36 research outputs found
Classic Kaposi's sarcoma in morocco: clinico -epidemiological study at the national institute of oncology
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Classic Kaposi's sarcoma (CKS) is a rare disease likely associated with human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) infection, and occurs predominantly in Jewish, Mediterranean and middle eastern men .There is a dearth of data in Moroccan patients with CKS regarding epidemiology, clinical characteristics and outcomes. This report examines a cohort of patients with CKS evaluated at the national institute of oncology over 11-year period.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective analysis of patients referred to the national institute of oncology with classical Kaposi sarcoma, between January 1998 and February 2008, was performed. Reviewed information included demographics, clinical and pathological staging, death or last follow-up.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During the study period, 56 patients with a diagnosis of CKS have been referred to our hospital. There were 11(19,7%) females and 45 (80,3%) males (male-to-female ratio: 4:1). Mean age at diagnosis was 61,7 ± 15 (range: 15- 86 years). Nodules and/or plaques were the most frequent type of lesion. The most common location was the lower limbs, particularly the distal lower extremity (90%). In addition to skin involvement, visceral spread was evident in 9 cases. The most common visceral involvement sites were lymph nodes (44%), lung (22%), and gastrointestinal tract (22%). Associated lymphoedema was seen in 24 (42%) of the patients. There were 18 stage I patients (32,14%), 8: stage II (14,28%), 21 stage III(37,5%) and 9 stage IV (16,07%). A second primary malignancy was diagnosed in 6 cases (10,7%), none of the reticuloendothelial system.</p> <p>With a median follow-up of 45 months, 38 (67,8) patients are alive, of whom 25 (65,78%) patients with stable disease, five with progressive disease currently under systemic chemotherapy and 8(21,05%) are alive and free of disease, over a mean interval of 5 years.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the largest reported series in our context. In Morocco, CKS exhibits some special characteristics including a disseminated skin disease at diagnosis especially in men, a more common visceral or lymph node involvement and a less frequent association with second malignancies.</p
Cutaneous lesions of the nose
Skin diseases on the nose are seen in a variety of medical disciplines. Dermatologists, otorhinolaryngologists, general practitioners and general plastic and dermatologic surgeons are regularly consulted regarding cutaneous lesions on the nose. This article is the second part of a review series dealing with cutaneous lesions on the head and face, which are frequently seen in daily practice by a dermatologic surgeon. In this review, we focus on those skin diseases on the nose where surgery or laser therapy is considered a possible treatment option or that can be surgically evaluated
Acute intermittent porphyria and systemic lupus erythematosus: report of a case and review of the literature
The case of a Greek woman with acute intermittent porphyria (AIP)
associated with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is described and the
literature on this association is reviewed. The coexistence of these two
diseases may be determined by unknown mechanisms or could be fortuitous
Multiple myeloma in sickle cell syndromes
Multiple myeloma (MM) is rare among patients with sickle cell syndromes
(SCS). We describe six Greek sickle cell patients aged 56 to 65 years:
five haemoglobin S beta (+)thalassaemia (HbS beta (+)thal), one sickle
cell anaemia (HbSS), who developed MM (three IgGK, one IgG lambda, one
IgAK, and one IgGK-IgAK (biclonal). Our HbS beta (+)thal cases,
represent the first reported association of this entity with MM.
Generalized bleeding diathesis, stroke, grand mal seizures, bone marrow
necrosis and other clinical manifestations due to hyperviscosity
aggravated by sickle cell vasoocclusion were treated by plasmaphereses
and exchange blood transfusions. The increase of mean survival in SCS
patients due to the current medical facilities may have an impact on the
incidence of MM among them, if a pathogenetic link between the two
conditions exists. All our patients carried a diagnosis of
cholelithiasis which may predispose to MM; two of them progressed from a
monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) to MM. Further
studies are needed in order to understand the relationship between SCS
and MM
GASTROSCOPIC FINDINGS IN MEDITERRANEAN KAPOSIS-SARCOMA (NON-AIDS)
The frequency and degree of gastrointestinal involvement in patients
with Mediterranean Kaposi’s sarcoma (non-AIDS), a newly recognized form
of Kaposi’s sarcoma, is unknown. Eighty-seven patients with
Mediterranean Kaposi’s sarcoma proven by skin and/or nodal biopsy
underwent endoscopic study of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Of
these, 71 (81.6%) had gastrointestinal lesions. Ail these patients had
lesions in the stomach. Additional lesions were detected in the
esophagus in 19 patients and in the proximal duodenum in 8 patients,
whereas additional lesions in both the esophagus and duodenum were
identified in 2 patients. The lesions were classified into 4 types
according to their size, shape, and color. Most types of lesions showed
characteristic discoloration, but lesions with the appearance and color
of normal mucosa that histologically were shown to be Kaposi’s sarcoma
were also identified. The high prevalence of gastrointestinal
involvement in patients with Mediterranean Kaposi’s sarcoma (non-AIDS)
suggests that an endoscopic examination of the upper gastrointestinal
tract may be useful in non-AIDS-related forms of Kaposi’s sarcoma