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Biomedical subjects

P Beauvais

Publications and source records attributed to P Beauvais.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[Dengue. Apropos of 2 cases].

BACKGROUND. Dengue is an acute febrile illness caused by several arthropod-born viruses and characterized by biphasic fever, myalgia or arthralgia, rash, leukopenia and lymphadenopathy. Its diagnosis is based on knowledge of the geographic distribution of dengue viruses. CASE REPORTS Case no 1: A 11 year-old boy suffered from sudden onset of fever accompanied by retro-orbital headache, arthralgia and diffuse myalgia. There was no rash. Hemogram showed: hemoglobin: 11.6 g%; leukocytes: 3,400/mm3 (PMN: 76%); platelets: 190,000/mm3. A diagnosis of viral infection was considered, but, as the boy had recently been to the French West-Indies, a serologic study was performed. This was negative 2 days after the onset of disease and positive (specific IgM for the 4 dengue types), 13 days later. Case no 2: A 7 year-old boy suffered from sudden onset of fever. Severe calf muscle pain 4 days later led to his admission. Creatine phosphokinase activity was very high: 83,100 units (N: 30-120). Hemogram showed: hemoglobin: 11.4 g%; leukocytes: 2,500/mm3 (PMN: 60%); platelets: 124,000/mm3. A diagnosis of acute myositis was considered, but as the patient had recently visited Venezuela, a serologic study was performed. This was negative 8 days after the onset of disease and positive (specific IgM for the 4 dengue types) 16 days later. CONCLUSION. The first case is characteristic of the classical form of dengue fever. The second patient presented with very localized myalgia. The diagnosis in both cases was facilitated by the knowledge that the patient had recently stayed in an endemic area.

Acute Disease↗

[Management of drepanocytic patients].

Comprehensive supportive care includes outpatient follow up (periodic evaluation of baseline status, psychosocial support, prevention of sepsis through oral prophylactic penicillin in young children and vaccinations, early treatment of acute episodes (painful crises, other vaso-occlusive events, infection, acute anemia...); In adulthood residual organ dysfunction becomes one of the foremost problems. Further, more specific high risk situations (pregnancy, anesthesia) require adequate responses. Early diagnosis, improved strategy of care best achieved in Sickle Cell Centers can reduce mortality and morbidity in the aim of providing a better quality of life.

Acute Disease↗

[Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in 4 children treated with growth hormone].

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease was diagnosed in four growth hormone recipients at the age of 10, 11, 18 and 19 years. To our knowledge, the two first cases are the first instances of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease recorded in children. Three of them were still being treated with synthetic hormone at the onset of the disease. Neurological disorders: ataxia and diplopia, appeared first, dementia and myoclonus appeared later. Eighteen cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in growth hormone recipients are now recorded, and the present risk of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in pituitary growth recipients is estimated to be 1/300. Because of the long incubation period, new cases are to be feared. Other causes of iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are reviewed. These facts incite to consider carefully using products of human origin in human therapy. The interactions between growth hormone, prion and host's genomic make-up are still not clear.

Adolescent↗

[Knee arthritis caused by Eikenella corrodens. Apropos of a case].

We report a case of septic arthritis of the knee following an articular wound caused by a bite in a previously healthy 8-year-old girl. The causative agent was Eikenella corrodens, an opportunistic bacteria that is normally part of the commensal flora of the oral cavity. We point out that Eikenella corrodens may cause severe complications in healthy subjects and emphasize the need for considering this organism not only in infections of the hands, face and neck, but also after bites. Penicillins are consistently effective and constitute the treatment of choice.

Arthritis, Infectious↗

[Acute isolated myelitis due to measles].

We report a case of acute myelitis that developed in a seven-year-old girl with measles. Attention is drawn to the isolated occurrence of this complication in our patient who had no other neurologic abnormalities, and specifically no encephalitis, whereas spinal cord involvement in measles is usually overshadowed by prominent manifestations of encephalitis. Furthermore, we point out that intrathecal production of antibodies may occur but does not militate against the immunoallergic mechanism usually thought to be involved in this type of disease.

Child↗

[Progressive bulbopontine paralysis in children].

A case of pons-bulbar palsy in a 10 year-old girl is reported. The authors insist on the fact that motor cranial nerve nuclear dysfunction was isolated, without any pyramidal tract disorder. They also emphasize the slow course of the disease, which after one year of quick progression was stable for the next 5 years. Nineteen identical cases were found in the literature. From this nosographic group, one must exclude patients with associated lateral spinal tract dysfunction: these patients must be discussed with the juvenile or infantile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis group. The heterogeneity of the pons-bulbar paralysis group is also underlined: the course may be quickly fatal or, on the contrary, protracted for a long time; genetic transmission is also quite variable.

Bulbar Palsy, Progressive↗

[Isolated tracheoesophageal fistulas. Apropos of 3 cases revealed in the newborn].

We report here on 3 cases of isolated tracheoesophageal fistula. This corresponds to approx. 2.7% of esophageal congenital abnormalities treated in our service. In all 3 cases, diagnosis could be evoked in the neonate in front of respiratory symptoms appearing with feeding. Esophageal contrast radiological studies confirmed in all cases the fistula and its level C7-T1. No other invasive investigation was necessary to the diagnosis. We did not observe associated malformations. Surgical approach was made by a right cervical incision to obtain in good conditions divisions of the fistula and suture of the esophageal and tracheal ends; in one case, a muscular flap was interposed. Followup and longterm results (up to 17 years) were excellent, with one case of regressive recurrent laryngeal nerve paresthesia.

Age Factors↗

[Bobble-head doll syndrome].

A new case of Bobble-head doll syndrome with aqueductal stenosis is presented in a 14 year-old boy. Ventriculocisternostomy performed 8 years after the onset of the abnormal movement resulted in moderate reduction of the head bobbling. Twenty-two cases were found in a review of the literature. In all cases there was a chronic slowly progressive hydrocephalus with usually a cyst of the third ventricle; aqueductal stenosis was less frequent. When recorded, psychomotor development was impaired. Treatment is neurosurgical. Pathogenesis remains unknown.

Adolescent↗

[Ovarian insufficiency in congenital galactosemia].

Primary ovarian failure was observed in 2 sisters aged 17 and 4 years respectively presenting with congenital galactosaemia. The diagnosis of ovarian failure, clinically suggested in the older girl by the absence of puberty, was confirmed in both cases by a massive increase of baseline and post-stimulation plasma gonadotrophins. The elder sister had extremely low plasma oestradiol levels, and her ovaries were reduced to two strips of fibrous stroma almost devoid of follicles. In both cases the other endocrine glands seemed to be normal. Since the younger girl had received a galactose-free diet from birth, exogenous galactose toxicity could be ruled out. It appears from an analysis of the other 5 published reports that a metabolite of endogenous galactose is responsible for the ovarian lesions. The toxic effects of this metabolite may begin during intra-uterine life or after-birth.

Adolescent↗