Rhabdomyolysis and myalgia associated with anticholesterolemic treatment as potential signs of malignant hyperthermia susceptibility.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D Figarella-Branger.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
This study is to further confirm the diagnostic value of class I MHC detection in muscle biopsies of adult patients presenting with clinical features of dermatomyositis (DM) and to address its diagnostic value in the case of nonspecific biopsies. A retrospective study was performed on muscle biopsies in 22 patients presenting with clinical features of DM. Immunohistochemical detection of class I MHC was performed in all cases. On pathological features two groups of patients were recorded: group I (14 patients) with typical features of DM and group II (eight patients) with almost normal muscle biopsies (no inflammatory exudates, no perifascicular atrophy). Abnormal sarcolemmal class I MHC expression was recorded in all cases. In all muscle biopsies of group I patients, class I MHC expression was observed in almost all fibres but was stronger in perifascicular areas (eight patients) or was restricted to perifascicular atrophic fibres (six patients). In all muscle biopsies of group II patients, only some perifascicular fibres expressed class I MHC. According to Bohan and Peter criteria, patients were classified as definite DM (nine group I and three group II patients), probable DM (five group I and two group II patients) and possible DM (three group II patients). Abnormal perifascicular class I MHC expression is of diagnostic value in patients presenting with clinical features of DM especially when muscle biopsy fails to show typical features such as inflammatory infiltrates and/or perifascicular atrophy.
Granulomatous inflammation is infrequently observed in muscle biopsy. We report a series of 7 patents presenting with granulomas in muscle. Two of them had a history of sarcoidosis In 4 other cases, muscle Involvement revealed systemic sarcoidosis. Among the 6 cases of sarcoidosis, we observed 2 with acute myositis and 4 chronic forms. The last patient presented with polymyositis in association with melanoma. In sarcoidosis, muscle biopsy showed a granulomatous inflammation of varying intensity, which was generally associated with mononuclear inflammatory cells. Most of granulomas were located in the perimysium and the endomysium and necrosis was absent. Inflammatory cells were predominantly macrophages and CD4 positive lymphocytes. On the contrary, in the case of paraneoplastic polymyositis,granulomas were rare, most of inflammatory cells were CD8 positive lymphocytes and numerous areas of necrosis were observed. Class I MHC molecules were expressed on the membrane of muscle fibers. As a general rule, requisite examinations must be performed to search for sarcoidosis in patients exhibiting granulomas on muscle biopsy.
Neonatal brain disorders consist of a wide chapter including brain malformations, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, intracranial infections, perinatal trauma and metabolic encephalopathies. The aim of this review paper is to describe the main imaging modalities (ultrasonography, CT, MRI) that are used extensively for the diagnosis of neonatal brain disorders, with their respective advantages and limitations, to illustrate and describe the main brain lesions encountered in the neonatal period, particularly with MRI since its role has increased over the recent years. We will focus on hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, materno-fetal infections, metabolic encephalopathies and stroke, those four conditions being the most frequent so far. Imaging modalities, especially MRI, by showing the extent of brain damage, are part of the prognostic factors in cases of infective causes and of hypoxic-ischemic origin. MRI is also very efficient in showing brain damage as atrophy and white matter abnormalities suggestive of an underlying abnormal brain of metabolic origin.
Immunodeficient patients have an increased incidence of neoplasms, whether the immunodeficiency is due to genetic disorder, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), or immunosuppressive therapy. Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare neoplasm, even if its incidence has increased because of AIDS. Less than fifteen cases were described after organ transplantation. An intracranial localization is exceptional (five cases in the literature) and was never described after organ transplantation, to our knowledge. Our present report focuses on a 45-year-old immunocompromised patient, who received immunosuppressive therapy for renal transplantation. He suffered from atypical peri-orbital headaches six months after transplantation and a mass involving the cavernous sinus was identified. Surgical biopsy was performed. Histologic examination revealed a LMS. Epstein-Barr virus was identified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in the LMS. Immunosuppression was reduced, the patient received adriamycin and protontherapy was realized. He died two years after the transplantation because of tumor progression and kidney failure.
Ventriculomegaly constitutes the major indication of fetal brain MRI. MRI is therefore of utmost importance to look for a cause through the depiction of criteria of malformations and through the definition of criteria of destructive lesions. Malformations and destructive lesions are the most common causes of ventricular dilatation. Some challenging points are worth mentioning in term of mechanism with the challenge of hydrocephalus (in term of increased in intracranial pressure) and of isolated ventriculomegaly. The image itself is also challenging since a similar image may be of different origin. In term of natural history of fetal brain injury an irregular, nodular aspect of the ventricular wall and/or the germinal matrix is often the only pathologic MRI finding that is known to be of clastic origin. In term of prognosis the challenge is represented by the isolated mild ventriculomegaly, the literature being quite confusing. The purpose of this review paper is to highlight the underlying mechanisms and pathophysiology of ventricular dilatation based on results from the literature as well as from personal experience.
UNLABELLED: From the first 198 patient files included into the French Acromegaly Registry, we analyzed 68 patients harboring a somatotroph adenoma with extrasellar extension, after exclusion of those treated by stereotactic or conventional radiotherapy. In these patients (including 37 women), aged 21-77 yr. (45.7 +/- 13.3), GH concentrations ranged from 2-260 microg/L (38.6 +/- 44.3), and IGF I from 86-967% of age-matched upper limit of normal (303 +/- 164). Maximal diameter of the adenoma at MRI was 11-36.5 mm (20.4 +/- 6.5), with cavernous sinus involvement in 68% of cases. Three subgroups were defined: 20 patients treated by long-acting somatostatin analogs only (group M), for a mean duration of 3 yr. (extremes 1-7 yr.), 48 patients initially treated by transsphenoidal surgery (group C), of whom 21 were secondarily treated by long-acting somatostatin analogs (group CM) for a mean duration of 1.2 yr. (extremes 0.2-2 yr.). All 3 groups were not statistically different in terms of tumor mass and initial levels of GH and IGF-1. Patients from group M were significantly older than those of the other groups (p<0.05). RESULTS: 46% of patients from group C after surgery vs. 45% of patients from group M had a mean GH below 2.5 microg/L. Biochemical remission (GH<2.5 microg/L and normal IGF1 normal) was obtained in 31% of cases in group C, vs. 25% in group M. In this group, a decrease of the largest tumor diameter was observed in 10 patients (71.5%), ranging from 10-25% in 7 (50%) and exceeded 50% in 3 (21.5%). In group CM, the biochemical remission rate (42%) and final GH or IGF1 values were not significantly different from group M. In conclusion, these data suggest that surgery or long-acting somatostatin analogs have a comparable efficacy in terms of remission rates in somatotroph macroadenomas with extrasellar extensions.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Pituicytoma is a rare benign primary tumor of the neurohypophysis, occurring in the sellar and suprasellar spaces. We report here three new cases with immunohistochemical and electron microscopic study. Particular attention was paid to the expression of some cell adhesion molecules. These tumors were characterized by bundles of elongated cells strongly immunoreactive to anti-vimentin, S-100 protein, neural cell adhesion molecule and neuron-specific enolase antibodies. Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was not recorded. It expressed the very late antigen alpha2 (VLAalpha2), but not VLAalpha5, and lacked epithelial markers expression (epithelial membrane antigen, E-cadherin), and specific neuronal markers (synaptophysin, chromogranin, neurofilament). Staining for pituitary hormones was negative. At the ultrastructural level, tumor/blood vessel basal lamina and cytoplasmic intermediate filaments were observed but desmosome or pericellular basal lamina were lacking. In one case few secretory granules were recorded. Differential diagnoses include granular cell tumors, pilocytic astrocytomas and spindle cell tumors such as solitary fibrous tumors, fibroblastic meningiomas and schwannomas. However, the unique pattern of antigenic expression and ultrastructural features of pituicytomas distinguish this rare tumor. As a subpopulation of pituicytes (which are distinctive glial cells of the neurophypophysis), some pituicytomas do not expressed GFAP. This suggests that pituicytomas presumably arise from pituicytes at various stages of their differentiation.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate muscle function in patients with severe myalgia resulting from fluoroquinolone (FQ) treatment. We used histology, in vitro contracture tests (IVCTs), and (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)P MRS) to explore muscle contraction and metabolism. METHODS: We studied 3 patients with myalgia, hyperalgia tendinopathy, and arthralgia following FQ treatment and 3 normal subjects after taking FQs. Results were compared with those of a control group of 9 subjects free of any muscle disease and not taking FQs. Muscle biopsies were performed on the left biceps, and IVCTs were performed in accordance with the protocol recommended by the European Malignant Hyperthermia Group. (31)P MR spectra of forearm flexor muscles were recorded at 4.7T throughout a rest-exercise-recovery protocol. RESULTS: (31)P MRS showed a significant reduction of pH changes measured at the end of exercise and a faster rate of proton efflux measured during recovery in all patients. IVCTs diagnosed 1 patient as being susceptible to malignant hyperthermia. No specific histologic anomalies were observed in muscle biopsy samples, which showed normal mitochondria. CONCLUSION: The adverse effects recorded in the 3 patients are related to a preexisting muscular anomaly revealed by FQ treatment.
The clinico-pathological features of 17 patients displaying a myopathy with lobulated (trabeculated) fibers are reported. All these patients had a limb girdle phenotype and at least 20% of lobulated fibers in their muscle biopsies. There were ten females and seven males. The onset of symptoms ranged from 2 to 55 years (mean 24). The average age at the time of muscle biopsy was 39 (range 3-63). Interestingly, in six patients, high prevalence of lobulated fibers was observed at the second biopsy only, performed on average 11 years after the first or in another muscle. Six patients had a suggestively positive family history. Facial weakness was noted in two patients (genetic study confirmed FSH dystrophy). The course and the severity of weakness varied from one patient to another. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analyses revealed one Duchenne carrier, one alpha-sarcoglycanopathy, no dysferlinopathy and four calpain deficiencies (including one patient with FSH dystrophy), but SSCP revealed mutation in the calpain gene in only one of the patients. These results show that (1) myopathies with lobulated fibers are clinically and genetically heterogeneous, (2) lack of calpain expression by Western blot analysis is not always associated with null mutation, (3) a molecular diagnosis is made in less than 40% of myopathy with lobulated fibers, (4) when observed, lobulated fibers are most prominent in proximal muscles and require time to appear.
Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is the most frequent hereditary peripheral neuropathy in humans. Its prevalence is about one in 2500. A subform, CMT1A, is transmitted as an autosomal dominant trait. An estimated 75% of patients are affected. This disorder has been shown to be associated with the duplication of a 1.5 Mb region of the short arm of chromosome 17, in which the PMP22 gene has been mapped. We have constructed a murine model of CMT1A by inserting into the murine genome a human YAC containing peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) and its flanking controlling elements. We describe the behaviour of the C22 line (seven copies of YAC, 2.1 times PMP22 overexpression) during the myelination process. Electron microscopy, morphometry, electrophysiology, nerve conduction and expression of specific markers (e.g. Krox20) in normal and pathological Schwann cells demonstrated that PMP22 overexpression leads to a defect in the myelination of axons. The largest axons are the most affected. Only a few demyelination/remyelination processes were observed. Moreover, PMP22 overexpression probably enhances collagen synthesis by fibroblasts, before myelination, demonstrating that structures other than Schwann cells are affected by PMP22 overexpression. Classically, CMT1A was thought to be induced by a demyelination process following a phase of normal myelination, yet our data suggest that dysmyelination should be considered as a major factor for the disease.
Malignant rhabdoid tumors are highly aggressive childhood tumors. Recently, all of the malignant rhabdoid tumors, whatever their location, have been related to the inactivation of the hSNF5/INI1 gene. A subset of cerebral tumors, associated with malignant rhabdoid tumors or isolated ones arising in siblings, showed similar molecular alterations. We report for the first time in monozygotic twins a congenital disseminated malignant rhabdoid tumor in one twin and a cerebellar tumor mimicking a medulloblastoma in the other. Molecular analysis revealed similar alterations for both tumors: a deletion of exon 7 of the hSNF5/INI1 gene in one allele, and a point mutation in the same exon in the other, suggesting a common genetic pathway. Analysis of constitutional DNA revealed a germline mutation. These findings are in favor of a common etiology for rhabdoid tumor and a subset of brain tumors developing in infancy.
We report a case of an adenocarcinoma of the endolymphatic sac in a 13 years old child, which was fortuitously discovered at the time of radiological investigation of growth delay. Arising from the end of the endolymphatic sac, this rare tumour shares a similar clinic expression with other cerebellopontine angle pathologies. Radiological investigation reveals a moth eaten appearance to the posterior temporal bone and specific bony inclusions. With MRI there is an intense and/or intermediate signal on T1, a hyper signal on T2 and T1 enhancement with injection of gadolinium. Treatment is surgical and local recurrences are not uncommon. After histological confirmation, a search for Von Hippel-Lindau disease is mandatory because this tumour is not exceptional among this subset of patients. Diagnosis and therapeutic criteria will be highlighted by our case and a review of the literature.
Dermatomyositis (DM) and polymyositis (PM) are the two main forms of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies. They have in common a proximal muscle weakness, but skin manifestations, juvenile forms and increased incidence of malignancies are clinical characteristics of DM. The follow up of creatine-kinases is the best biological test in spite of their possible normality. The significance of antibodies titers is uncertain, except the association Jo-1 interstitial and lung disease indicating a poor prognosis. The association with HLA haplotypes expresses a genetic predisposition of a dysimmunity to develop DM or PM. Pathological changes are well known with a humoral immune effector mechanism in DM, and a muscle fibre aggression by CD8 + T cells in PM. Non inflammatory forms of DM and PM and rhabdomyolytic forms of PM are not very rare, they are recognized by the HLA class 1 immunoreactivity. Pathophysiological processes involve muscle fibers, inflammatory cells and endothelial cells of capillaries, with a complex intervention of cytokines, adhesion molecules, MHC classe 1, membrane attack complex, anti endothelial cells antibodies, perforin secretion and sometimes apoptotic Fas-mediated mechanisms. Despite these recent advances, causal antigens and activator processes of endothelial cell lysis and autoinvasive cytotoxicity of muscle fibers remain to be identified.
A 64-year-old man presented to his general practitioner with an history of headaches and recent diplopia. Neuroradiological investigation showed a sphenoid sinus mass involving the sella and the clivus. Diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma was made via a transsphenoidal approach. The patient subsequently underwent a 6-month course of chemotherapy (M COPPA protocol) followed by 50 Gy locoregional radiotherapy. At three years follow-up the patient was in complete clinical and radiological remission. This case underscores the importance of thorough radiological work-up for accurate identification of tumor masses involving the pituitary fossa and provides an opportunity to review the literature on the management of this rare entity.
Colchicine, a microtubule polymerization inhibitor, can very occasionally induce myopathy. We report two cases of colchicine myopathy. Both patients presented with myalgia and proximal muscle weakness. The first patient, an 80-year-old woman, had chronic renal failure related to renal amyloidosis. She had been treated by colchicine for 4 months. The second, a 75-year-old man with normal renal function, suffering from gout, was treated by colchicine for 3 weeks. Muscle biopsies displayed the same alterations, but the degree of severity was different. Conventional histology revealed vacuolar changes characterized by acid phosphatase-positive vacuoles and myofibrillar disarray foci. The lesions were selective for type I fibers. Ultrastructural study demonstrated autophagic vacuoles. Most of the vacuoles expressed dystrophin but not merosin. Several fibers reacted with anti-MHC class I antibody and granular deposits of membrane attack complex were observed on the surface of numerous myofibers. Anti-alphaB-crystallin antibody strongly reacted with vacuolar content. Physiopathologically, microtubules are primordial for vesicle movements and colchicine induces autophagic vacuole accumulation by preventing their fusion with lysosomes. The selective type I involvement is probably due to the higher tubulin amount in type I fibers. AlphaB-crystallin overexpression is related to its microtubule protection properties. Moreover, we suggest that vacuoles randomly floating in sarcoplasm might occasionally meet the plasma membrane and open in the extracellular space, leading to complement activation. Accurate diagnosis of colchicine myopathy is relevant because the treatment is based on colchicine interruption.