[Myxoid neurofibroma of the thumb]

Myxoid neurofibroma (MN) is a benign tumor of poorly identified perineural cell origin. We report a case of NM of left thumb and discuss the main differential diagnosis.

CASE REPORT

A 34-year-old woman presented with a painless, slowly progressive tumor of the left thumb of 6 months duration. This tumor had recurred after resection done 26 years before. Clinical examination revealed a tumor on the anterior surface of the left thumb, painless, firm, 4×3cm, ulcerated and covered with thin telangiectasia. The X-ray of the phalanx showed no alteration to the underlying bone. The histopathological study of a skin biopsy reported a myxoid neurofibroma. Excision of the lesion was performed with preservation of the nail. Neither the patient nor her family members had neurofibromatosis. The outcome was favorable and no recurrence was noted after 18 months of follow-up.

COMMENTS

The usual sites of the MN are the face, shoulders, arms, and periungual regions. It is usually a solitary lesion; however, lesions may be multiple or recur after initial incomplete excision as in our patient. It must be considered in the differential diagnosis of tumors of the extremities. We report this case because of the rarity of both the tumor and its site.

Unusual presentation of a rare tumor of the dorsal surface of the foot

Calcifying aponeurotic fibroma (CAF) was originally described by Keasbey in 1953 as juvenile aponeurotic fibroma, most commonly occurring in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet in children and adolescents. It usually presents as a firm, painless mass without preceding trauma. We report a case of this rare condition with an unusual presentation in a 60-year-old woman affecting the dorsal surface of the foot. It is a relatively benign condition with a good prognosis following complete surgical excision. It may have a slightly increased incidence in males. The accurate diagnosis is based only on histology but it is essential to differentiate it from other sinister lesions such as fibrosarcoma that may lead to amputation.

[Blastomycosis in Morocco: imported mycosis]

Blastomycosis is a rare case. We report a first Moroccan case. A 41-year-old male presented with a 6-month history of dyspnea, fever and significant chest pain associated with night sweats and weight loss. The physical examination disclosed a firm painful paravertebral mass. The chest radiograph demonstrated a left apical opacity. The thoracic scan showed parenchymal infiltration of the apico-dorsal segment of the left upper lobe with vertebral and costal lytic lesions. Surgical biopsy showed granulomatous inflammation with giant-cell intracytoplasmic inclusions. Fungal studies yielded Blastomyces dermatitidis which responded excellently to ketoconazole. Outcome has been excellent at 3.5 years months follow-up. The clinical and radiographic presentation of blastomycosis is non-specific and can be mistaken for a neoplasm. Delay in diagnosis is common.

[Paratesticular desmoplastic small round cell tumour: case report with literature review]

Desmoplastic small round cell tumors are rare aggressive cancers of adolescence and early adulthood. It has recently been separated from other small round cell tumors because of its pathological characteristics and clinical features. They are usually intra-abdominal tumors affecting young people and have classically been associated with a bad prognosis. However, in recent years there have been reports on desmoplastic small round cell tumors affecting other body regions, including the paratesticular area. We report the case of a 27-year-old male who consulted on a progressive enlargement of the right hemiscrotum. He referred no previous urological symptoms and had no systemic symptomatology. Physical examination revealed a round elastic firm 1-cm mass of the epididymis, which was excised. A computed tomography scan showed a para-aortic mass of 1cm. Histological and immunohistochemical diagnosis confirmed a desmoplastic small round cell tumor. The patient received chemotherapy. Today, 6 months after diagnosis the patient remains well and free of disease. Recent reviews on desmoplastic small round cell tumors affecting the paratesticular area have shown a better prognosis for tumors of this origin compared to abdominal ones. We should include this lesion among the differential diagnosis of paratesticular tumors, mainly in children and adolescents.

[Dispensation of opioids by pharmacists in Tunisia]

This national survey aims to evaluate opioid availability and prescription by pharmacists in Tunisia and to examine pharmacists' attitude regarding Tunisian law. We surveyed a sample of 300 pharmacists randomly selected from the National Council of Pharmacists list and using the random table. This study started in September 1999 by sending to pharmacists a confidential questionnaire asking about the importance, the rate of sale and the availability of analgesics in their pharmacy. It also tried to determine pharmacists' opinions regarding Tunisian law. A total of 157 pharmacists out of 300 responded to the survey (52 per cent), 95 per cent were working in pharmacies and 15 per cent in hospitals. Analgesics were estimated to be important to very important in their work in 84 per cent and less important in 16 per cent of cases. They were given under advice with great importance in 85 per cent of cases and with less importance in 15 per cent of cases. Analgesic self-medication was frequent in 95 per cent of cases and rare in 4 per cent of cases. Analgesics of levels 1 and 2 were often to always available in 97 per cent of cases and rarely available in 1.5 per cent of cases. Some 84.7 per cent of pharmacists had opioid supplies and 8.9 per cent had no opioids in stock and 6.4 per cent hadn't given a response. 30 per cent of pharmacists think that the 7 days law for opioid prescription should be modified and 66 per cent think it should not, fearing illicit use, fraud and dependance. Pharmacists think that the minimal list of opioids to be stocked in a pharmacy is sufficient because of low demand.

[Pyonephrosis: diagnosis and treatment: report of 14 cases]

Prior to the introduction of antibiotics, the treatment of pyelonephrosis frequently consisted of nephrectomy to remove the non-functional kidney, which was a potentially dangerous source of systemic infection. This approach was later modified as a result of the advances made in antibiotic therapy, and included vigorous antibiotic treatment and prompt drainage of the kidney. At present, percutaneous nephrostomy provides a means of draining off the pus and determining a possible residual renal function. In this study, 14 cases of pyonephrosis were observed over a 7-month period. Lumbar pain was noted in 70% of cases, painful lumbar contact in 5 cases and fever, shivering and pyuria in all cases. Cytobacteriological urine analysis showed the presence of Escherichia coli in 7 patients, Proteus in 4 patients, and in 3 cases abacterial leucocyturia; in 2 patients with only one functional kidney, renal insufficiency was observed. In all cases, the diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasonography. The main etiological factors were urinary lithiasis in 10 patients (71%), followed by uropathy of the pyeloureteral junction in 4 patients (29%). Treatment consisted of primary nephrectomy in 10 cases; in 3 cases, primary nephrostomy was performed with a positive outcome and recovery of renal function in 2 subjects; in one case of renal failure treated by nephrostomy followed by conservative surgery, the patient did not survive. In conclusion, nephrectomy is advocated as the treatment of choice in the case of a damaged kidney and a normal contralateral kidney. Conservative treatment should be envisaged particularly in the case of a single kidney, or if the patient's state of health is poor. The best treatment consists of the detection and cure of the lithiasis which is the main etiological factor in this pathology.

[Prostatic abscesses. A review]

We review the literature to the diagnosis and therapeutic aspect of prostatic abscess. The prostatic abscess having become an uncommon disease. The diagnosis of prostatic abscess has been nearly made by transrectal ultrasound and computed tomography scan. The best diagnostic method is considered to be the transrectal ultrasound. The choice therapy was intravenous antibiotic, and drainage by ultrasound guided transperineal percutaneous puncture.

[Perineal recurrence of resected penile cancer. A case report]

The authors report an unusual case of perineal recurrence of squamous carcinoma of the penis in a 50-year-old, white man, circumcised during infancy and operated 5 years previously for stage T3N0M0 squamous carcinoma of the penis by total amputation of the penis. Clinical examination revealed a very large, infected perineal tumour associated with bilateral inguinal lymphadenopathy. This stage T4N2M0 tumour was treated palliatively by cystostomy, emasculation with perineal tumour reduction and antibiotics. The patient became afebrile and the infection resolved and was referred to the radiotherapy department for further treatment.

[Pheochromocytoma. Report of 10 cases]

We report 10 cases of adrenal pheochromocytoma seen over a period 15-years. A female predominance was noted (8 women/2 men). Patients were aged between 16-46 years with a mean of 34 years. Clinical manifestations consisted of hypertension observed in all cases, with vasomotor symptoms (90%). Time to consultation was prolonged (mean: 23 months). CT scan performed in 7 cases showed pheochromocytoma in all cases, located on the right side in 6 cases, while one pheochromocytoma was located in Zukerkandal organ. All patients were operated via anterior approach and adrenalectomy was performed. A favourable course was observed in 90% of cases with normalisation blood pressure. One death was noted. Histological examination showed no malignancy in all cases.

[Diagnostic and therapeutic problems of an atypical cyst of the kidney]

Atypical renal cyst raises diagnostic and therapeutic problems. The authors report a case of atypical renal cyst which raised numerous diagnostic and therapeutic problems. The authors discuss theses problems in the light of this case. A farmer consulted for right lumbar pain without hematuria and hydaturia. Hydatic serology was negative. Ultrasonography and CT scan showed atypical cyst in favour of hydatic cyst. Surgical investigations showed a necrotico-hemorragic cyst, and cystectomy was performed. Histological examination revealed a chronic inflammatory process without malignancy. One year after the operation, clinical and radiological examination were normal.

[Peritonitis caused by spontaneous rupture of pyonephrosis in pregnancy. Report of a case]

Peritonitis after spontaneous rupture of pyonephrosis into the peritoneal cavity is a rare complication, usually diagnosed intraoperatively. We report a case of a woman presenting with left lumbar pain and fever during pregnancy. On admission, ultrasonography showed a pregnancy with fetal activity for 16 weeks, and pyonephrosis in the left kidney, but on a normal right kidney. After antibiotic therapy and upper urinary, tract stenting renal drainage revealed purulent urine, fever persisted with acute abdomen. Clinical and radiological assessment showed features of acute peritonitis with pyonephrosis. Treatment consisted of laparotomy with nephrectomy and abdominal lavage and drainage. The postoperative complication was septic shock requiring resuscitation and artificial ventilation and prolonged convalescence.

[Tumors of the bladder in women. Epidemiologic and therapeutic aspects. Apropos of 40 cases]

Bladder tumours in women. Epidemiological aspects and treatments, based on a series of 48 cases. Bladder tumours are more frequent in men than in women, in whom they present certain epidemiological, clinical and therapeutic characteristics. The authors report a retrospective study of 48 cases of bladder tumour in women, observed in the urology department over a 20-year period. These tumours represented 4.2% of all bladder tumours. The patients had a mean age of 59 years (range: 29 to 77). Only one patient was a smoker (2%). Haematuria was present in 93% of cases, and signs of bladder irritation were present in 60% of cases. All tumours were transitional cell carcinomas. The tumour was classified as stage 0 in 10 cases (20.9%), stage A in 15 patients (31.2%), stage B in 22 patients (45.8%) and stage C in 1 case (2.1%); no patients (0%) were classified as stage D. Our therapeutic protocol was established as a function of the stage of tumour invasion. For example, superficial tumours were treated conservatively by transurethral resection, either alone or combined with intravesical instillation. Radical surgery was performed whenever possible for invasive tumours. External urinary diversion was performed in 11 cases, ureterosigmoidostomy in 3 cases and enterocystoplasty in 5 cases. The clinical course of the 15 superficial tumours was marked by recurrence in 5 cases, while that of the 23 invasive tumours was marked by local recurrence (3 cases), renal failure (1 case) and 3 deaths.

[Appendiceal mucocele disclosed by a psoas tumor. Apropos of a case]

Mucocele of the appendix is a rare lesion. Rupture of appendicular mucocele into the psoas is uncommon. We report a case of a 77-year-old man, with psoas tumor on abdominopelvic ultrasonography and computed tomography. The preoperative diagnosis was type III hydatid cyst of the psoas, psoas tumor or retroperitoneal mass. Surgical exploration revealed an appendicular mucocele ruptured into the psoas. Appendicectomy was performed with an uneventful postoperative course after 3 years. The authors discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic problems raised by this rare lesion.

[Torsion of an undescended testis. Apropos of a case]

The authors report an uncommon case of torsion of an inguinal undescended testis occurring in a 15-year-old child. He consulted seven days later for isolated left inguinal pain. Physical examination showed a left inguinal mass, and only the right testis was palpable within the scrotum. Sonography revealed left inguinal mass with echogenic and heterogeneous contents in keeping with undescended testis. The diagnoses of testis tumor or testis torsion were suggested. Surgical exploration revealed a mass suggesting a testis tumor. Orchidectomy was performed. Histological examination showed that the mass corresponded to a necrotic ischemic testis without tumor cells. In the light of this case, the authors analyse the diagnostic aspects and management of torsion of an undescended testis.