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Biomedical subjects

V Lemaitre

Publications and source records attributed to V Lemaitre.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

[X-ray computed tomography in the diagnosis of non-advanced stages of renal polycystosis in adults].

At early of non-advanced stages, the diagnosis of adult type polycystic disease may be very difficult using standard morphological techniques: IVU, echotomography. The CT scan is sometimes a decisive diagnostic feature when it shows diffuse invasion of parenchymal tissues by large numbers of cysts, certain measuring only millimetres. Its contribution is emphasised in five cases where the diagnosis was only suspected or envisaged by IVU and echotomography. In 4 of these cases the diagnosis of polycystic disease was confirmed by CT scan.

Adult↗

Acute interstitial nephritis due to drug hypersensitivity. An up-to-date review with a report of 19 cases.

The clinical, biologic, and pathologic features and the course and treatment of acute interstitial nephritis (AIN) due to drug hypersensitivity are reviewed. The authors report 19 additional cases of AIN, outlining some particular and unusual features. The drugs most often responsible now are penicillins and cephalosporins, cotrimoxazole, thiazide diuretics, glafenin and its derivatives, and nonsteroid anti-inflammatory agents. Diagnosis of AIN should be considered in any case of rapidly progressive renal failure occurring during drug therapy, especially when fever, skin rash, arthralgias, macroscopic hematuria, and blood or urinary eosinophilia are present. In the absence of the preceding symptoms, systematic early renal biopsy may be helpful to detect intersitial infiltrates containing lymphocytes, plasma cells, and eosinophils and/or granulomas with epithelioid cells. Immunologic tests are inconstantly positive. Their sensitivity and specificity often are doubtful in the absence of precise knowledge of the pathogenetic factors involved. Recovery may be hastened in some cases by corticoid therapy. Recurrence of the disease will be avoided by definitive suppression of offending and related drug(s).

Acute Disease↗

Drug-induced granulomatous interstitial nephritis.

Among 22 cases of drug-induced acute interstitial nephritis (AIN), noncaseating interstitial granulomas were found in eight cases (36%). Acute renal failure (ARF), oliguric in three patients, appeared within 1-20 days after the beginning of therapy. Clinical symptoms suggesting a hypersensitivity reaction were unusual, marked blood eosinophilia was absent, and immunologic tests were inconstantly positive. The discovery of interstitial granulomas may be a clue to the diagnosis of drug-induced AIN, especially when the inflammatory infiltrates do not contain eosinophils. Since significant residual renal impairment may be observed the benefit of early steroid therapy must be debated.

Adolescent↗

Thrombotic microangiopathy in adult Still's disease.

Adult Still's disease (ASD) is a rare systemic disorder characterized by fever, arthralgia, cutaneous rash, and lymphadenopathy, with high polymorphonuclear leucocytosis and low glycosylated ferritinaemia. Kidney involvement has been reported rarely. We present a patient with ASD who developed haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS). The 42-year-old patient was admitted for unexplained fever related to ASD according to Yamaguchi's classification criteria. As Still's disease was resistant to prednisone, high-dose intravenous immunoglobulins (IV Ig) were administered. During the follow-up the patient developed acute renal failure and non-immune haemolytic anaemia with high levels of antiphospholipid antibodies (IgG anticardiolipin antibodies and anti-beta2 glycoprotein 1 antibodies). Renal biopsy disclosed thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) with arteriolar and glomerular involvement. Treatment with steroids and intravenous IV Ig was reinitiated but renal function worsened towards end-stage renal failure. In this case, we suggest that antiphospholipid antibodies could have promoted arteriolar and glomerular TMA. HUS may be the cause of acute renal failure in Still's disease.

Acute Kidney Injury↗