Amoebic pleuropericarditis

A 38-year-old man was admitted to the hospital for a 2-month gradually progressive history of breath shortness, persistent fever and leg swelling. Two years earlier, he had had a prolonged period of recurrent diarrhea which was spontaneously resolved. On examination temperature was 38.6°C with decreased breath sounds on the left side and leg pitting edema. Laboratory tests showed elevated inflammatory markers without leukocytosis. Chest X-ray revealed pleural effusion with extensive calcifications on the anterior and inferior surfaces of the heart. Thoracic computed tomography confirmed pleural effusion with pericardial thickening and calcification. Echocardiography was suggestive of constrictive pericarditis, thoracenthesis revealed milk chocolate colored pleural fluid containing trophozoites of Entamoeba Histolytica with no mycobacterium or other organisms. The left pleural effusion was drained, patient was administrated Metronidazole IV 500 mg every 8 hours and has done well. Cardiac catheterization confirmed pericardial constriction, and patient received pericardectomy. Analysis Pathological of the surgical specimen did not find arguments for tuberculosis. We then selected the diagnostic of amoebic pleuro-pericarditis.Pan African Medical Journal 2015; 2

Evaluation of selected trace elements in the Moroccan type 2 diabetic patients

Background: Several trace elements have been implicated in the etiology of type 2 diabetes, they can influence the onset or pathogenesis of diabetes in various ways including disruption of normal metabolism of glucose and insulin. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the serum status of copper, zinc, selenium, chromium and manganese in Moroccan type 2 diabetics compared to control group.Methods: Blood samples from 100 type 2 diabetics and 90 control subjects were analyzed for blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (only for diabetics), lipid status and serum trace elements concentrations.Results: Glucose and triglyceride values were statistically higher in diabetics; while those of HDL-cholesterol were lower. Concentrations of zinc, selenium, chromium, and manganese were lower in diabetics compared to controls. In contrast, copper concentrations were higher.Conclusions: The status of trace elements is impaired in type 2 diabetics compared to a control group

Acute spinal cord compression caused by atypical vertebral hemangioma

Vertebral hemangioma is common, benign lesion that occurs mostly in the body of vertebral bones and is mostly asymptomatic although they may occasionally extend into the posterior elements. An isolated location in the neural arch of vertebrae is extremely rare. An acute spinal cord compression by an exceptional hemangioma involving spinous process of the seventh thoracic vertebra and respecting vertebral body in a 40-year-old woman is reported. On magnetic resonance imaging of the spine, the lesion was hypointense on T1-weighted image, hyperintense on T2-weited image, and enhancing avidly, causing compression of spinal cord. Our case is exceptional by the rapidly character of symptom installation and by atypical and elective involvement of spinous process

LANGUAGE IN INDIA Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow Point of Departure in Texts Developed by Native and Non-native Writers

Abstract This study made frequency and functional analysis of point of departure in reading comprehension texts developed by native and non-native writers. Sixteen texts from four reading comprehension textbooks were selected and analyzed for the marked and unmarked point of departures. Differences between the two texts in terms of marked and unmarked point of departures were reported by the result. The result of chi-square test illustrated that these differences were not statically significant. This is justified in terms of genre similarity. The findings of this study are applicable in designing reading comprehension syllabus