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L Harzallah

Publications and source records attributed to L Harzallah.

18 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

[A Tunisian case of pachydermoperiostosis].

Clubbed fingers are classically associated with chronic cardiac and pulmonary affection. Pachydermoperiostosis, a rarer aetiology, is a hereditary affection which is difficult to diagnose in its incomplete form. We relate a Tunisian case report. Our patient consulted for joint manifestations. The diagnosis of Pachydermoperiostosis was set up on 3 out of the 4 Borochowitz criteria. The osteoarticular manifestations mainly led to differential diagnosis with secondary hypertrophic osteoarthropathy. The underlying pathogenic mechanism of this disease still remains unclear.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

[Langerhans cell histiocytosis associated with pituitary stalk transection].

UNLABELLED: Clinical manifestations of hypothalamic-pituitary Langerhans'cell histiocytosis are commonly, diabetes insipidus and sometimes growth hormone deficiency. Their morphologic characteristics on magnetic resonance imaging are absence of posterior pituitary hyperintensity and thickening of the pituitary stalk. Pituitary stalk transection is characterized on magnetic resonance imaging by the absence of pituitary stalk visibility, hypoplasia of the anterior hypophysis and ectopic posterior pituitary hyperintense signal. This syndrome has been shown to be associated with either isolated growth hormone deficiency or multiple anterior pituitary hormone deficiency, but normal posterior pituitary function. CASE REPORT: We report our experience with a six-year-old boy who had been treated for three years for a multisystem Langerhans'cell histiocytosis with diabetes insipidus and who was admitted because of short stature. Endocrinological examinations demonstrated a profound growth hormone deficiency and a partial central hypocorticism. Magnetic resonance imaging showed pituitary stalk transection and a midline anomaly of the brain (Arnold Chiari type I malformation). CONCLUSION: Although, some events of his perinatal history lead to the hypothesis of a malformative origin, the progression of Langerhans' cell histiocytosis affected tissues to fibrosis, suggest that this disease is the cause of the patient's hypothalamohypophyseal lesions.

Child↗
PubMed2005

[Tuberculous sacro-iliitis: a series of twenty-two cases].

BACKGROUND: Despite their relative rarity, increased awareness of tuberculous sacro-iliitis is necessary. Indeed, diagnosis is usually delayed, because of the non specific clinical features and the difficulty to explore the sacro-iliac joint. OBJECTIVE: To study the characteristics of sacro-iliac joint tuberculosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of 22 cases of tuberculous sacro-iliitis collected between 1987 and 2003 in four university hospital centres. All our patients were explored clinically and radiologically. Microbiology, biochemical and serologic tests were also performed. RESULTS: 13 cases were confirmed bacteriologically or histologically and for the remaining nine cases evidence of tuberculous sacroiliitis was based on clinical, biological, radiological features and outcome on treatment. Inflammatory pain was present in almost all cases, and a collected abscess in 11 cases. Standard radiographs were also in all cases and ultrasound and CT scan showed an abscess in 8 patients. The average duration of treatment was nine months. The outcome was excellent in the majority of cases. CONCLUSION: Sacro-iliac joint is difficult to explore and has recently beneficiated of technical improvement in imaging and diagnostic. Medical treatment of tuberculosis sacro-iliitis is often sufficient.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Diabetes insipidus and panhypopituitarism revealing pituitary metastasis of small cell lung carcinoma: a case report.

Metastatic tumors of the pituitary gland are not commonly diagnosed during life in cancer patients. The occurrence of symptomatic lesions is also very unusual and difficult to differentiate clinically and radiologically from pituitary adenomas. We report a case of pituitary metastasis which was the prime manifestation of a small cell lung carcinoma in a 40-year-old man. This cancer was revealed by diabetes insipidus and a hypopituitarism.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Solitary eosinophilic granuloma of the orbit: a case report].

The authors report a case of eosinophilic granuloma involving the roof and the lateral wall of the left orbit in a 5-year-old boy. The clinical presentation and especially the imaging features (computed tomography and MRI) suggested a malignant tumor and the final diagnosis was obtained by fine needle aspiration biopsy with histopathologic examination. Despite its alarming radiologic appearance, there was spontaneous healing of the eosinophilic granuloma with restitution ad-integrum of the bone.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2005

[Elastofibroma: imaging features].

Elastofibroma dorsi is a rare benign and slow growing fibro-proliferative lesion of unknown pathogenesis. It has a characteristic location (periscapular region) and a specific imaging appearance (songraphy, CT, MRI) allowing accurate prospective diagnosis. The recognition of this benign lesion avoids unnecessary biopsy and/or surgery. We report three cases of elastofibroma dorsi illustrating the characteristic features on sonography, CT and MRI. Involvement was bilateral in two cases.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Serum lactate dehydrogenase and its isoenzymes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Tunisia].

Our prospective study interested 41 patients, from 13 to 70 years old, and present a nasopharyngeal carcinoma confirmed histologically, during the period going from September 1999 to March 2000, and 45 healthy controls. A blood sample was collected from each patient before any treatment, as well as controls to measure serum LDH and its isoenzymes. Two groups of patients were selected after a period varying from 12 to 37 months with a mean of 29 months: 29 with favourable evolution, 12 with non favourable evolution. The mean serum total LDH and its isoenzymes values were significantly higher in patients than those in controls with values of variable p of 0.001 to 0.05. A significant correlation was found between ganglionnary extension and serum values of total LDH, LDH3 and LDH5. No significant difference were observed between the means serum total LDH before treatment and the clinical evolution of patients. Diagnostic contribution of total LDH is limited, by its ubiquitary character, but could constitute for LDH3 a good marker of the disease progression.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Imaging features of intrasellar tuberculoma: two cases.

Hypophyseal tuberculoma is extremely rare. It may be confused with other more common sellar tumors such as adenomas. Characteristic, but not specific, radiological features are in the majority of cases: intense enhancement on contrast CT and thickening of the pituitary stalk better visible on MRI. We describe imaging findings in two patients with pituitary tuberculosis. In these cases an accurate non-invasive diagnosis was found to be important as antituberculous chemotherapy is curative.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed2004

[Neurosarcoidosis as the first manifestation of sarcoidosis: diagnosis difficulty. A case report].

Clinically apparent involvement of the nervous system occurs in a relatively small number of patients with sarcoidosis. The diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis is often difficult and particularly in patients who lack either pulmonary or systemic manifestations of sarcoidosis. Furthermore clinical and imaging features of neurosarcoidosis are extremely variable. We report a case of neurosarcoidosis which had been considered and treated at first as tuberculosis. Only the occurrence, two years later, of pulmonary manifestations of sarcoidosis enabled the diagnosis.

Aged↗
PubMed2003

[Right tracheal bronchus associated with tuberculosis pneumonia. A case report].

Right tracheal bronchus is a rare almost always asymptotic congenital malformation. We report a case of right tracheal bronchus associated with pneumonia tuberculosis of the apical segment of the upper right lobe. We describe the characteristic of this malformation and stress the role of computed tomography scan to detect these anomalies.

Bronchi↗
PubMed2003

[Craniopharyngioma of the adults. Three cases].

Craniopharyngioma, an intra- and suprasellar tumor generally observed in pediatric patients, can also occur in adults. We report three cases of histologically confirmed craniopharyngioma in three men aged 34 to 53 Years. Clinical manifestations were headache with visual and gonadic disorders associating impotence, infertiligy, and gynecomastia. Computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging revealed an intra- and suprasellar tumor with solid, hydric, and calcified components. Third ventricle compression was observed in two patients. Hormone test revealed gonadotrope insufficiency in two patients, associated with hyperprolactinemia in one of them, and pituitary insufficiency in the third patient. None of the patients had diabetes insipidus. The frontopterional approach was used for surgery. One patient died and the two others experienced persistent visual impairment with worsening pituitary insufficiency. Our observations suggest that these craniopharyngiomas were probably clinically latent congienital forms since endocrine features were lacking during childhood. Early diagnosis is required to achieve good outcome.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Diffuse pseudotumorous oncocytosis of the parotid gland. A case report].

Pseudotumorous oncocytosis of the parotid gland is very uncommon and frequently misdiagnosed since it generally presents as a true tumor. The clinical presentation and imaging features of a 6-cm diameter left parotid mass led to the diagnosis of a tumor in a 73-year-old man. At pathology examination of the partial parotidectomy specimen the "tumor" was found to be a metaplastic oncocytic lesion. We discuss the diagnostic criteria, differential diagnosis, and etiopathogeny of this lesion.

Adenoma, Oxyphilic↗
PubMed2000

[The use of neuron specific enolase in the prognosis and followup of neuroblastoma in children. Results of a retrospective series of 21 patients].

OBJECTIVE: To report the results of seric neuron specific enolase in pediatric neuroblastoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our retrospective study concerns 21 children treated in our institution from 1992 to 1998 for neuroblastoma. Seric NSE was determined by immunoenzymology technique at different stages of the disease and the treatment. RESULTS: Mean value for the 39 dosages of the whole patients was 127.9 ng/ml with a sensitivity of 56%, five patients has presented normal values. Mean value for the 18 patients in stage IV was 132.38 ng/ml. We also observed in 3 patients, an evolution of the seric NSE parallel to this of the disease under chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: NSE represents a moderate sensitive and specific tumor marker for pediatric neuroblastoma. However, it represents a good value in prognosis and follow-up after chemotherapy.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1999

[Role of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level in the aqueous humor in the diagnosis of retinoblastoma (RB)].

In spite of the progress of the imagery in ophthalmology, the retinoblastoma remains in some particular cases, difficult to make. Moreover, the therapy sanction is often heavy. The lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) dosage in aqueous humor is an invasive technique conceivable when there are diagnosis problems particularly in retino-blastoma of old children and in affections simulating retino-blastoma. The purpose of this work is to lay out three observations where the LDH dosage enabled to keep the retinoblastoma diagnosis in one 8-year old child and eliminate it in two children having pseudoglioma with spontaneous evolution allowing to confirm the non-tumoral nature of the affection. Thus, the technique of LDH dosage has been reliable for the 3 cases which we have introduced. The authors compare the reliability of the different cytochemical techniques during the retinoblastoma diagnosis.

Aqueous Humor↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Hydatic acute pancreatitis: a case report].

Acute pancreatitis caused by hydatic cyst of the liver was rarely reported. The authors report a new case of hydatic pancreatitis characterized by visualization of hydatid membranes in the biliary tract without any biliary stone or alcoholic consumption.

Acute Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis: a case report].

Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is a recognized condition that usually affects children and adolescents. It's characterized by insidious onset of local swelling and pain in affected bones. Clinical, biological and especially radiological abnormalities are suggestive of septic osteomyelitis, so the diagnosis is delayed. Bone biopsy with culture is certainly necessary to rule out bacterial osteomyelitis and bone tumor. Authors report the case of a 27-years old man in whom the diagnosis of CRMO was done after 14 years course.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The C677T polymorphism in the methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase gene among Tunisian population].

The 5,10 methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is an enzyme that catalyzes the irreversible reduction of 5,10 methylene tetrahydrofolate into 5 methyl tetrahydrofolate. It is coded by a gene where several polymorphisms have been identified. The most common is the C677T polymorphism described as presenting an heterogeneous worldwide distribution and associated with different disorders such as cardiovascular and cancerous diseases. The aim of this work was to determine the allelic and genotypic frequencies of the C677T polymorphism among a Tunisian healthy population. The study concerned 185 subjects apparently healthy. It was carried out by the PCR/RFLP method, using the restriction enzyme Hinf I. The results has showed an allelic frequency of 17.8% with a genotype frequency of 5.4%. These values are intermediate between those observed in Africa and those observed in Western countries. They must be considered in the evaluation of the clinic significance of a predisposition to diseases.

Adult↗