M El Yahyaoui | PubMed Health

PubMed2004

Behçet's disease in Moroccan children: a report of 12 cases.

We report 12 cases of Behçet's disease (BD) in children. The mean age of symptom onset was 12.4 years. Four patients (33.3%) had a past familial history of BD. Clinical manifestations were: oral aphtosis (n = 12), genital aphtosis (n = 9), ocular involvement (n = 9), neuro-Behçet (n = 6), venous thrombosis (n = 4), articular involvement (n = 3), and entero-Behçet (n = 1). All patients but one were initially treated with steroids; three cases with ocular involvement were treated with chlorambucil; and three other cases of neuro-Behçet were treated with cyclophosphamide. After a mean follow-up of 4 years, four patients with neurological involvement developed steroid-dependence with recurrence of symptoms. Four patients had optic atrophy with blindness.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Atlantoaxial tuberculosis: three cases.

Tuberculosis of the craniocervical junction (CCJ) is exceedingly rare but carries a risk of compression of the medulla oblongata and upper spinal cord. Three cases among 63 patients with spinal tuberculosis are reported. Mean age was 51 years (range, 20-69) and mean time to diagnosis was 4.6 months (range, 1-8). Although atlantoaxial dislocation was a consistent feature, none of the patients had neurological deficits. Computed tomography of the CCJ disclosed a suggestive pattern combining osteolysis and an abscess anterior to the spine. The diagnosis was confirmed by microbiological studies in two cases and histology in one. The outcome was favorable after antituberculous therapy, immobilization of the neck, and surgical fusion. Although tuberculosis remains common in developing countries, involvement of the CCJ is rare. Tuberculosis of the CCJ carries a risk of instability and severe neuraxis compression. Consequently, early diagnosis and treatment are of the utmost importance.

Adult↗