J. de Maubeuge

Oxatomide in the treatment of pruritus senilis: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial

The antiallergic drug oxatomide was evaluated in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in 35 patients with pruritus senilis. The trial was run in the wintertime, and the patients were orally given either 30 mg oxatomide b.i.d. (n = 19) or a placebo (n = 16) for 2 months. Complete suppression or marked improvement of the complaints was experienced by 79% of the patients given oxatomide and by 31% of the control patients. Oxatomide was superior to the placebo in reducing both the duration and the severity of itching. The need of additional topical medication was higher in the placebo group. Somnolence and cramps were each reported by 1 oxatomide-treated patient.

Contact sensitivity to rubber additives in Belgium.

The frequency of positive patch tests to rubber additives in Belgium is recorded. Allergy due to rubber protective gloves represents 41% of the overall sensitivity to rubber.

A Case of Early Congenital Syphilis

A case of early congenital syphilis is reported in order to emphasize that syphilis is still present nowadays and that detection of syphilis in pregnant women is primordial for the prevention of this disease.

Syndrome d’immunodéficience acquise (AIDS) révélé par un herpes génital sévère

The authors present 2 cases of AIDS revealed by severe recurrent genital herpes simplex. The patients are 2 young, previously healthy, African women without histories of homosexuality or drug abuse. The first patient died after 5 months of follow-up (post mortem findings: viral bronchopneumonia with positive cultures for herpes and cytomegalovirus (CMV), viral colitis due to CMV). The second patient survived. She has been treated, during the last 11 months, for filariasis, buccal and vaginal candidiasis and cerebral toxoplasmosis.

Neurothécome du nez chez une adolescente.

Une jeune fille de 17 ans consultait pour une tumeur de la pointe du nez évoluant depuis moins d’un an. Son histoire médicale était sans particularité en dehors d’un asthme traité par salmétérol et fluticasone (Sérétide®). Elle fumait un demi-paquet par jour. L’examen clinique mettait en évidence une lésion tumorale d’environ 2 cm de diamètre, entreprenant la pointe du nez et la partie droite de la cloison médiane. La lésion était nodulaire, très indurée et érodée en son centre. À sa surface courraient de fines télangiectasies (Fig. 1). Elle était indolore, y compris à la palpation. Il n’y avait aucune autre lésion sur le tégument. Il n’y avait pas de signe cutané de photohéliose. Les muqueuses étaient normales. Les aires ganglionnaires étaient libres. L’aspect clinique évoquait un carcinome basocellulaire voire un kératoacanthome. Compte tenu de l’âge de la patiente, ces diagnostics paraissaient peu probables. L’examen anatomopathologique de la biopsie a révélé qu’il s’agissait d’un neurothécome cellulaire (NC) (Fig. 2a et b). Le diagnostic a été confirmé par l’immunohistochimie. Les cellules tumorales étaient négatives pour les anticorps anti-

DETERMINATION DES SOUS-POPULATIONS DE LYMPHOCYTES CIRCULANTS DANS LA DERMATITE ATOPIQUE A L'AIDE D'ANTICORPS MONOCLONAUX

Monoclonal antibodies were used to determine the level of circulating helper and suppressor T cells in 34 infants and adults with severe atopic dermatitis and in normal controls. The percentage of OKT

VASCULITE CUTANEE REVELATRICE D'UNE HEPATITE CHRONIQUE: A PROPOS DE 2 CAS

2 cases of cutaneous vasculitis associated with chronic hepatitis and mixed cryoglobulinaemia are reported. Further studies revealed in the first case hypocomplementaemia and glomerulonephritis. The cutaneous lesions of this patient responded dramatically to plasma exchange whereas prednisolone 20 mg/day and azathioprine 50 mg/day for 10 months showed no effect. The second case (chronic active hepatitis with acute colitis) responded well to prednisolone and azathioprine. The cutaneous lesions (vascularitis) may be the only clinical symptom of a chronic hepatitis and the study of those cases sometimes allows an early diagnosis of renal failure to be made.

Maladie des griffes de chat.

A case of cat-scratch syndrome is described. The dermatological features and skin reactions reported in this illness (erythema nodosum, erythema multiforma) as well as the diagnostical criteria are re

SURINFECTION PAR ASPERGILLUS DE BRULURES GRAVES

Aspergillus, which has a saprophytic life, is an opportunistic fungus and manifests his pathogenicity when a weakened state of the host facilitates its development. The conditions are particularly favorable in severely burned patients like the 54-year-old woman presented here. The criteria of pathogenicity of this opportunistic fungus, the incidence of epidemiology and prognosis of this type of infection and the clinical signs that allow an early diagnosis are discussed here.

Syphilis secondaire active récidivante: réactivation ou réinfection?

Cases of recurrent syphilis are relatively rare. In such cases it is often difficult to differentiate between a reinfection and a reactivation. The case described in this article illustrates this kind of problem.