Search

Urticaria following the COVID-19 vaccine was rarely reported and had a short self-limited resolution. However, there has been relatively little literature published on CSU induced by COVID-19 vaccines.We describe a case series of patients who experienced CSU after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.A retrospective case series of 10 patients referred to the Department of Clinical Pharmacology of the University of Monastir (January 2021-January 2022) and included for evaluation of urticaria after COVID-19 vaccination.The median age was 31 years and patients were mostly female. Atopy was presented in 3 patients and urticaria was accompanied by angioedema in 6 patients. The median time interval between vaccination and the onset of urticaria was 28.5 h. The offended dose was the first one in 8 patients. The resolution of the eruption was observed at least 2 months later, despite the regular use of a full dose of antihistamine in nine patients. Polynuclear leucocytosis was identified in 5 patients. Anti-TPOAb was positive in one patient after receiving the BNT162b2 vaccine. Total serum IgE was elevated in 4 patients. Skin tests for the suspected vaccine as well as the vaccine excipient were negative.We add to the medical literature ten new cases of chronic spontaneous urticarial reactions following COVID-19 vaccines uncontrolled with high-dose first-generation H1 antihistamines.

BackgroundRapid revascularisation in acute ischaemic stroke is crucial to reduce its total burden including societal costs. A quality improvement (QI) project that included streamlining the stroke care pathway and simulation-based training was followed by a significant reduction in median door-to-needle time (27 to 13 min) and improved patient outcomes after stroke thrombolysis at our centre. Here, we present a retrospective cost-effectiveness analysis of the QI project.MethodsCosts for implementing and sustaining QI were assessed using recognised frameworks for economic evaluations. Effectiveness was calculated from previously published outcome measures. Cost-effectiveness was presented as incremental cost-effectiveness ratios including costs per minute door-to-needle time reduction per patient, and costs per averted death in the 13-month post-intervention period. We also estimated incremental cost-effectiveness ratios for a projected 5-year post-intervention period and for varying numbers of patients treated with thrombolysis. Furthermore, we performed a sensitivity analysis including and excluding costs of unpaid time.ResultsAll costs including fixed costs for implementing the QI project totalled US$44 802, while monthly costs were US$2141. We calculated a mean reduction in door-to-needle time of 13.1 min per patient and 6.36 annual averted deaths. Across different scenarios, the estimated costs per minute reduction in door-to-needle time per patient ranged from US$13 to US$29, and the estimated costs per averted death ranged from US$4679 to US$10 543.ConclusionsWe have shown that a QI project aiming to improve stroke thrombolysis treatment at our centre can be implemented and sustained at a relatively low cost with increasing cost-effectiveness over time. Our work builds on the emerging theory and practice for economic evaluations in QI projects and simulation-based training. The presented cost-effectiveness data might help guide healthcare leaders planning similar interventions.

In Tunisia, the pandemic is still ongoing, resulting in the burnout of healthcare providers.This study aimed to assess the impact of the management of COVID-19 patients on the physical and mental health of healthcare providers, and to identify the independent and predictive variables for the three components of severe burnout: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and lack of personal accomplishment at work.It was a cross-sectional survey. Data were collected between February 8, and April 11, 2021. Healthcare providers, who were positive for COVID, completed the questionnaire. The primary endpoint was to assess the degree of burnout in healthcare providers by adopting the original version of the severe Maslach Burnout Inventory: emotional exhaustion (≥30), depersonalization (≥12), and lack of personal accomplishment at work (≤ 33). A descriptive analysis followed by a bi- and multivariate analysis was performed to identify independent and predictive factors for each component of burnout.700 healthcare providers were audited. Emotional exhaustion was ≥ 30 in 86%, depersonalization was ≥ 12 in 61%, and lack of personal accomplishment at work was ≤ 33 in 69%. Of the 700 healthcare providers, 93% were working at the same time in the COVID units, 85% had not received compensatory rest. Healthcare provider who had been infected by COVID-19 was the only independent predictive variable of severe emotional exhaustion and severe depersonalization. Healthcare provider who had been infected by COVID-19 and did not have a compensatory rest were two independent predictive variables of severe lack of personal accomplishment at work.Healthcare provider who had been infected by COVID-19 was the only predictive variable of severe emotional exhaustion and severe depersonalization. Healthcare provider who had been infected by COVID-19 and did not have a compensatory rest were two independent and predictive variables of severe lack of personal accomplishment at work.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is an immunosuppressive tryptophan-depleting enzyme expressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissue. However, IDO has not been reported in the peripheral blood of NPC patients. The aim of this study was to analyze, IDO1 and IDO2 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression, the kynurenine (Kyn) and tryptophan (Trp) plasma levels, their clinical values and their relationship with cytokine levels in NPC.We evaluated IDO1 and IDO2 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by quantitative real-time PCR, plasma Trp and Kyn levels by HPLC, and cytokine levels by ELISA in 75 NPC patients and 51 healthy controls.Compared to controls, IDO1 mRNA expression was significantly upregulated and IDO2 mRNA expression was significantly downregulated in PBMC of patients. Also compared to controls, plasma Kyn levels and Kyn/Trp ratio were significantly higher in patients. At the time of diagnosis, the plasma Kyn/Trp ratio was associated with advanced cancer status and was an independent prognostic factor for worse disease-specific survival. According to cancer stages, IDO1 mRNA expression was positively correlated with plasma Kyn/Trp ratio in patients with earlier stages (I-II-III) but negatively correlated in patients with the late-stage cancer (IV). Tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 levels were significantly higher in patients compared to controls. Moreover, and despite treatment, patients simultaneously carrying high plasma Kyn/Trp ratio and high plasma IL-6 and IL-10 levels at diagnosis died approximately 1 year after first diagnosis.Measuring blood IDO mRNA expression and Kyn/Trp ratio at diagnosis could be a potential marker to evaluate NPC progression and predict survival outcome.

The aim of the present study was to assess the outcomes of an allergy work up of patients with a penicillin allergy label by primary care. Patients and methods An allergy work up was performed on adult patients with a history of a penicillin allergy seen by primary medical care in Monastir (Tunisia) between July 2016 and February 2018. Patients with negative skin tests (ST) were challenged with amoxicillin. Patients who were delabeled were subsequently contacted by phone in six months to determine outcomes after any therapeutic penicillin-class antibiotic intake. Results A total of 39 patients were evaluated and 33 (84.6%) were delabeled. Five patients were penicillin skin test positive and one was oral challenge positive. We succeeded in contacting 33 delabeled patients at six months. Twenty two patients had tolerated a subsequent therapeutic course of amoxicillin, eight patients did not retook a penicillin due to a lack of therapeutic indication, and three patients refused an indicated penicillin use fearful of another reaction. Conclusion We highlights the importance of allergy work up in the diagnosis of beta-lactam hypersensitivity. Most patients were excessively labeled as beta-lactam allergic and this mislabeling could increase the health care costs and leads to the development of drug resistance by the use of wide spectrum antibiotics.

SMARCA4-deficient thoracic sarcoma (SMARCA4-DTS) is a recently identified aggressive subtype of sarcoma. We present the case of a 44-year-old man who underwent a surgery for a perforated small intestine. Compued tomography scan revealed a tissular mediastino–pulmonary mass.Histopathological examination of the intestinal mass shown a malignant tumour with a typical epithelioid and rhabdoid cells, numerous mitoses and large necrosis. A large panel of immunohistochemistry revealed loss of SMARCA4 and SMARCA2 and allowed the diagnosis of SMARCA4-DTS. It is important to consider SMARCA4-deficient thoracic sarcoma in the differential diagnosis of tumours showing suggestive morphologic features in patients of all ages, especially in the case of metastasis associated with thoracic mass.

A regular therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of isoniazid could be useful to predict the acetylation profile and to prescribe doses associated with optimal efficacy and safety. We aimed to assess the usefulness of isoniazid TDM in the Tunisian population, to describe the acetylation profile distribution in this population, and to investigate the influence of certain parameters on acetylation phenotype. We performed a retrospective study including Tunisian patients with tuberculosis underwent an isoniazid TDM. Isoniazid concentrations were measured 3 hours after drug intake (C3 ). Subsequent isoniazid doses were adjusted to maintain the C3 within the recommended target (1-2 µg/mL). Patients were qualified as slow acetylators (SAs) or rapid acetylators (RAs) according to their acetylation index. Among the 255 patients, 58% were SAs and 42% were RAs. Of all patients, only 30.6% had a C3 value within the target range. A dose adjustment has been performed for patients with C3 outside the target range. C3 was controlled in 77 patients. It became within the target range in 39 patients (50.6%). The median recommended isoniazid weight doses for SAs and RAs were 2.1 ± 0.7 mg/kg and 4.2 ± 1.4 mg/kg, respectively. The multivariate analysis showed that body weight, C3, and C3 /isoniazid dose were found to be significantly different between the 2 acetylation groups. In the pediatric group, only 9 had a C3 value within the target range, and all of them were RAs. The irrevocable interest of isoniazid TDM has been shown in Tunisian patients with tuberculosis, in both adult and pediatric patients, as isoniazid demonstrates an unpredictable pharmacokinetic profile.

Introduction:the simplified diabetes knowledge scale is used to obtain a general assessment of diabetic´s knowledge about diabetes and its care. For clinical and methodological purposes, it was relevant and necessary to develop an Arabic version of this instrument. Thus, the aim of this study was to translate and validate the simplified diabetes knowledge scale (SDKS) into Arabic to measure the knowledge of Arabic-speaking diabetics. Methods:a methodological validation study of the simplified diabetes knowledge scale, following the guidelines of Vallerand was carried out. A convenience sample of diabetics followed in eight basic health centers in Sousse region and in Farhat Hached and Sahloul University Hospitals was recruited. An Arabic questionnaire including the demographic and clinical data of the diabetic and the final experimental version of the simplified diabetes knowledge scale was used. Results:a sample of 333 diabetics was recruited. Content validity of the final experimental version was 0.94. Reliability assessed by Cronbach´s alpha coefficient (0.812), by test-retest correlation coefficient (> 0.60) and by internal consistency after deletion of each item (from 0.788 to 0.816) were acceptable except items 19 and 20 which had to be reformulated. Construct validity analysis identified that three items among the 20 ones (12, 17 and 20) required reformulation. Inter-item correlation matrix showed that the majority of items were not correlated with each other. Validation process was ended by establishing standards table. Conclusion:this study showed the Arabic version of the simplified diabetes knowledge scale had good validity and reliability.

Background Mini-invasive colorectal cancer surgery was adopted widely in recent years. This meta-analysis aimed to compare hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) with open right hemicolectomy (OS) for malignant disease. Methods PRISMA guidelines with random effects model were adopted using Review Manager Version 5.3 for pooled estimates. Results Seven studies that involved 506 patients were included. Compared to OS, HALS improved results in terms of blood loss (MD = 53.67, 95% CI 10.67 to 96.67, p = 0.01), time to first flatus (MD = 21.11, 95% CI 14.99 to 27.23, p < 0.00001), postoperative pain score, and overall hospital stay (MD = 3.47, 95% CI 2.12 to 4.82, p < 0.00001). There was no difference as concerns post-operative mortality, morbidity (OR = 1.55, 95% CI 0.89 to 2.7, p = 0.12), wound infection (OR = 1.69, 95% CI 0.60 to 4.76, p = 0.32), operative time (MD = − 16.10, 95% CI [− 36.57 to 4.36], p = 0.12), harvested lymph nodes (MD = 0.59, 95% CI − 0.18 to 1.36, p = 0.13), and recurrence (OR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.30 to 3.15, p = 0.96). Conclusions HALS is an efficient alternative to OS in right colectomy which combines the advantages of OS with the mini-invasive surgery.

Behçet disease is a multi-systemic complex vasculitis with unknown etiology characterized by different clinical involvements, including mucocutaneous, ocular, vascular, articular, neurological, and gastrointestinal manifestations. Growing evidence supports that different phenotypes, characterized by clusters of co-existing involvements, can be distinguished. Namely, the vascular phenotype identifies a specific group of patients who suffer from recurrent inflammatory thrombosis and arterial involvement. Vascular disease develops in up to 40% with a definite male preponderance and is usually an early manifestation. Venous involvement is significantly more common than arterial disease, and lower extremity deep vein thrombosis is its most frequent manifestation. Arterial disease involves mostly pulmonary arteries and aorta and manifests mainly in the form of aneurysms. Glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants are the recommended first-line treatments in vasculo-Behçet. Furthermore, controlled trials are still needed to assess the role of adding anticoagulation to the treatment regimen, with an accent on new oral anticoagulants. Treatment with anti-TNF alpha agents seems promising, but the management strategies are not clear yet.

BackgroundTuberculosis represents a serious public health problem and a significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenge worldwide. Molecular diagnostic techniques are crucial in the World Health Organization’s new tuberculosis control strategy.This study aims to evaluate the performance of GeneXpert MTB/RIF (Cepheid Sunnyvale, CA, United States) in diagnosis of extra-pulmonary tuberculosis then compare it’s performance in detecting Rifampicin resistance to GenoType MTBDRplus (HAIN Life Sciences, Nehren, Germany).MethodsSamples from pulmonary and/or extra-pulmonary origins were analysed in a 21 months retrospective study. Samples were sent to the bacteriology laboratory forMycobacterium tuberculosisdetection using conventional bacteriological and molecular methods (GeneXpert MTB/RIF and MTBDRplus). Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for the stained smear and GeneXpert according to culture (Gold Standard) as well as for GeneXpert MTB/RIF in both negative and positive microscopy tuberculosis cases. Data’s statistical analysis was performed with SPSS13.0 software.ResultsSeven hundred fourteen patients’ samples were analysed; the average age was 47.21 ± 19.98 years with a male predominance (66.4%). Out of 714 samples: 285 were from pulmonary and 429 were from extra-pulmonary origins. The positivity rates for microscopy, GeneXpert MTB/RIF and culture were 12.88, 20.59 and 15.82%, respectively. These rates were 18.9, 23.85 and 20.35% for pulmonary samples and 9.71, 18.41 and 12.82% for extra-pulmonary samples, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of GeneXpert MTB/RIF were almost the same in both pulmonary and extra-pulmonary samples (78.2 and 90.4%) and (79,3 and 90.3%) respectively.Rifampicin resistance rate found by GeneXpert MTB/RIF was 0.84%. Comparison of Rifampicin resistance obtained by GeneXpert MTB/RIF and Genotype MTBDRplus, showed 100% agreement between the two techniques for studied samples.ConclusionsThis confirms GeneXpert MTB/RIF advantage for tuberculosis diagnosis, particularly extra-pulmonary tuberculosis with negatively stained smear. The performance of GeneXpert and Genotype MTBDRplus are similar in detection of Rifampicin resistance. However, variability of detection performance according to tuberculosis endemicity deserves more attention in the choice of screening techniques of Rifampicin resistance, hence the interest of conducting comparative studies of detection performance under low and medium endemicity on large samples of tuberculosis populations.

Although clinically apparent metastasis is associated with late stages of cancer development, micro-metastatic dissemination may be an early event. However, the fate of these early disseminated tumor cells (DTC) remains elusive. We show that despite their capacity to disseminate into secondary organs, 4T1 tumor models develop overt metastasis while EMT6-tumor bearing mice clear DTCs shed from primary tumors as well as those introduced by intravenous (IV) injection. Following the surgical resection of primary EMT6 tumors, mice do not develop detectable metastasis and reject IV-injected tumor cells. In contrast, these cells readily grow and metastasize in immuno-deficient athymic or Rag2−/− mice, an effect mimicked by CD8+ T-cell depletion in immunocompetent mice. Furthermore, recombinant G-CSF or adoptive transfer of granulocytic-MDSCs isolated from 4T1 tumor-bearing mice, induce metastasis by suppressing CD8+ T-cells in EMT6-primed mice. Our studies support the concept of immune surveillance providing molecular insights into the immune mechanisms during tumor progression., Dissemination of tumor cells from the primary site is an early event. Here, the authors show that the early disseminated tumor cells are actively cleared by the host cytotoxic T lymphocytes induced by the primary tumor and that infiltration of granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells counteracts such immune protection and allow metastasis development.

Pathology is a specialty of high malpractice risk. For that reason, we programmed a training session of the residents in Pathology with an association of traditional methods of learning and case-based brainstorming sessions.We aimed to train them about our national tort law and to make them aware of the different medicolegal errors that they have to avoid in their routine practice.Trainees completed a pre-test (3 multiple-choice questions (MCQ) and 4 medical malpractice cases involving pathologists), attended lectures covering standards in pathology, the legal responsibility of pathologists and the notion of medical malpractice error in pathology, brainstormed about legal cases (different than in the pre-test), participated in a conference covering telepathology, digital molecular pathology and social media and finally completed a post-test (same as the pre-test). We tried to assess the impact of the session using a questionnaire that different trainees ( who were present or absent in the training session) fulfilled one month after the training session. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to determine whether there were significant differences between the scores among pathologists according to their level of training in the speciality.The results indicated that performance on the post-test significantly improved on questions associated with 2 of the 4 cases. Trainees were concordant with actual case verdicts at a rate of 38% for pre-test and 54% for post-test. Most (76.5%) students felt they had an active role in the training and felt they achieved goals (94.1%).The association of different methods of learning is helpful in training pathologists about medicolegal malpractice.

The aim of this study was to translate and analyze the psychometric properties of the third version of the Arabic Diabetes Attitude Scale.A methodological study of psychometric validation of the scale according to the guidelines of Vallerand cross-cultural validation was conducted. Type 1 and type 2 diabetics, aged 18 and over, without cognitive impairment or altered mental status were recruited on a convenience-sampling basis. An Arabic-language self-administrated developed questionnaire including diabetics' demographic and clinical data and the experimental third version of the Diabetes Attitude Scale was used. All Vallerand cross-cultural validation steps were completed except for convergent validity and confirmatory analysis.A sample of 333 diabetics was recruited. Reliability and validity of the experimental version of the scale were satisfactory. Correlations between test and retest dimensions were close to 1, and overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the experimental version was 0.769. The content validity index was 0.82 proving the accuracy of the concept measurements by the scale. Principal components analysis, by orthogonal Varimax rotation, produced nine factors. Correlation coefficients between the five dimensions of the theoretical model of the scale ranged from 0.002 to 0.367, confirming that each dimension measured a single content.The third version of the Arabic Diabetes Attitude Scale has been proven valid and reliable. It is ready for use in clinical practice.

Introduction The Ibn Rochd CHU is a tertiary care structure that provides care for the most severe cases of COVID‐19 requiring hospitalization in intensive care. The objective of study is to describe the complementary medical and psychological care of patients with COVID‐19 in the endocrinology department after a stay in intensive care. Patients and methods This is a descriptive observational study of patients transferred from the intensive care unit to the endocrinology service following a COVID‐19 infection during the period from 17 April 2020 to May 26, 2020. Clinical characteristics of the patients and complications related to COVID‐19 infection were studied; a nutritional assessment using the MNA nutritional status assessment questionnaire; psychological assessment using quality of life questionnaires (Hamilton depression and anxiety, HAD, SF36, PCLS); a treatment satisfaction questionnaire (TQCMII), and an assessment of patient autonomy by the ADL score. Result Our study included 41 patients with an average age of 55 years (19‐85 years), a sex ratio M/F of 1.05, 43.9% were diabetic, 34.1% hypertensive, 4.9% asthmatic and 5% obese, 51.2% were severe and critical cases. The average ICU stay is 8.42 days, requiring intubation in 12.2% of cases. All patients were treated with the Hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin, vitamin C, zinc and corticosteroid protocol, 14.6% had undernutrition and 65.9% had a risk of undernutrition. The average BMI was 25.34 kg / m² (17‐42), 61% had experienced weight loss, which was greater than 8kg in 26.1% of cases, 12.2 % of patients were not autonomous, 12.2% had moderate depression, 2.4% severe depression, 14.6% mild to moderate anxiety, 12.2% severe anxiety and 29.3% suffered acute post‐traumatic stress disorder. Conclusion Patients with COVID‐19 are, in addition to the complications from coronavirus infection, vulnerable to undernutrition, psychological and motor complications. Additional care before discharge is essential for better integration of patients into their families.

Background Fixed drug eruption (FDE) represents a drug-related cutaneous reaction. Many drugs been associated with this clinical entity, with continually evolving documentation of implicated agents and clinical presentations. A bullous form can occur although it is rare. Objectives To assess the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of FDE. Methods We retrospectively analysed all FDE cases who presented to the Clinical Pharmacology Department at the University Hospital, Monastir, Tunisia, for allergy workup. Results The mean age of the 41 confirmed FDE cases was 43.8 ± 15.5 years. The time between first lesion onset and FDE diagnosis was less than 1 month for 13 patients (31.7%). Fifteen patients had bullous lesions. The upper limbs were the most common location (65.9% of cases). The patch tests were positive in 27 cases; a provocation test yielded a positive response in the four cases tested. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were involved in 51.2%, antibiotics in 24.4%, and other analgesics in 19.5%. The most common offending drug was mefenamic acid in 24.4% of cases. Bullous lesions were significantly associated with paracetamol intake (P = .014; odds ratio 16.7; 95% confidence interval: 1.76-158). Conclusions NSAIDs and antibiotics were the most implicated in inducing FDE; paracetamol was associated with bullous lesions.

BackgroundIn eligible patients with acute ischaemic stroke, rapid revascularisation is crucial for good outcome. At our treatment centre, we had achieved and sustained a median door-to-needle time of under 30 min. We hypothesised that further improvement could be achieved through implementing a revised treatment protocol and in situ simulation-based team training sessions. This report describes a quality improvement project aiming to reduce door-to-needle times in stroke thrombolysis.MethodsAll members of the acute stroke treatment team were surveyed to tailor the interventions to local conditions. Through a review of responses and available literature, the improvement team suggested changes to streamline the protocol and designed in situ simulation-based team training sessions. Implementation of interventions started in February 2017. We completed 14 simulation sessions from February to June 2017 and an additional 12 sessions from November 2017 to March 2018. Applying Kirkpatrick’s four-level training evaluation model, participant reactions, clinical behaviour and patient outcomes were measured. Statistical process control charts were used to demonstrate changes in treatment times and patient outcomes.ResultsA total of 650 consecutive patients, including a 3-year baseline, treated with intravenous thrombolysis were assessed. Median door to needle times were significantly reduced from 27 to 13 min and remained consistent after 13 months. Risk-adjusted cumulative sum charts indicate a reduced proportion of patients deceased or bedridden after 90 days. There was no significant change in balancing measures (stroke mimics, fatal intracranial haemorrhage and prehospital times).ConclusionsImplementing a revised treatment protocol in combination with in situ simulation-based team training sessions for stroke thrombolysis was followed by a considerable reduction in door-to-needle times and improved patient outcomes. Additional work is needed to assess sustainability and generalisability of the interventions.

The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency and nature of chromosomal abnormalities involved in patients with the clinical spectrum of ambiguous genitalia (AG), amenorrhea, and Turner phenotype, in order to compare them with those reported elsewhere. The study was conducted in the Cytogenetic Department of Pasteur Institute of Morocco, and it reports on the patients who were recruited between 1996 and 2016. Cytogenetic analysis was performed according to the standard method. Among 1,415 patients, chromosomal abnormalities were identified in 7.13% (48/673) of patients with AG, 17.39% (28/161) of patients with primary amenorrhea (PA), 4% (1/25) of patients with secondary amenorrhea, and 23.20% (129/556) of patients with Turner phenotype. However, Turner syndrome was diagnosed in 0.89% (6/673) of patients with AG, 10.56% (17/161) of patients with PA, and 19.78% (110/556) of patients with Turner phenotype. In addition, Klinefelter syndrome and mixed gonadal dysgenesis were confirmed in 2.97% and 1.93% of patients, respectively, with AG, while, chimerism, trisomy 8, and trisomy 13 were confirmed only in 0.15% each. Trisomy 21 was confirmed in patients with AG and Turner phenotype (0.15% and 0.36%, respectively). Moreover, 5.60% (9/161) of patients with PA have been diagnosed as having sex reversal. Thus, the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities observed in Moroccan patients with PA is comparable to that reported in Tunisia, Turkey, Iran, and Hong Kong. However, the frequency is significantly less than that identified in India, Malaysia, Italy, and Romania.

Background: In case of situs inversus (SI), laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is challenging. This systematic review aimed to assess the appropriate technique for LC in SI.Methods: An electronic se...

Thyroid cancer often has good prognosis but can impact quality of life. The objective of this study is to evaluate quality of life in patients treated for differentiated thyroid carcinoma and look for associated factors. An observational cross-sectional study with comparison group was conducted in the Endocrinology Department of the Ibn Rochd University Hospital between October 2013 and February 2015. The patient group included 124 adult patients followed for differentiated thyroid carcinoma; the control group comprised 124 healthy subjects of the same age. Quality of life was evaluated by 3 questionnaires validated in Arabic: SF36, Hamilton anxiety and Hamilton depression. Patients' quality of life was significantly impaired compared to controls on the two Hamilton and all SF36 scores. Factors influencing quality of life were TNM stage, radioiodine therapy and dose, and the presence of metastases. The psychological management of patients with thyroid cancer is an essential point always to be considered, especially in the presence of risk factors for impaired quality of life.

This study aims to predict poor glycemic control during Ramadan among non-fasting patients with diabetes using machine learning models.First, we conducted three consultations, before, during, and after Ramadan to assess demographics, diabetes history, caloric intake, anthropometric and metabolic parameters. Second, machine learning techniques (Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine, Naive Bayes, K-nearest neighbor, Decision Tree, Random Forest, Extra Trees Classifier and Catboost) were trained using the data to predict poor glycemic control among patients. Then, we conducted several simulations with the best performing machine learning model using variables that were found as main predictors of poor glycemic control.The prevalence of poor glycemic control among patients was 52.6%. Extra tree Classifier was the best performing model for glycemic deterioration (accuracy = 0.87, AUC = 0,87). Caloric intake evolution, gender, baseline caloric intake, baseline weight, BMI variation, waist circumference evolution and Total Cholesterol serum level after Ramadan were selected as the most significant for the prediction of poor glycemic control. We determined thresholds for each predicting factor among which this risk is present.The clinical use of our findings may help to improve glycemic control during Ramadan among patients who do not fast by targeting risk factors of poor glycemic control.

International audience; Aim: The aims of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to assess to what extent probiotics/synbiotics reduce infectious complications after colorectal surgery and whether probiotics or synbiotics should be considered as perioperative measures preventing or reducing infectious complications after CRS and should be included in enhanced recovery programmes (ERP). Secondary aims were to answer practical questions precisely on the best formulation and the type and timing of probiotics or synbiotics in CRS. Method: This systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Inclusion criteria were randomised trials comparing perioperative probiotics/synbiotics with a placebo or standard care in elective colorectal surgery. Exclusion criteria were non-randomised trials. Overall infectious complications and surgical site infections (SSIs including both deep abdominal infections and wound (skin or under the skin) infections) were the primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes were pulmonary and urinary infections, wound infections, and anastomotic leaks. The databases consulted were Medline, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Scopus, and Clinical Trials Register. Risk of bias was assessed according to the GRADE approach. The analysis calculated the random effects estimates risk ratio (RR) for each outcome. Results: 21 trials were included; 15 evaluated probiotics, and 6 evaluated synbiotics. There were significantly fewer infectious complications (risk ratio (RR) 0.59 [0.47-0.75], I 2 = 15%) and fewer SSI (RR 0.70 [0.52-0.95], I 2 = 0%) in the probiotic or synbiotic group. There were also significantly fewer pulmonary infections (RR 0.35 [0.20-0.63]) and urinary infections RR 0.41 [0.19-0.87]) as opposed to anastomotic leaks (RR 0.83 [0.47-1.48]) and wound infections (RR 0.74 [0.53-1.03]). Sensitivity analyses showed no significant difference between probiotics and synbiotics in reducing postoperative infections (RR 0.55 [0.42-0.73] versus RR 0.69 [0.42-1.13], p = 0.46). Conclusions: Based on the finding of this study, probiotics/synbiotics reduce infectious complications after colorectal surgery. The effect size was more pronounced for pulmonary and urinary infections. From a practical aspect, some of the questions related to formulations and duration of probiotics or synbiotics need to be answered before including them definitively in enhanced recovery after colorectal surgery programmes.

Cutaneous lesions may represent the initial sign of various neoplasms in children, including histiocytosis, neuroblastomas, and lymphomas. Primary cutaneous lymphoblastic lymphomas are rare and involve mostly the B-cell phenotype. Herein, we report a case of isolated, primary B-lymphoblastic lymphoma in a 7-month-old infant and emphasize the importance of early diagnosis.

Neuropathy is a frequent complication in diabetic patients with variable clinical presentations and evolutions.The purpose of the study was to specify the clinical features of diabetic third nerve palsy, to assess the risk factors and to observe its evolution.We report a series of 11 diabetic patients with oculomotor paralysis collected in the department of endocrinology and diabetology of FarhatHached Hospital of Sousse between 1996 and 2005.Our study was about 6 men and 5 women with an average age of 63.6 ± 13.7 years. All patients had type 2 diabetes. Eight patients presented with diplopia, three with periocular pain and 6 with headache. The oculomotor palsy was unilateral in all cases. All patients were in glycemic imbalance at the time of the diagnosis of ptosis and they were at high cardiovascular risk. The evolution under optimal equilibrium of diabetes and control of cardiovascular risk factors was marked by regression and disappearance in 4 patients, homo or contralateral recurrence in 4 patients and persistence of the palsy in 1 patient.Glycemic equilibrium and ischemic phenomena due to cardiovascular risk factors are at the root of these oculomotor paralyses in diabetic patients. The evolution of diabetic mononevritis remains unpredictable despite the control of blood glucose levels and cardiovascular risk factors.

The article starts with a report on the history of medical simulation with some examples, and then it explores the evolution of mannequins and the methods using simulation in medicine, from the beginning to their present use.

Anastomotic recurrence after intestinal resection is one of the main embarrassing problems encountered during Crohn’s disease (CD) management. This complication is often associated with an expected consequence, mainly a multiple intestinal resection. This systematic review evaluates published evidence on surgical features to reduce surgical recurrence after bowel resection and provide surgeons with recommendations based on published evidence. We conducted bibliographic research on September 05, 2020, through PubMed, Cochrane database, and Google scholar. We retained meta-analysis, randomized clinical trials, and controlled clinical trials. The strength of clinical data and subsequent recommendations were graded according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. Fourteen articles were retained. Early resection reduces surgical relapse and the need for additional medical treatment. There was no difference between conventional and laparoscopic bowel resection. Mesenteric excision seems to reduce surgical recurrence. Stapled side-to-side anastomosis reduces surgical recurrence. However, no difference was observed between Kono-S anastomosis ensure at least similar anastomotic recurrence rate compared to conventional anastomosis. Surgical recurrence was reduced after bowel resection when compared to stricturoplasty. There was no difference between the one and two steps resection. Several surgical features have been investigated. Some of them were unanimously found to be effective in lengthening the disease-free relapse. However, others are still controversial.

Introduction l´infertilité du couple est devenue ces dernières années un problème de santé publique, dont l´origine peut être féminine, masculine ou mixte. L´origine masculine est incriminée dans 40% des cas. Au Maroc, la plupart des publications ont été axées sur les étiologies et les facteurs de risque de l´infertilité masculine. L´objectif de notre étude est l´évaluation de la prévalence de l´infertilité masculine et le profil des paramètres spermatiques chez les hommes infertiles ou à risque d´infertilité au sein d´un hôpital tertiaire à Rabat. Méthodes analyse de 482 patients adressés pour bilan d´infertilité du couple ou dans le cadre du bilan préopératoire d´une varicocèle ou d´une ectopie testiculaire. Les données démographiques, les facteurs de risque d´infertilité, le caractère primaire ou secondaire de l´infertilité ont été enregistrées pour chaque patient. Les paramètres spermatiques ont été étudiés et interprétés selon les normes actualisées de l´OMS en 2010 avec études des facteurs associés à leur perturbation. Résultats l´âge moyen des patients était de 35,35±8,81 ans. L´infertilité était primaire dans 61,8%. Les facteurs de risque d´infertilité les plus fréquemment retrouvés sont le tabac suivi par la varicocèle et l´infection. Le spermogramme était perturbé dans 53,1%. L´anomalie la plus fréquente était la perturbation de la vitalité (36,9%) suivie par la concentration spermatique (29,7%) et la morphologie (29,3%). L´âge était le seul facteur ayant un impact significatif sur le spermogramme (p=0,002). Les anomalies de la mobilité se voient à partir de 31 ans, la vitalité est perturbée à 34 ans, la morphologie à 35 ans et la concentration à 37 ans. L´azoospermie a été retrouvée dans 16,4% essentiellement associée à l´infertilité primaire. L´oligo-asthéno-tératospermie était l´association la plus représentée (26,2%). Conclusion l´infertilité masculine est fréquente dans notre contexte, l´âge étant son principal facteur de risque. La mobilité est le paramètre le plus précocement atteint.

Introduction:metabolic steatopathy or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is frequently associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with an increased risk of progression to advanced fibrosis. The purpose of our study was to determine the interest of hepatic steatosis index (HSI) in the detection of hepatic steatosis in patients with type 2 diabetes in order to establish an appropriate screening program of this disease in our population. Methods:cross-sectional study involving 281 type 2 diabetics hospitalized in the Department of Endocrinology in collaboration with the hepato-gastroenterology department at the University Hospital Ibn Rochd Casablanca between January 2018 and June 2018. Anthropometric variables studied were, biological, hepatic steatosis index (HSI) and liver ultrasound. The HSI score of> 36 predicted the presence of fatty liver. The HSI score (fatty liver index) was calculated for all patients using the following formula: 8 × (ALT / AST) + BMI + 2 (if type 2 diabetes) + 2 (if female). Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS Version19 software. The sensitivity and the specificity of the HSI score were calculated by 2x2 contingency table. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was also analyzed. Results:average age of patients was 54.15 ± 13.14 years with a female predominance (76.9% of cases), and a sex ratio of 3.32. Mean duration of diabetes of 10.5 ± 8.03 years with an average glycated hemoglobin of 10.23 ± 1.96%. BMI was 29.53 ± 4.55 kg/m², the average waist circumference was 99.51 ± 10.98 cm. 39.1% of patients were hypertensive, 58% were dyslipidemic. Abnormalities in transaminases were found in 6% of patients. Prevalence of NAFLD was 45.2% based on the HSI score > 36. This prevalence is consistent with the findings made by the liver ultrasound (47.7% of cases). Hepatic steatosis was significantly correlated with dyslipidemia (P=0.006), overweight (P=0.00015), obesity (P=0.001) and hypertriglyceridemia (P=0.0003). The sensitivity of HSI was 89.55%, negative predictive value (NPV) was 90.91%, specificity was 95.24%, and positive predictive value (PPV) was 94.49%. AUROC for HSI was at 0.979 (95% CI, 0.962-0.997). Conclusion:hepatic steatosis is common among our patients; it is correlated with dyslipidemia, obesity and hypertriglyceridemia.

This study aimed to develop a population pharmacokinetic model using full pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles of isoniazid (INH) taking into account demographic and genetic covariates and to develop Bayesian estimators for predicting INH area under the curve (AUC) in Tunisian tuberculosis patients. The INH concentrations in the building data set were fitted using a one- to three-compartment model. The impact of the different covariates was assessed on the PK parameters of the best model. The best limited sampling strategy (LSS) for estimating the INH AUC was selected by comparing the predicted values to an independent data set. INH PK was best described using a three-compartment model with lag-time absorption. The different studied covariates did not have any impact on the PK parameters of the building model. The Bayesian estimation using one-point concentrations gave the lowest values of prediction errors for the C3 LSS model. This model could be sufficient in routine activity for INH monitoring in this population.

Summary Introduction The nutritional diagnosis and early nutritional management of COVID-19 patients must be integrated into the overall therapeutic strategy. The aim of our study is to assess the nutritional status of patients with COVID-19 after a stay in intensive care, to describe the prevalence of undernutrition, to determine the factors influencing undernutrition and to describe the nutritional management. Tools and methods This is a descriptive observational study of adult patients admitted to the endocrinology service for additional care after a stay in intensive care during the period from April 17, 2020 to May 26, 2020. The assessment tool used was the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA). Results Our study included 41 patients; the average age of the patients was 55 years, 51.2% had a severe or critical form of COVID-19, 75.6% stayed in intensive care, 12.2% had a loss of autonomy. The average BMI was 25.2 kg/m2 (17–42 kg/m2), 42.5% were overweight, 61% had weight loss, 26.2% had weight loss greater than 10%, 14.6% of our patients were undernourished, 65.9% were at risk of undernutrition, 19.5% had hypoalbuminemia, 17.1% had hypoprotidemia, 19.5% hypocalcemia, 34.1% anemia, 12.2% hypomagnesemia and 51.2% had a deficiency in vitamin D. A positive correlation was found between poor nutritional status and a longer stay in intensive care (>5 days) (p = 0.011) and lymphopenia (p = 0,02). Conclusion Despite a personalized diet, 14.6% of patients presented undernutrition. Particular attention should be paid to patients with a long stay in intensive care.

BackgroundActivating the Stimulator of Interferon Genes (STING) adaptor incites antitumor immunity against immunogenic tumors in mice, prompting clinical trials to test STING activators. However, STING signaling in the tumor microenvironment (TME) during development of Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) suppresses antitumor immunity to promote tumor growth. We hypothesized that local immune balance favoring suppression of antitumor immunity also attenuates antitumor responses following STING activation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how STING activation impacts antitumor responses in mice bearing LLC tumors.MethodsMice bearing established LLC tumors were treated with synthetic cyclic diadenyl monophosphate (CDA) to activate STING. Mice were monitored to assess LLC tumor growth, survival and protective antitumor immunity. Transcriptional and metabolic analyses were used to identify pathways responsive to CDA, and mice were co-treated with CDA and drugs that disrupt these pathways.ResultsCDA slowed LLC tumor growth but most CDA-treated mice (77%) succumbed to tumor growth. No evidence of tumor relapse was found in surviving CDA-treated mice at experimental end points but mice were not immune to LLC challenge. CDA induced rapid increase in immune regulatory pathways involving programmed death-1 (PD-1), indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase (IDO) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) in the TME. PD-1 blockade enhanced antitumor responses to CDA and increased mouse survival but mice did not eliminate primary tumor burdens. Two IDO inhibitor drugs had little or no beneficial effects on antitumor responses to CDA. A third IDO inhibitor drug synergized with CDA to enhance tumor control and survival but mice did not eliminate primary tumor burdens. In contrast, co-treatments with CDA and the COX2-selective inhibitor celecoxib controlled tumor growth, leading to uniform survival without relapse, and mice acquired resistance to LLC re-challenge and growth of distal tumors not exposed directly to CDA. Thus, mice co-treated with CDA and celecoxib acquired stable and systemic antitumor immunity.ConclusionsSTING activation incites potent antitumor responses and boosts local immune regulation to attenuate antitumor responses. Blocking STING-responsive regulatory pathways synergizes with CDA to enhance antitumor responses, particularly COX2 inhibition. Thus, therapy-induced resistance to STING may necessitate co-treatments to disrupt regulatory pathways responsive to STING in patients with cancer.

Clozapine (Clz) is an atypical antipsychotic, which its pharmacokinetics can be influenced by several factors. The CYP1A2 and CYP2C19, major enzymes implicated in Clz metabolism, present an interethnic variation on their activity caused by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The present study investigated the influence of genetic and nongenetic factors on Clz pharmacokinetics in a southern Mediterranean population. We included adult Tunisian schizophrenic patients having received Clz and undergone a therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of Clz by morning C0 monitoring. The genomic DNA was extracted using a salting-out procedure. CYP1A2*1F (rs762551;−163C>A), CYP1A2*1C (rs2069514;−3860 G>A) and CYP 2C19*2 (rs4244285; 681G>A) was analyzed using PCR-RFLP. Fifty-one patients were enrolled in the study. The mutant allele (CYP1A2*1F) was the most frequently detected (58.8%). For CYP1A2*1F, Clz dose-normalized (C0/D ratio) was as high as 1.28 ± 0.37 in CC versus 0.67 ± 0.32 ng mL−1 per mg day−1 in AA group (p A on the variation of Clz exposure in Tunisian schizophrenic patients. Considering its narrow therapeutic range, CYP1A2 genotyping combined with TDM of Clz may improve efficacy and safety of this drug. Further studies are needed to investigate this issue.

Introduction:thyroid carcinoma is more frequent in women of reproductive age. It can affect both fertility and the course of pregnancy. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of pregnancy as a factor of recurrence or progression, on the prognosis of thyroid carcinoma. Methods:we conducted a retrospective cohort study of 117 young female patients followed up for papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) at the Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Metabolic Diseases of Ibn Rochd University Hospital of Casablanca, from January 2010 to December 2018, divided into 2 groups: group 1 composed of pregnant patients (n=42) and group 2 being the control group (n=75). Statistical analysis was made using SPSS software version 22.0.0. Results:average age of pregnant patients was 35 ± 6.5 years old. Mean duration between first pregnancy and treatment completion was 4.4 ± 3.1 years. Over an average treatment duration of 14.4 months in postpartum, 30 patients were in remission (thyroglobulin (Tg)

Establish a descriptive epidemiological profile of patients with Catheter Related Bladder Discomfort (CRBD) and identify its predictive factors.Between June 2019 and December 2019, 300 patients have been evaluated. Different parameters were taken into account including: sex, age, body mass index (BMI), historical health data, duration and indications of the urinary catheterization, type of the transurethral catheter used, lubrication of the catheter and the existence of CRBD. We grouped our patients according to the intensity of CRBD syndrome. The various factors likely to be correlated with the occurrence of CRBD were subject of a univariate then multivariate analysis.300 patients were included. The average age was 49 years (133 men and 167 women). 68 patients (22.6%) had history of urinary catheterization. 19% of patients were catheterized for acute urinary retention, while 81% were catheterized before surgery. The average duration of the urinary catheterization was 2.5 days. 54% showed CRBD symptoms, including more than 92% on the first day of the urinary catheterization. The significant risk factors in multivariate analysis were: the caliber of the catheter ≥18 Fr, the absence of lubrication, laparotomy, age50 years, Cesarean and urinary catheterization medical history.This study identified various factors incriminated in the occurrence of CRBD. The role of the hospital practitioner is to prevent this syndrome by reducing predictive factors, particularly the technical ones.3.

INTRODUCTION: le microcarcinome de la thyroide est un cancer de bon pronostic mais qui peut avoir un retentissement sur la qualite de vie des patients. L´objectif de l´etude est d´evaluer la depression et l´anxiete chez les patients suivis pour microcarcinome differencie de la thyroide et de les comparer aux autres stades du cancer. METHODES: etude transversale observationnelle menee entre octobre 2013 et fevrier 2015. L´etude a inclus les patients adultes suivis pour carcinome differencie de la thyroide. La depression et l´anxiete ont ete evalue en utilisant deux echelles de qualite de vie, dont la traduction a ete validee en arabe: le Hamilton anxiete et Hamilton depression. Les patients ont ete repartis en deux groupes, un groupe microcarcinome de la thyroide et un groupe non microcarcinome. L´analyse des donnees faite par le logiciel SPSS. 16. RESULTATS: l´etude a concerne 37 patients suivis pour un microcarcinome differencie de la thyroide, et un groupe de comparaison de 87 patients suivis pour autres stades de cancer differencie de la thyroide. La qualite de vie des patients dans le groupe avec microcarcinome de la thyroide etait meilleure par rapport aux autres stades de carcinome differencie de la thyroide. La presence de microcarcinome de la thyroide etait associe significativement a une absence d´anxiete (p = 0,042), une tendance positive a ete note sur le Hamilton depression (mais p non significatif). CONCLUSION: la qualitA© de vie des patients dans le groupe avec microcarcinome de la thyroA¯de A©tait meilleure par rapport aux autres stades de carcinome diffA©renciA© de la thyroA¯de. Ceci pouvant Aatre expliquA© par la non agressivitA© du traitement (absence de traitement par l´iode, et objectif de TSH plus souple).

Anguillulosis is a ubiquitous digestive parasitosis. Rare in Tunisia, it is due to a round worm, strongyloid stercoralis, whose natural lodging is the duodeno-jejunal mucosa. Its malignant form is rare but it represents a potentially life-threatening disease.We report a case of malignant anguillulosis occurring in a context of immunosuppression.The case we report is about a 46-year-old man treated by a long-term corticosteroid therapy for Takayasu disease. He was hospitalized for an acute digestive syndrome. Biopsies were performed but the evolution was rapidly marked by multiorgan failure, sepsis and death of the patient. Histological analysis of the digestive biopsies concluded to an oeso-gastroduodenal anguillulosis.Anguillulosis is a rare parasitosis but it can pose a health problem especially in its malignant form wich can be a life-threatening.

The ideal mini-invasive management of common bile duct stones (CBDS) with concomitant gallbladder stones is debatable. This article aims to review the management of this condition during the last decade using the mini-invasive approach.A database research in Medline, Embase, Cochrane and Google Scholar during the period between January 2009 to December 2018 was performed. The keywords used were «ERCP», «common bile duct exploration», «endoscopic sphincterotomy», «laparoscopic surgery», «laparoscopic cholecystectomy», «choledocholithiasis», «common bile duct stones» «meta-analysis» and «randomized clinical trials».There were 14 studies comparing mini-invasive procedures. There were nine meta-analysis, three reviews articles and two randomized clinical trials. We concluded to the absence of difference between the group laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) with a laparoscopic exploration of CBD (LECBD) and LC with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in terms of mortality, morbidity, stones extraction success rate and duration of hospital stay. LC + ERCP is superior in terms of conversion and treatment cost. Concerning LC with a preoperative ERCP versus LC with postoperative ERCP, based on the literature data, no conclusions could be drawn. Concerning LC with LECBD versus LC with preoperative ERCP, we conclude to the absence of difference in terms of mortality, morbidity and conversion rate. Given the discordance of the results, in terms of successful extraction rate of stones, operating time and duration of hospital stay we cannot conclude to the superiority of one technique. Concerning LC with LECBD versus LC with postoperative ERCP, we conclude the absence of difference in terms of mortality, morbidity, the success rate of stones extraction, duration of hospital stays and conversion rate. Concerning LC with intraoperative ERCP versus LC with preoperative ERCP, we concluded to the absence of difference in terms of mortality, morbidity and rate of success stones extraction. The LC + intraoperative ERCP was superior in terms of hospital stay duration and conversion rate. Concerning one-stage versus two-stage treatment, we concluded to the absence of difference in terms of mortality, morbidity, the success rate of stone extraction, the conversion rate and the duration of hospital stay.One-stage or two-stages procedures are feasible and safe with equivalent efficacy. Surgeons must be aware of the different difficulties of these procedures and should be judicious in their use of different techniques.

Improved understanding and management of COVID-19, a potentially life-threatening disease, could greatly reduce the threat posed by its etiologic agent, SARS-CoV-2. Toward this end, we have identified a core peripheral blood immune signature across 63 hospital-treated patients with COVID-19 who were otherwise highly heterogeneous. The signature includes discrete changes in B and myelomonocytic cell composition, profoundly altered T cell phenotypes, selective cytokine/chemokine upregulation and SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies. Some signature traits identify links with other settings of immunoprotection and immunopathology; others, including basophil and plasmacytoid dendritic cell depletion, correlate strongly with disease severity; while a third set of traits, including a triad of IP-10, interleukin-10 and interleukin-6, anticipate subsequent clinical progression. Hence, contingent upon independent validation in other COVID-19 cohorts, individual traits within this signature may collectively and individually guide treatment options; offer insights into COVID-19 pathogenesis; and aid early, risk-based patient stratification that is particularly beneficial in phasic diseases such as COVID-19.

Echinococcoses require the involvement of specialists from nearly all disciplines; standardization of the terminology used in the field is thus crucial. To harmonize echinococcosis terminology on sound scientific and linguistic grounds, the World Association of Echinococcosis launched a Formal Consensus process. Under the coordination of a Steering and Writing Group (SWG), a Consultation and Rating Group (CRG) had the main missions of (1) providing input on the list of terms drafted by the SWG, taking into account the available literature and the participants' experience; and (2) providing independent rating on all debated terms submitted to vote. The mission of the Reading and Review Group (RRG) was to give an opinion about the recommendation paper in terms of readability, acceptability and applicability. The main achievements of this process were: (1) an update of the current nomenclature of Echinococcus spp.; (2) an agreement on three names of diseases due to Echinococcus spp.: Cystic Echinococcosis (CE), Alveolar Echinococcosis (AE) and Neotropical Echinococcosis (NE), and the exclusion of all other names; (3) an agreement on the restricted use of the adjective “hydatid” to refer to the cyst and fluid due to E. granulosus sensu lato; and (4) an agreement on a standardized description of the surgical operations for CE, according to the “Approach, cyst Opening, Resection, and Completeness” (AORC) framework. In addition, 95 “approved” and 60 “rejected” terms were listed. The recommendations provided in this paper will be applicable to scientific publications in English and communication with professionals. They will be used for translation into other languages spoken in endemic countries. © D.A. Vuitton et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2020, The Steering and Writing Committee would like to thank in particular Dr. Francesca Tamarozzi for her involvement in the fruitful exchanges between the WAE and the WHO-IWGE, and for her very helpful revision of the final manuscript.

Le jeûne n´est pas sans risques chez les patients diabétiques. L´objectif de notre étude est d´évaluer l´impact du jeûne chez une cohorte de patients diabétiques ayant bénéficié d´une préparation au jeûne avec ajustement des traitements selon les recommandations de l´association américaine du diabète (ADA) en 2010. Il s´agit d´une étude prospective de cohorte menée en 2014, incluant des patients diabétiques désirants jeûner au cours du mois de Ramadan consentant pour participer à l´étude. Nous avons exclu les patients considérés comme à très haut risque selon la classification de l´ADA. Les patients ont bénéficié d´une consultation avant le mois du Ramadan (J0) comprenant éducation et ajustement du traitement, suivi d´une consultation au cours du Ramadan (J7) puis à J30 et à J60. Notre étude a inclus 34 patients, dont 60% sont des femmes, d´âge moyen de 50,4 ans avec une ancienneté moyenne du diabète de 6,2 ans et un index de masse corporelle (IMC) moyen de 27,83 kg/m2. Les ajustements thérapeutiques réalisés (J0) étaient une diminution de la dose de sulfamides hypoglycémiants (SH) et la mise sous gliptine chez les patients à risque hypoglycémique, ainsi qu´une répartition de la dose de metformine. Au cours de la première semaine (J7), deux patients ont présenté une glycémie inférieure à 0,7g/l avant la rupture du jeûne, 38% de l´échantillon ont présenté une glycémie >2g/l après la rupture du jeûne. Nous avons noté des erreurs diététiques chez 15% des patients. L´ajustement à (J7) a consisté à adapter la dose du SH ou à ajouter une gliptine. Aucun patient n´a présenté d´hyperglycémie majeure, de cétose ou d´hypoglycémie grave. Une patiente a présenté une arythmie complète par fibrillation atriale (ACFA) sur cardiopathie ischémique méconnu avec arrêt du jeûne. Trois patients ont arrêté le jeûne entre J15 et J20 devant une asthénie intense sans déséquilibre glycémique. La moyenne d´HBA1C chez les patients après le jeûne était de 7,10 versus 6,8% avant le jeûne (p=0.42). Les facteurs significativement associés au déséquilibre glycémique après le jeûne avec des HBA1C > à 8% étaient principalement les taux d´HBA1C de départ (p=0.002), l´absence d´autosurveillance (p=0.01), et l´ancienneté du diabète (p=0.06). Une bonne évaluation du niveau de risque du patient, une éducation thérapeutique, une autosurveillance glycémique et un ajustement du traitement selon les recommandations internationales, permettent aux patients diabétiques musulmans de diminuer le risque lié au jeûne. Néanmoins une consultation au cours du Ramadan (J7) permet une correction des erreurs diététiques et un ajustement thérapeutique si cela est nécessaire.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the frequency and nature of chromosomal abnormalities in Moroccan couples with recurrent spontaneous miscarriage (RSM). In addition, the data were compared with those reported elsewhere in order to give a global estimation of chromosomal abnormalities frequencies. METHODS: The study was performed for all couples with RSM who were referred to the cytogenetic department, Pasteur Institute of Morocco, from different hospitals in Morocco between 1996 and 2016. Cytogenetic analysis was performed according to the standard method. RESULTS: Among 627 couples with RSM, the chromosomal abnormalities were identified in 11.00% of couples, with chromosomal inversions in 4.30%, reciprocal translocations in 2.71%, Robertsonian translocations in 1.43%, and deletion, isochromosome, and insertion in 0.15% each. The insertion identified [46,XX,ins(6)(p24q21q27)] is new, and is the fourth reported in association with RSM. The mosaic karyotypes were observed in 0.64%, polymorphic variants were identified in 1.27%, and numerical aneuploidy was observed in 0.15%. In regrouping our results with those in 27 other studies already published in 21 different countries, we obtained the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities in couple with RSM to be 5.16% (991/19197 couples). The reciprocal translocation was the most frequent with 2.50%, followed by Robertsonian translocation 0.83% and inversions 0.77%. The other types of chromosomal abnormalities were present with 0.98% in the world. CONCLUSION: This data showed that the frequency of chromosomal abnormalities in Moroccan couples with RSM is 11.00%, and in regrouping our results with other studies, the frequency changes to 5.16%.

Background and study aim The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in tumourigenesis and tumour progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) and leads to the activation of intracellular signaling pathways. The use of anti-EGFR-targeted therapy has increased for patients with metastatic CRC. Today, the clinical utility of immunohistochemistry has remained somewhat inconclusive. It is based on EGFR screening methods using paraffin-embedded tumour specimen to select patients eligible for treatment. There is still lack of agreement on reproducible scoring criteria for EGFR immunohistochemistry has in various clinical trials. Patients and methods We retrospectively reviewed 36 CRC patients who underwent surgeries during 2011 in Habib Thameur hospital in Tunis. We analyzed the immunohistochemical overexpression of EGFR using a score based on immunostaining intensity. In addition, we analyzed the correlation between this overexpression and patients' clinicopathologic parameters. Results The positive expression rate of EGFR was 78% (28/36). Using the immunoreactivity score, 21 cases were considered low grade expression and 15 tumours were high grade. Immunohistochemical expression of EGFR showed a significant difference with tumour’s location (p = 0.034) and vascular invasion (p = 0.03). This expression was not significantly associated with age, gender, tumour size, histological type, grade, TNM staging and perineural invasion. Conclusions EGFR expression by immunohistochemistry in CRC is variably correlated with clinicopathological parameters. Its assessment by this method has still not proved its predictive value.

the critical appraisal of scientific publications is a mainstay step in the evidence-based-practice. This study aimed to assess the utility of using a checklist in implementing this practice.medical students in the third year that were performing a training period in a department of pathology were randomly assigned to two groups. A computerized random number allocation was used. The same manuscript was given to both groups. All the students spent the same period of training in the department and they received the same training session about critical appraisal of scientific publications. The intervention group (n=26) performed a critical appraisal of the article using the checklist of a Pubmed-indexed journal and the control group (n=25) performed a free critical appraisal. The individual critical appraisal forms were evaluated using a scoring-based-checklist. A one-way ANOVA test was used to compare the scores between both groups using SPSS software (version 11.0).51 students were enrolled in this study. The mean score of the participants using free appraisal reached 16.5 in men and 13.25 in women. The mean scores in the intervention group reached 14.83 in men and 14.75 in women. The mean scores in the control group reached 13.65 and 14.42 in the intervention group (p=0.61).these results highlighted the absence of significant difference in critical appraisal skills when using or not a checklist. This result has to be taken with caution because all the participants received the same training methods during the same period.

Background Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs constitute a main cause of fixed drug eruption (FDE). A few cases of piroxicam-induced FDE have been reported; however, the cross-reactivity among oxicams has rarely been evaluated. Objectives To describe a series of patients with piroxicam-induced FDE, mostly confirmed by a positive patch test reaction, in whom cross-reactivity to meloxicam was assessed. Methods We included all cases of piroxicam-induced FDE diagnosed in the department of pharmacovigilance of Monastir. Patch tests for piroxicam and meloxicam were performed in the involved skin according to the European Network on Drug Allergy recommendations. Oral provocation tests (OPTs) were performed for patients with negative skin test results. Results Seven patients were included in this study. FDE was multiple for five patients and solitary for two. Bullous eruption was noticed in two cases. Lesional patch tests for piroxicam gave positive results in six patients. To assess cross-reactivity with meloxicam, this was patch tested. The test gave a positive result in only one patient. OPTs with meloxicam gave positive results in two patients with negative patch test results. Conclusion Meloxicam is not a safe alternative for the treatment of piroxicam-induced FDE, and OPTs can be used to confirm tolerance before this drug is prescribed as a safer alternative.

Summary Objective Evaluate whether saliva could be a useful alternative to serum for routine therapeutic drug monitoring of caffeine in preterm infants using the enzyme multiplied immunoassay technique (EMIT) assay. Methods We conducted a prospective study including preterm infants (less than 34 weeks’ amenorrhea) admitted to the intensive care and neonatal medicine department. All infants received 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mg/kg/day of citrate caffeine intravenously from the first to the fifth day of birth, respectively. For each patient, two concomitant blood and saliva samples corresponding to the trough concentrations were collected 24 hours after each caffeine dose. The caffeine concentrations were determined using the EMIT®2000 caffeine assay. Results Thirteen preterm infants were included. The saliva and the serum caffeine concentration increased proportionally to the administered dose. Saliva and serum kinetics were comparable and the saliva caffeine concentrations were correlated to the serum ones (r2 = 0.76). Conclusion Saliva caffeine monitoring by EMIT is a valid, useful and safe alternative to serum in preterm infants.

We report a case of a 64-year-old woman treated with meglumine antimoniate (Glucantime®). On day 20, she developed fever, a pruriginous skin rash and myalgia. The blood tests showed eosinophilia and hepatic cytolysis. The clinico-biological picture improved gradually and the symptoms disappeared 4 weeks after the drug withdrawal. Six weeks later, intradermal tests to Glucantime® were performed and were positive at 48 hour-reading. This clinical picture suggests DRESS induced by meglumine antimoniate. To the best of our knowledge, only one case of meglumine antimoniate-induced DRESS has been reported in the literature and we are the first to report a case confirmed by skin tests.