[Multiple pilomatricoma. Apropos of a case]

Pilomatricoma is a benign, solitary tumor. The histopathologic findings of viable basaloid cells in the periphery, shadow cells in the central part and foci of calcification are characteristic of pilomatricoma. The microscopic aspect of multiple pilomatricomas was not different from solitary pilomatricomas. Though, some consider them as a pathognomonic sign of myotonic dystrophy. Complete surgical excision is the best management.

Seroprevalence of five arboviruses in Zebu cattle in the Central African Republic

Sequential blood samples taken from 237 adult and 147 young Zebu cattle in the Central African Republic (CAR) were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the presence of antibodies to Rift Valley Fever (RVF), Dugbe (DUG), Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Chikungunya (CHIK) and Wesselsbron (WSL) viruses. Antibodies to DUG and CCHF viruses were detected in 70% and 61% respectively, of the sera from adult cattle, probably due to common antigens. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that CCHF virus was isolated only 3 times from ticks, whereas DUG virus was isolated from almost all ticks. Ticks of the genus Hyalorama, the most important vectors of CCHF, are rare on Zebus in CAR. CCHF virus has a limited role in local human pathology, probably because its distribution is limited by the scarcity of its main vector and the immunological barrier resulting from the presence of antibodies to DUG virus. Antibodies to RVF virus were found in about 8% of adult cattle. Zebus do not play an important role in the spread of CHIK and WSL viruses among humans; these viruses were found in only one and 5, respectively, of the 183 cattle examined.

[Extemporaneous anatomo-pathological test in surgery of thyroid cancers. Values and limitations]

We report our experience in surgical treatment of thyroid cancer; 2470 total or partial thyroidectomies were performed for a thyroid nodule, 205 were primitive thyroid carcinoma (8.3%). Intraoperative frozen sections diagnoses were performed in 100% of the patients. In this study, a 100% specificity and 74% sensitivity were found. Data for each histological type were compared with the previous studies. Each false negative macroscopic aspect carcinoma's size, differenciation, plurificality were studied in order to understand the limits of frozen sections diagnoses. The higher rate of false negative was found with small, well differenciated vesicular carcinoma. This study shows that high accuracy of frozen sections diagnoses allows to improve the intraoperative management of thyroid cancer. The high specificity of frozen sections diagnoses strengthens our reliance upon this examination.

New experimental approach to measure the skin-reflected light. Application to cutaneous erythema and blanching

By modifying the blood supply in the upper part of the dermis, the colour of the skin is changed by any material in contact with it. This is a great difficulty when we want to measure the colour intensity in erythema or blanching. To avoid this problem, we designed and built a device which measures the skin reflectance value without any contact with the skin. The use of this device on man to study the skin blanching after application of dermocorticoids allows us to determine the more potent drug among a series (clobetasol propionate) and, for a given drug (betamethasone), the more efficient preparation (oil-in-water emulsion). The study of the effect of increasing irradiation doses of ultraviolet light show that the sensitivity of the device is equivalent to that of the clinical assessment and that the relationship between the irradiation dose and the skin reflectance is sigmoidal.