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Introduction: Management of cystic echinococcosis (CE) requires knowledge of certain aspects related to the survival of Echinococcus granulosus. The viability of daughter vesicles (DV) is a determining factor in guiding therapeutic indications, particularly for transiently active Cysts type CE3b. Purpose: To determine the predictive factors of DV viability and its impact on the therapeutic management of CE3b type. Materials and methods: This is a prospective pilot study with an analytical aim on patients with cystic echinococcosis of the liver type CE2 and CE3b, operated in the General Surgery Department of Habib-Bourguiba Academic Hospital, Sfax-Tunisia for 22 months from March 2018 until December 2019. The unit of the study is the DV. A parasitological study of the DV was done in the parasitology laboratory. Results: During the study period, 27 (40.9%) of 66 operated CE Disease from 21 patients containing 248 DV were explored. The median viability of DV protoscoleces was 16.7%. In bivariate analysis, factors for viability of DV protoscoleces were: fever, acute cholangitis, hyperbilirubinemia, left liver location, rock water and bilious echinococcal fluid (EF), cyst size ≥ 43 mm, Intracystic pressure ≥ 35 mmHg, DV size ≥ 6.5 mm, volume, number of DV/cyst ≥ 5, and opaque wall (p < 0.05). Predictive factors for the Non-viability of DV were: CE3b type, purulent EF, gelatinous EF. In multivariate analysis, only CE2 type, cyst size ≥ 43 mm, number of DV/cyst ≥ 5 and DV size ≥ 6.5 mm were factors significantly associated with the viability of DV protoscoleces. Conclusion: CE3b cysts without the criteria of viability of DV protoscoleces may become candidates for the 'Wait-and-Watch' procedure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Industria Textila is the property of Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Textile si Pielarie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a sight-threatening infection. We report five cases of AK diagnosed from 2005 to 2009 in the Laboratory of Parasitology-Mycology at Habib Bourguiba Sfax Hospital, Tunisia. All were associated with improper care of contact lenses (rinsing of contact lenses with tap water and inappropriate cleaning) and lens storage. The patients displayed different clinical presentations: corneal inflammation, corneal ulceration, and corneal abscess. The diagnosis was made after direct examination, culture, and polymerase chain reaction amplification with specific primers. The genotype classification was based on the highly variable DF3 region in the 18S rRNA gene. This is the first study characterizing Acanthamoeba genotype in Tunisia and North Africa. All Acanthamoeba isolates were associated to the T4 genotype. Three different DF3 sequence types were related to AK infections T4/10, T4/15, and T4/16. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated yeast-like fungus that causes life-threatening infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients. The formation of brown pigment on many media described in the literature, such as that in Niger seed ( Guizotia abyssinica) agar, has been used to identify C. neoformans. The present study compares melanin production by clinical and environmental isolates of C. neoformans and other medically important yeast on two new media, Pinus halepensis seed (PHS) agar and blackberry (BlaB) agar, and the classic medium Niger seed agar. Results obtained after the culture of 46 strains of C. neoformans, for 4, 24 and 48 h at 37 °C on these three media, showed that at 24 h, 100% of strains were pigmented on BlaB agar, 91.3% on PHS agar but only 34.8% on Niger seed agar. In conclusion, PHS and BlaB agar are two interesting new media for the rapid identification of C. neoformans isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Medical Mycology / Journal de Mycologie Médicale is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Medical Mycology / Journal de Mycologie Médicale is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary: We describe an original case of disseminated aspergillosis (pulmonary, thyroid and vertebral) in a 13-year-old girl from Tunisia. The patient had presented a thyroid node and a knee mass. The scintigraphy confirmed the cold thyroid node and an increased bone uptake in the left knee, the 5th left coast, the femur and the hip. The histological and mycological examinations concluded to an aspergillosis with Aspergillus flavus. The outcome was rapidly fatal. Few reports have been published on thyroid aspergillosis localization. This major mycosis occurs in children with septic family granulomatosis whose forecast remains dark. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The distribution of dermatophytes varies in different countries and geographical areas depending on several factors. To determine the frequency of aetiological agents and the clinical variants of dermatophytoses, we carried out a study between 1998 and 2007. Out of 25 432 subjects suspected to have superficial mycoses, 9960 (39.2%) were affected with dermatophytoses; 14957 positive samples were obtained. The mean age was 35.7 years (range: 21 days to 97 years). Sex ratio was 0.9. Our patients were from urban regions in 81.9% of cases. The most common type of infection was onychomycosis (30.3%), followed by tinea pedis (24.8%), intertrigo (21.7%), tinea corporis (11.4%) and tinea capitis (9.6%). Fifteen patients had generalised dermatophytosis. Hadida and Schousboe disease was diagnosed in one case with lethal evolution. The most isolated dermatophyte was Trichophyton rubrum (74.5%), followed by T. violaceum (7.9%), T. mentagrophytes (7.5%), Microsporum canis (3.8%), Epidermophyton floccosum (0.7%) and T. verrucosum (0.54%). Other species were occasionally isolated: T. schoenleinii, T. tonsurans, M. audouinii and M. ferrugineum. The prevalence of dermatophytoses remains high in our country (996 cases/year). Trichophyton rubrum is the predominant causal agent. However, zoophilic agents become more prevalent. Epidemiological surveys are an essential tool for developing strategies for infection control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. In Western Europe and the USA, the presence of anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibodies (ASCAs) in Crohn's disease (CD) patients and their healthy relatives suggests that ASCAs may be influenced by genetic and/or environmental factors. Objectives. To assess the prevalence of ASCAs in Tunisian patients with CD or ulcerative colitis (UC), and unaffected family members, in relation to clinical phenotype. Patients and methods. Seventy-seven patients (39 CD, 38 UC), 66 healthy relatives of CD patients, 16 relatives of UC patients and 70 healthy controls were studied. ASCAs were quantified with a new isotype-specific ELISA test involving an antigenic extract from S. cerevisiae strain W303 and by the original test which detects total immunoglobulins against S. cerevisiae Su1 mannan. Results. The specificity of the two tests was identical (91%). The isotype-specific ASCA W303 test was more sensitive than the ASCA Su1 test for immunoglobulin detection, but some CD patients were positive only with this latter test. A high percentage of patients with CD (72%) and their unaffected family members (35%) were ASCA-positive in contrast to UC patients (16%) and their relatives (0%) and controls (8.6%). ASCAs were shown to be independent of rural or urban living, disease activity, but were associated with ileal location. The antigen of S. cerevisiae strain W303 discriminated patients depending on age at onset or location of the disease. Conclusion. This study confirms the antigenic heterogeneity of S. cerevisiae strains in their ability to detect ASCA. It suggests that ASCAs are markers of immunoregulatory disturbance in CD, independently of ethnic/cultural differences between Europe, the USA and North Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Medical Mycology / Journal de Mycologie Médicale is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary A case of inflammatory tinea capitis caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. quinckeanum in a 3-year-old Tunisian girl is presented. The disease healed after treatment with griseofulvin for 6 weeks and topical application of econazole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Between January 1995 and December 2000, 512 cases with mycologically confirmed tinea capitis have been diagnosed in our laboratory. In addition, finger nail samples have been taken from 211 patients out of 512. The culture of the nail samples taken was positive for 80 patients (38%). The isolated dermatophytes were the same in the nails and the scalp. Microsporum canis was isolated in 82% of nail samples. Trichophyton violaceum grew only in 18% and Trichophyton quinckeanum in one case. A T. violaceum onychomycosis was found in two patients with tinea capitis. Twenty-one cases of tinea were resistant to 6 weeks treatment with griseofulvin. Thirty per cent of them have had fungal elements in nails. Dermatophyte colonization of the nails in tinea patients could be a factor of tinea capitis transmission and could explain some recurrent tinea capitis cases and therapy resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human fasciolosis is a rare and underestimated condition in Tunisia with about one new case identified per year. We report an original case revealed by articular manifestations. A 46 years old woman living in Gafsa (South west of Tunisia) was hospitalised in the rheumatology ward of Sfax University Hospital for a one month lasting arthritis involving spine, small and large articulations with gait impairment. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 54 mm at the first hour. fifty-two % of the white blood cells were eosinophils. The initial aetiological check up (biological, roentgenographical and immune exams and bone medular biopsy) was negative. A parasitological aetiology was lately evoked. Distomatosis was then confirmed (Hemagglutination at 1/1280 and electrophoresis revealed 3 precipitation arcs including one with specific coalescence). Triclabendazole showed a dramatical efficacy. An epidemiological study confirmed the presence of this new site of distomatosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the southern Tunisia Oasis, we conducted 211 water with drawals from various water traffic sites. This water is used for agriculture, swimming or various other human activities. Acanthamoeba genus was detected in 82% of collected samples. Sequencing of the amplification products with primers P892C/P892 has allowed us to detect genotypic variation with predominance of T4 genotype (51%) and presence of the genotypes T14, T5, T3, T16, T15, T10, T11, T9 and T7. They T4, T3, T5, T15, T11 and T10 genotypes have a high potential for pathogenicity and a very high degree of virulence due to their production of serine proteases and extracellular cysteine enzymes involved in tissue degradation of the host. T4 genotype was the most abundant in the environment as well as in infections caused by Acanthamoeba spp. T5 genotype was ranked second and T3 genotype was less abundant in the environment and its pathogenicity is discussed. Acanthamoeba strains with the genotypes T16, T9 and T7 were considered non pathogenic. In fact, they have been isolated only from the environment. However, for these strains, their role as a reservoir can be a real risk to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]