[Accelerated atheroma with prednisone and clopidogrel]. / Athérome accéléré lors d'un traitement par prednisone et clopidogrel.

INTRODUCTION: Several mechanisms may explain the aggravation of atheroma lesions in patients receiving corticosteroid treatments. CASE: This 68-year-old man, a smoker with high cholesterol levels and a history of two transient ischemic attacks, also had severe Horton disease (giant cell arteritis) requiring treatment by corticosteroids and azathioprine. After a new transient ischemic accident, clopidogrel treatment was initiated. Ten months later, severe carotid stenosis was observed. Endarterectomy removed a recent thrombus and the pathology examination showed necrotic lesions complicated by hemorrhage with inflammatory infiltrate. DISCUSSIONS: This patient's atheromatous disease was aggravated by intraplaque hemorrhage, caused by several factors include his corticosteroid therapy and platelet aggregation inhibition treatment.

[Langerhans cell histiocytosis in an adult patient associated with sclerosing cholangitis and cerebellar atrophy]. / Histiocytose langerhansienne de l'adulte avec cholangite sclérosante et atrophie cérébelleuse.

Langerhans' cell histiocytosis is a disorder in children or young adults, characterized by clonal proliferation of histiocytic cells, staining for CD1a, with uni or multifocal organ involvement. It's a rare condition in adults. We report a case of Langerhans' cell histiocytosis in an adult with sclerosing cholangitis which rapidly progressed to fatal liver failure and progressive cerebellar atrophy. Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a rare cause of sclerosing cholangititis in adults.

[Rofecoxib-related cutaneous vasculitis]. / Vascularite cutanée liée au rofécoxib.

INTRODUCTION: Drugs are at the origin of around 10% of the cases of vasculitis involving the small vessels. Recent cases report vasculitis related to the administration of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory selective inhibitors of cyclo-oxygenase 2. CASE: Vasculitis associated with ketoprofen appeared in a 76 year-old man: the symptoms disappeared when treatment stopped. A few weeks later, during treatment with rofecoxib, a relapse appeared, including purpura. The diagnosis of rofecoxib-induced cutaneous vasculitis was confirmed by regression of all symptoms when treatment stopped. DISCUSSION: Coxibs, like other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, may cause vasculitis, at an as-yet undetermined frequency.

[Rectal endocrine intermediate-cell carcinoma]. / Carcinome endocrine à grandes cellules du rectum.

An 82-year-old patient complained of diarrhea due to a rectal endocrine intermediate-cell carcinoma. Histology displayed a neuron-specific enolase and CD56 immunoreactive tumor. Hepatic metastases developed rapidly and the tumor was briefly reactive to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. These tumors are rare and have a poor prognosis. We focus on the recent classification of gastrointestinal endocrine tumors.