve proliferation of B-cell-type lymphocytes, with characteristic cytogenetic translocations involving chromosome 8. This report represents the most detailed description so far of BL from an area in non-equatorial Africa and the first report of a large series from North Africa.

Le traitement en Afrique des cancers de l'enfant - Travaux du Groupe Franco-Africain d'Oncologie Pediatrique

Les cancers de l'enfant sont actuellement gueris dans 75des cas; dans les pays developpes. Dans les pays en developpement; les resultats sont beaucoup moins bons. Le Groupe Franco-Africain d'Oncologie Pediatrique (GFAOP) s'est constitue en 2000 avec pour objectif de redresser cette situation defavorable enAfrique. Les actions du GFAOP comprennent; d'une part la formation des medecins et des infirmieres avant tout par des stages en France et au Maroc; d'autre part des essais de traitement par des protocoles adaptes des lymphomes de Burkitt et des nephro- blastomes dans douze unites pilotes situees en Afrique du Nord; Afrique de l'Ouest et a Madagascar. Dans une premiere etude 2001-2005; 61des lymphomes de Burkitt ont gueri. Une seconde etude a commence en 2005 avec un traitement a base d'Endoxan seul. Pour les nephroblastomes; le taux de guerison; 73; est tres satisfaisant. Plus de 1000 cas de nephroblastome et de lymphome de Burkitt ont deja ete traites dans ces conditions de 2001 a 2007; tous en Afrique; dans les hopitaux africains; par desmedecins et des infirmieres africains. Ces resultats encourageants permettent de conclure a la faisabilite du traitement des cancers de l'enfant en Afrique; grace a des traitementsmodernes; adaptes de protocoles utilises dans les pays developpes. Le laboratoire Sanofi-Aventis; associe a l'Union Internationale Contre le Cancer; a lance une grande entreprise d'aide a l'Oncologie Pediatrique dans les pays en voie de developpement.Quatre projets d'unites du GFAOP sont ainsi finances. Le GFAOP a lance en 2006 deux nouveaux protocoles : le traitement des leucemies aigues lymphoblastiques et celui de la maladie de Hodgkin. Deux autres projets sont en preparation : le traitement des retinoblastomes et celui de certaines tumeurs cerebrales