[The solid pseudopapillary tumor of pancreas: two cases and literature review]. / Tumeurs pseudopapillaires et solides du pancréas: deux observations et revue de la littérature.

Solid pseudopapillary tumor (SPT) of the pancreas is a rare exocrine pancreatic tumor behaving in a low-grade fashion, with limited local invasion risk and a rare metastatic evolution. We report SPT in two young females, revealed by abdominal pain and an epigastric mass. The diagnosis of a cystic tumor was based on abdominal ultrasound and CT data in the first case and on MRI in the second. A distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy were successfully performed in the first case and a central pancreatectomy in the second. Histological study confirmed the diagnosis of SPT of the pancreas.

[Pyogenic abscess of the breast: clinical and therapeutic aspects]. / Abcès du sein à pyogènes: aspects cliniques et thérapeutiques.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this retrospective work was to study the clinical aspects and the principles of management of the abscess of the breast in order to determine a convenient and recent therapeutic attitude. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our retrospective survey concerns 114 cases of breast abscess collected in a surgery department over a period of 14 years, from 1990 to 2003. All patients have been operated and the diagnosis confirmed through the operation. The puerperal abscesses have been noted in 31 cases. RESULTS: One hundred and four women and ten men were concerned, with a sex-ratio of 0.1. The medium age was 33 years old for the women and 42 years for the men. The diagnosis was based on the clinical criteria, confirmed by the ultrasonography in 11 cases out of 16 and by the mammary puncture in 15 cases out of 22. Two non-puerperal abscesses have revealed an infiltrating canal carcinoma. The Staphylococcus aureus was the germ the most frequently met, concerning 8 cases out of 16. The surgical biopsies carried out in 52 cases revealed a fibrocystic mastopathy in six cases, a canalar ectasia in two cases and an infiltrating canalar carcinoma in two cases. The surgical treatment, performed in any case, was associated to an anti-staphylococcus antibiotherapy. The recurrence of the abscess has been observed in four cases. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The frequency of pyogenic abscess of the breast, particularly the puerperal abscesses, has considerably decreased. The non-puerperal abscesses often pose a differential diagnosis problem with the very aggressive inflammatory cancers. The percutaneous ultrasonography guided drainage must be proposed in first intention to treat the abscesses of the breast. However, surgical treatment is still valid with an abscess either relapsing or chronic, or else the failure of the non-operative processes.

[The evaluation of mental health among Tunisian students]. / Evaluation de la santé mentale des étudiants Tunisiens.

Universal studies are an important source of stressor. Students are at high risk for mental disorders. In this study, we seek for psychological distress among Tunisian students, using GHQ (general health questionnaire).

Closed versus open mitral commissurotomy in pure noncalcific mitral stenosis: hemodynamic studies before and after operation.

Controversy persists regarding whether the efficacy of closed instrumental mitral commissurotomy compares well enough with that of open commissurotomy to warrant its continued use. The purpose of this study was to compare the results of operation as determined by catheterization studies in 63 patients with pure, severe, and noncalcified mitral stenosis. The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: thirty-two patients were operated on by the closed technique (group I) and 31 by the open technique (group II). All patients underwent left-sided and right-sided catheterization before and 4 months after operation. Preoperatively the two groups were statistically similar with regard to major clinical data and hemodynamic findings. There were no deaths at operation or systemic embolism in the two groups. The prevalence of surgically induced mitral regurgitation was similar in the two groups (12.4% versus 12.9%). Pulmonary arterial pressure and arteriolar and total pulmonary vascular resistance decreased significantly in the two groups. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure decreased from 23.3 +/- 8.5 to 15.8 +/- 7 mm Hg in group I (p less than 0.001) and from 23.7 +/- 6 to 14 +/- 5.8 mm Hg in group II (p less than 0.001). Cardiac index increased from 2.86 +/- 0.84 to 3.14 +/- 0.78 L/min/m2 in group I, but this increase did not reach statistical significance. In group II cardiac index increased from 2.89 +/- 0.6 to 3.6 +/- 0.6 L/min/m2 (p less than 0.005). The mean and end-diastolic transmitral pressure gradients decreased significantly in the two groups, but the decrease was statistically greater in the open mitral commissurotomy group (p less than 0.001). Mitral valve area increased from 0.82 +/- 0.18 to 1.4 +/- 0.40 cm2 in group I (p less than 0.01) and from 0.84 +/- 0.15 to 2.14 +/- 0.53 cm2 in group II (p less than 0.001). The mean increase in mitral valve area was 0.61 cm2 in group I and 1.34 cm2 in group II (p less than 0.001). At exercise, in patients with resting pulmonary capillary wedge pressures of 18 mm Hg or less, cardiac index increased by 36% in group I (23 patients) and 48% in group II (24 patients), because of a smaller mitral valve area in group I (1.61 +/- 0.39 cm2) than in group II (2.45 +/- 0.65 cm2). Thus open commissurotomy improved hemodynamic values to a greater extent than closed commissurotomy at both rest and exercise.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

[Evaluation of the degree of mitral stenosis : reassessment of the M mode echocardiographic index]. / Appréciation du degré de la sténose mitrale : réévaluation des index échocardiographiques en mode M.

Fifty consecutive patients (32 female and 18 male) with mitral stenosis aged 11 to 60 years underwent cardiac catheterisation and echocardiography to determine the value of M mode in assessing the degree of stenosis. Mitral stenosis was pure in 47 cases; isolated in 31 cases; associated with minimal aortic regurgitation in 11 cases, with mild mitral incompetence in 3 cases and with tricuspid incompetence in 5 cases (all patients underwent aortography and left ventriculography). Mitral valve surface area (MSA) calculated from the Gorlin formula correlated well with the anatomical mitral valve area (r = 0.88) in the 30 operated patients and enabled the patients to be divided into three subgroups : Group I : 36 patients with severe mitral stenosis; MS less than 1.3 cm2 including 29 with very severe stenosis : MS less than 1.0 cm2; Group II : 9 cases of moderate stenosis (1.3 cm2 less than MS less than or equal to 1.8 cm2), and Group III : 8 cases of mild mitral stenosis (MS greater than 1.8 cm2). The indices correlating with haemodynamic MSA were, in decreasing order of significance : EF slope of early diastolic closure of the anterior leaflet (r = 0.74); maximal EE' diastolic separation of the two leaflets (r = 0.57); the ratio of left atrium/aortic root dimensions (r = 0.39) and the Q-mitral closure interval (r = 0.31). The left atrial emptying index, the mitral valve closure index and changes in the rapid phase of left ventricular filling did not correlate with the degree of stenosis. An EF slope of less than 15 mm/sec had a sensitivity of 77% and a specificity of 93% and was a satisfactory method for distinguishing patients in Group I from those in Group II.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Rare complication of a post-traumatic left diaphragmatic hernia]. / Complication rare d'une hernie diaphragmatique gauche post-traumatique.

Diaphragmatic hernia is a post-traumatic lesion specific trauma that may go unnoticed. The left hemidiaphragm is the most frequently affected. The diagnosis is then made at the occasion of a complication, especially gastric volvulus. The authors report the case of a young man aged 26 years old with a gastric volvulus on post-traumatic diaphragmatic hernia diagnosed by CT.

[Pancreatic hydatid cyst: an exceptional localization]. / Kyste hydatique du pancréas: une localisation exceptionnelle.

Pancreatic hydatid cysts are rare. They account for 1% of all hydatid cysts and are extremely rare in children. This may explain the problems diagnosing this condition. We report on a new case of pancreatic hydatic cyst in an 11-year-old girl who was admitted with a previous history of abdominal pain and jaundice. We discuss the diagnostic features of pancreatic hydatid cyst and therapeutic modalities.

[Haemodynamic and coronary effects of Risordan injection in patients with coronary disease (author's transl)]. / Effets hémodynamiques et coronariens du dinitrate d'isosorbide injectable chez l'insuffisant coronarien.

Nitro-compounds exert a preventive action on myocardial ischaemia through their peripheral effects (reduction of left ventricular preload) and their effects on the coronary system (increase of collateral flow and imprevement in the endocardium: epicardium perfusion ratio). The haemodynamic, coronary and metabolic effects of Risordan i.v. infusions (5 mg/h) in acute myocardial ischaemia induced by rapid atrial stimulation (RAS) were investigated in 15 male patients with angiographic or ECG signs of non-perfusion of the coronary network. Coronary sinus blood flow was measured by the thermodilution method. The values measured or calculated were: heart rate (HR), cardiac index (CI), aortic pressure (PAo), pulmonary capillary pressure (PCP), right atrial pressure (RAP), systemic arterial resistance (SAR), double product (DP), coronary blood flow (QCcor), total coronary resistance (TCR), O2 arterio venous difference (DAVO2), myocardial O2 consumption (MVO2) and myocardial lactate extraction (K %). RAS produced a significant increase of PAo, CI, DP, MVO2 and QCcor, with inversion of K % (-3.3%) indicatif anaerobic metabolism by myocardial ischaemia. Risordan produced significant diminution of PAo and CI with subsequent increase of HR; there was little increase of DP, MVO2 and QCcor and little change n myocardial metabolism (K % = 14 %). Risordan corrected the myocardial ischaemia induced by RAS, with decrease of PAo, PCP, RAP, CI, DP and QCcor, K % became positive (+ 11.5 % vs -3.3 % during RAS) suggesting a decrease in myocardial ischaemia.