BRAFV600E hot spot mutation in thyroid carcinomas: first Moroccan experience from a single-institution retrospective study

Background: The incidence of thyroid cancer is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate. BRAFV600E mutation is described to be associated with a worse prognostic of thyroid carcinomas, as well as extrathyroidal invasion and increased mortality. Objective: To our knowledge, there are no reported studies neither from Morocco nor from other Maghreb countries regarding the prevalence of BRAFV600E mutation in thyroid carcinomas. Here we aim to evaluate the frequency of BRAFV600E oncogene in Moroccan thyroid carcinomas. Methods: In this Single-Institution retrospective study realized in the Anatomic Pathology and Histology Service in the Military Hospital of Instruction Mohammed V \u2018HMIMV\u2019 in Rabat, we report, using direct genomic sequencing, the assessment of BRAFV600E in 37 thyroid tumors. Results: We detected BRAFV600E mutation exclusively in Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas \u2018PTC\u2019 with a prevalence of 28% (8 PTC out 29 PTC). Like international trends, Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas \u2019PTC\u2019 is more frequent than Follicular Thyroid Carcinomas \u2018FTC\u2019 and Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinomas \u2018ATC\u2019 (29 PTC, 7 FTC and 1 ATC). Conclusion: Our finding gives to the international community the first estimated incidence of this oncogene in Morocco showing that this prevalence falls within the range of international trends (30% to 90%) reported in distinct worldwide geographic regions

A Rare Case of Malignant Tumor of the Larynx with Good Prognosis: Laryngeal Chondrosarcoma

Laryngeal chondrosarcoma is a rare laryngeal tumor that most frequently originates from the cricoid cartilage. The majority of lesions are low grade and the distinction from benign chondromas must be made. We present a case of a laryngeal chondrosarcoma arising from the cricoid cartilage in a 75-year-old Arab man who presented with hoarseness, dysphonia, and dyspnea. Endoscopic and radiological examinations showed a mass of the wall of his larynx with displaced structures, airway obstruction, and destruction of the cartilage. The patient underwent total laryngectomy. Histological examination supported the diagnosis of low-grade chondrosarcoma. Five months later, the radiological and clinical findings showed no evidence of recurrence or metastases. Laryngeal chondrosarcomas remain a rare disease of unknown etiology, with slow and insidious symptoms. The treatment is surgical, given the importance of preserving the larynx to patients’ quality of life. The prognosis is favorable and metastases rarely occur

Cause rare d’hypoplasie sévère: la transformation gélatineuse de la moelle osseuse

Nous rapportons chez une patiente de 17 ans un cas rare d’hypoplasie sévère avec transformation gélatineuse de la moelle osseuse dont l’étiologie spécifique reste mystérieuse malgré un bilan diagnostique et étiologique assez détaillé. La transformation gélatineuse (encore appelée atrophie séreuse, ou moelle de déprivation) est caractérisée par l’association d’une hypoplasie médullaire et d’une infiltration interstitielle par une substance gélatineuse amorphe formée de mucopolysaccharides acides. Elle s’accompagne d’anomalies sanguines périphériques qui sont variables, souvent modérées et non corrélées à la gravité de l’atteinte centrale. Sa pathogénie, encore mal connue, est très certainement liée à la dénutrition chronique et les pathologies associées à une cachexie

A rare tumour in the cerebellopontine angle: endolymphatic sac tumour

We present a case of a papillary tumour at the cerebellopontine angle in a 54-year-old man. He presented with right-sided ear pain associated with dizziness and hearing loss. The radiological diagnosis was in favor of acoustic neurinoma. Surgical excision was performed and the diagnosis of the endolymphatic sac tumour was made. Endolymphatic tumour is a low grade adenocarcinoma that originates from the endolymphatic sac. The definitive diagnosis requires a combination of clinical features, radiological finding and pathological correlation

Protective Effect of Argan and Olive Oils against LPS-Induced Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Mice Livers.

International audienceSepsis causes severe dysregulation of organ functions, via the development of oxidative stress and inflammation. These pathophysiological mechanisms are mimicked in mice injected with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Here, protective properties of argan oil against LPS-induced oxidative stress and inflammation are explored in the murine model. Mice received standard chow, supplemented with argan oil (AO) or olive oil (OO) for 25 days, before septic shock was provoked with a single intraperitoneal injection of LPS, 16 hours prior to animal sacrifice. In addition to a rise in oxidative stress and inflammatory markers, injected LPS also caused hepatotoxicity, accompanied by hyperglycemia, hypercholesterolemia and hyperuremia. These LPS-associated toxic effects were blunted by AO pretreatment, as corroborated by normal plasma parameters and cell stress markers (glutathione: GSH) and antioxidant enzymology (catalase, CAT; superoxide dismutase, SOD and glutathione peroxidase, GPx). Hematoxylin–eosin staining revealed that AO can protect against acute liver injury, maintaining a normal status, which is pointed out by absent or reduced LPS-induced hepatic damage markers (i.e., alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST)). Our work also indicated that AO displayed anti-inflammatory activity, due to down-regulations of genes encoding pro-inflammatory cytokines Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) and in up-regulations of the expression of anti-inflammatory genes encoding Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and Interleukin-10 (IL-10). OO provided animals with similar, though less extensive, protective changes. Collectively our work adds compelling evidence to the protective mechanisms of AO against LPS-induced liver injury and hence therapeutic potentialities, in regard to the management of human sepsis. Activations of IL-4/Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (IL-4/PPARs) signaling and, under LPS, an anti-inflammatory IL-10/Liver X Receptor (IL-10/LXR) route, obviously indicated the high potency and plasticity of the anti-inflammatory properties of argan oil