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Biomedical subjects

P Blanche

Publications and source records attributed to P Blanche.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Pulmonary embolism and deep jugular venous thrombosis resulting from compression by a lipoma.

Lipomas usually extend in subcutaneous tissues and rarely may be compressive. We report a case of neck lipoma resulting in jugular vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in a patient treated by clozapine. Clozpine may be considered an associated risk factor for thrombosis. This case suggests that performing a regional evaluation may be particularly important when thrombophlebitis occurs.

Antipsychotic Agents↗

[Whipple disease, initially diagnosed as sarcoidosis].

INTRODUCTION: Whipple disease is a multisystem infectious disease caused by Tropheryma whipplei. We report a case in which an initial diagnosis of sarcoidosis was changed to Whipple disease endocarditis. CASE: Based on clinical, radiographic, endoscopic and histologic findings, this 61-year-old man was diagnosed with sarcoidosis. Initial response to corticotherapy was good, but the patient required 35 mg of prednisone daily. The subsequent onset of clinical and laboratory signs of inflammation cast doubt on the diagnosis. After cardiac ultrasound revealed a mass 1 cm in diameter on the mitral valve, apparently vegetation, we diagnosed culture-negative infective endocarditis and ruled out most possible causes. PCR of a duodenal biopsy sample showed Tropheryma whipplei, thus confirming the diagnosis of Whipple disease, despite normal histological findings. After 3 weeks of intravenous gentamicin and amoxicillin treatment, oral cotrimoxazole was substituted. Follow-up transesophageal ultrasound showed no mitral vegetation. The patient, still under cotrimoxazole, has been off prednisone for 13 months and is completely asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: This case is an illustration of the difficulty in distinguishing Whipple disease from sarcoidosis in practice and of the importance of that distinction.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

[Uveitis associated with thyroïditis in HTLV-1 carriers].

INTRODUCTION: The oncovirus HTLV-1 is aetiologically associated with uveitis and autoimmune thyroiditis in endemic areas. The association of uveitis with autoimmune thyroiditis in HTLV-1 carriers is less common moreover in non-endemic area. EXEGESE: We report two original cases of simultaneous uveitis and autoimmune thyroiditis in HTLV-1 carriers, without other disease due to HTLV-1. The visual outcome was favorable in both cases. CONCLUSION: A significant correlation exists between hyperthyroidism, uveitis and HTLV-1, but still needs to be confirmed. The autoimmune or immune mediated mecanism of HTLV-1 may be involved in the uveitis and the thyroidits.

Female↗

[Prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis A infection in an HIV-infected French population].

BACKGROUND: There are common risk factors between hepatitis A virus (HAV) and human immuno deficiency virus (HIV) infections. OBJECTIVES: We tried to evaluate if HIV-infected patients could be at risk for HAV. More over, HAV could worsen prognosis of HIV infection and HAV vaccination was then to be considered. Thus we assessed the prevalence and risk factors of HAV infection in an HIV-infected population. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seroprevalence and risk factors for HAV were studied among 154 HIV-positive patients followed in a Parisian hospital (mean age: 42 years, male patients: 70.8%, female patients: 29.2%). They were screened for HAV antibodies and answered a questionnaire on risk factors for HAV and means of HIV contamination. RESULTS: The global prevalence was 72.7% [IC95%: 65.7-79.7]. We excluded patients who were born in highly endemic areas where seroprevalence reached 60% [IC95%: 51.2-70]. The HAV seroprevalence was almost 100% in migrants from highly endemic countries and for those born before 1946. The multivariate analysis showed that risk factors were the geographic origin [OR=20.88; IC95%: 2.40-181], age [OR = 2.33; IC95%: 1.24-4.39], and hemophilia [OR = 13.78; IC95%: 1.34-141]. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a screening test for HAV antibodies should be performed before vaccination, especially in HIV-infected patients born after 1946 or in non-endemic countries.

Adult↗

Association of peripheral multifocal choroiditis with sarcoidosis: a study of thirty-seven patients.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical spectrum of peripheral multifocal choroiditis (PMC) and its association with sarcoidosis. METHODS: Thirty-seven patients examined between November 1997 and November 2001 who met all diagnostic criteria for PMC were included in this retrospective study. Patients were assessed for the following signs of sarcoidosis: typical changes on chest radiography or computed tomography; predominantly CD4 lymphocytosis in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid; elevated serum angiotensin-converting enzyme levels; elevated gallium uptake; and noncaseating granuloma on biopsy. RESULTS: Most of the patients were female (30 of 37; 81%) and white (30 of 37; 81%). Mean +/- SD age at onset was 57.5 +/- 18.7 years. Seven (19%) of the 37 patients had biopsy-proven sarcoidosis and 18 patients (49%) with presumed sarcoidosis met at least 2 of the above-mentioned criteria for sarcoidosis but had normal biopsy results. Twelve patients (32%) had an indeterminate diagnosis. Patients with presumed sarcoidosis did not differ from those with proven sarcoidosis as regards the above-mentioned criteria, except for noncaseating granuloma, implying that more than two-thirds of patients (predominantly whites) had underlying sarcoidosis. Most patients with positive gallium scintigraphy had increased mediastinal uptake, as described in sarcoidosis. Patients with underlying sarcoidosis had more severe visual impairment due to cystoid macular edema (CME). Weekly methotrexate (0.3 mg/kg) seemed to control CME. CONCLUSION: White patients with PMC should be considered to have sarcoidosis. The identification of sarcoidosis in patients with severe ocular disease can help with therapeutic choices.

Adult↗

Response to antiviral treatment in hepatitis C virus-associated marginal zone lymphomas.

A link between chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and low-grade B-cell lymphomas has been suggested by epidemiological studies. Marginal zone lymphomas (MZLs) including splenic lymphomas with villous lymphocytes are among the most frequently reported subgroups in the setting of chronic HCV infection. In this study, we examined the effect of antiviral treatment in eight patients with HCV-associated MZL. We found that five out of eight patients have responded to interferon alpha and ribavirin. In some cases, hematologic responses were correlated to virologic responses. In addition, we report a case of large granular lymphocyte leukemia occurring in association with MZL and HCV, and responding to interferon and ribavirin. We suggest that there is an etiologic link between HCV and antigen-driven lymphoproliferative disorders.

Adult↗

[Value of MRI for the diagnosis of cardiac involvement in sarcoidosis].

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to assess the place of cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in patients with sarcoidosis with or without cardiac involvement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty patients with histologically-proven sarcoidosis underwent initial cardiac evaluation including MRI, ECG, holter ECG, echocardiography. Seven of them had cardiac involvement (cardiac insufficiency, auriculo-ventricular block, bundle-branch block). Fiveteen patients had a second evaluation at 10-month follow-up. MRI was classified in three stages, on the base of literature data (stage 1 "granulomatous", stage 2 "exsudative", stage 3 "fibrotic"). RESULTS: A good correlation between the type of the sarcoidosis and MRI was observed: patients with cardiac involvement had all stage 2 MRI; patients with quiescent sarcoidosis had normal or stage 3 MRI; patients without cardiac involvement had all stages on MRI. A good correlation was observed between cardiac MRI abnormalities and evolution of sarcoidosis. Patients under corticoid, with or without cardiac involvement all had regression of MRI lesions and sarcoidosis. In 2 cases, MRI was predictive of clinical cardiac involvement. CONCLUSION: Cardiac MRI is a useful non-invasive method for the early diagnosis and follow-up of cardiac sarcoidosis.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

Rituximab (anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody) for the treatment of patients with clonal lymphoproliferative disorders after orthotopic liver transplantation: a report of three cases.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PT-LPD) are a well-known complication of organ transplantation. Their incidence after liver transplantation in adults ranges from 1.8 to 4%. Reduction of immunosuppression led to remission in a few cases. Other treatments include chemotherapy, interferon alpha therapy and/or intravenous-immunoglobulins, or antiviral drugs. However, monoclonal antibodies directed against B-cell specific antigens have rarely been used in those patients. Our aim was to study the feasibility and efficacy of Rituximab, a new, promising human chimeric antibody that recognizes the CD20 antigen, for the treatment of patients with clonal lymphoproliferative disorders after orthotopic liver transplantation. METHODS: Rituximab (IDEC-C2HB8; Roche Laboratories, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) was administered at a 375 mg/m2 dose on days 1, 8, 15, and 22, in an outpatient setting, in three patients with PT-LPD. The tumor was classified as polymorphic PT-LPD in two cases and PT-LPD with features of large cell lymphoma in one case. All the tumors expressed the CD20 antigen and were EBV-related, and the clonality was confirmed in all three cases. The 4 injections of the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody were associated with reduced immunosuppression in the three patient. RESULTS: The treatment with Rituximab was well tolerated without any side effects. The two patients with polymorphic PT-LPDs underwent rapid complete remission, whereas the treatment modalities were ineffective in the patient with the large-cell non-Hodgkin-lymphoma. CONCLUSION: These results must be confirmed in a larger cohort of liver transplant recipients suffering from lymphoproliferation. However, they indicate rapid efficiency of Rituximab in association with reduced immunosuppression in these disorders.

Adult↗

Pneumonia due to Scedosporium apiospermum in a patient with HIV infection.

A 29-y-old woman from Congo Democratic Republic was admitted to hospital with dyspnoea of 5-months duration. Chest X-ray showed left white lung and infiltrates of the right superior lobe. The patient underwent left pneumonectomy. Histopathological examination showed pulmonary cavitary lesions and bronchectasis full of branching septated fungi. Cultures yielded Scedosperium apiospermum.

Adult↗