Isolated tuberculous arthritis of the dorsal facet joint

AbstractIntroductionSeptic arthritis of the facet joint is a severe infection. The lumbar spine is frequently involved; the dorsal one is rarely affected.Case reportWe present a case of a patient with a history of right cervicobrachial neuralgia with anorexia and asthenia without fever. Performed investigations had concluded to tuberculous arthritis of the dorsal facet joint. The tuberculous etiology is an originality of our observation since it has been reported in only one case. In the absence of histological and bacteriological proof, the diagnosis was established according to clinical, epidemiological and biological data. Treatment was based on antitubercular antibiotics.ConclusionThe tuberculous origin of septic facet joint should be considered in front of trolling and unexplained back pain, especially in endemic countries

Actinomycotic mycetoma of the talus with bone involvement: Case report

Mycetoma is a chronic granulomatous infection of bacterial (actinomycetoma) or fungal origin. It is uncommon in Maghrebian countries. We report on the case of a 44-year-old Tunisian woman with a 15 year history of actinomycetoma involving the foot. The diagnosis was based on clinical and bacteriological arguments. An X-ray revealed bone lesions by contiguity. The patient was treated with combined antibiotic therapy

Renal impairment in multiple myeloma: A single center experience

To determine the features of the different forms of kidney diseases associated with multiple myeloma (MM), we retrospectively studied 144 patients with kidney injury and MM at our institute from 1974 to 2014. The mean age of the patients was 60.1 years and the male:female ratio was 1.25. Renal disease was concomitant with the discovery of MM in 92% of cases. The mean follow-up of our patients was 2.1 years. Initial renal insufficiency was found in 131 (91%) patients. Cast nephropathy of the distal tubule was found in 110 (26%) patients, renal amyloidosis in 16 (11.1%), and light chain deposition disease in five (3.47%). Twelve (8.3%) patients had chronic glomerular nephropathy. Twenty-six patients reached end-stage renal failure within 13.4 months. Renal survival was 30.45 months. Predictive factors for improvement of renal function undergoing chemotherapy included serum creatinine <250 µmol/L, proteinuria <1 g/24 h, and the non-use of renal replacement therapy. Multiple pathogenic mechanisms can contribute to kidney injury in myeloma patients. Novel myeloma agents have shown considerable promise in reversing renal failure in some patients and improving outcomes