Mustapha Mahfoud

Squamous cell carcinoma arising from chronic osteomyelitis

OBJECTIVES Our aim was to present the results from a retrospective study of 7 cases of squamous cell carcinoma arising from chronic osteomyelitis. METHODS We treated seven cases of chronic osteomyelitis related squamous cell carcinoma between 1993 and 2005. The patients had an average age of 54.5 (range: 38-71) years, with a male predominance (6 men, 1 woman). We analyzed the time up to cancerization, the localization and histopathological type of the carcinoma, and the type and result of the treatment. RESULTS The mean time between the occurrence of the skin lesions and the diagnosis of malignant degeneration was 24.5 (range: 9 to 40) years. The carcinoma resulted from tibia osteomyelitis in 4 cases, femur osteomyelitis in 2 cases and humerus osteomyelitis in one. The pathological examination showed five cases of a well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma with bone invasion, and two cases of invasive squamous cell carcinoma. The treatment consisted of amputation in all but one patient, who refused the amputation. The six amputee patients did not show local recurrence or metastatic dissemination over a period of five years. CONCLUSION Amputation appears to be an effective treatment method in squamous carcinoma secondary to chronic osteomyelitis.

Well-circumscribed deep-seated lipomas of the upper extremity. A report of 13 cases

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study is to determine if giant size is of bad prognosis in deep lipomas of the upper extremity. PATIENTS AND METHODS We report a retrospective study of 13 patients with deep-seated lipomas of the upper extremity treated during the period from April 1997 to April 2008. We evaluated the clinical and radiological characteristics, treatment and evolution profile of these patients. RESULTS There were 10 women and three men, with an average age of 53 years (range 30-79 years). Seven of these lipomas were in the arm, one in the shoulder, and five in the forearm. Six lipomas were intramuscular, six intermuscular (three of them being attached to bone and labelled parosteal lipoma) and one epivaginal lipoma of the flexor tendon sheath. All patients presented a progressive slow-growing mass that was associated with radial paralysis in one case and carpal tunnel syndrome in one case. Plain radiographs showed a radiolucent soft-tissue image in all cases and an associated osteochondroma in one parosteal lipoma. Computer tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) suggested the lipomatous nature and benign characteristics of these deep lipomas that were giant in all cases (mean size: 7 cm). Lipoma marginal excision was performed and histopathological examination demonstrated features consistent with a benign lipoma. There was good function and no clinical recurrence was observed after a mean follow-up of three years. DISCUSSION Giant deep-seated lipomas of the upper extremity are uncommon and can be intermuscular or intramuscular. A painless soft-tissue mass is the most frequent chief complaint. MRI with fat suppression suggests the diagnosis and studies the extension of deep lipoma. Marginal excision is the treatment of choice and histopathology eliminates diagnosis of well-differentiated liposarcoma. CONCLUSION Appropriate evaluation of deep lipoma is to rule out malignancy by systematically performing MRI and biopsy. In contrast to deep-seated lipomas of the lower extremity or the retroperitoneal space, the prognosis of deep-seated lipomas of the upper extremity is good irrelevant of their size. Recurrence and the degeneration are very rare. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level 4.

A rare cause of chronic sciatic pain: Schwannoma of the sciatic nerve

Schwannomas are common, benign tumors of the shelth of peripheral nerves. Sciatic schwannomas are rare. Their symptomatology usually mimics sciatic pain due to a herniated disc, which can delay the diagnosis. If there is no lumbar pain and lumbar MRI is normal, the sciatic nerve must be clinically and radiologically examined all along its course. We report a case of sciatic nerve schwannoma presenting with chronic sciatica which was diagnosed and monitored radiologically for several years before successful surgical resection.

Open medial ankle dislocation without associated fracture: a case report.

Tibiotalar dislocation without associated fracture is a rare injury. We report a case of an unusual open medial ankle dislocation without any associated bony injury. After reduction and debridement under general anaesthesia, capsule suture and ligaments repair were performed. An external fixator was applied for ankle immobilization. After 3 years follow-up, functional results were excellent without signs of instability or degenerative arthritis.

Upward tibiotalar dislocation without fracture: A case report.

Pure tibiotalar dislocations without associated fracture are rare. The authors report a case of an unusual closed tibiotalar dislocation without fracture involving proximal ascension of the talus. Immediate closed reduction was performed. Repair of the disrupted medial ligament was performed and one syndesmosis screw inserted, followed by 6 weeks of immobilization. After 1 year of follow-up, functional results were excellent.

Schwannoma of the Median Nerve: Diagnosis Sometimes Delayed

Schwannoma is a tumor that develops from nerve sheath. The authors report an unusual case of schwannoma of the median nerve (MN) that remained asymptomatic for four years. The diagnosis was based on MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) and histopathological examination. Surgical removal is usually curative. The asymptomatic character of the tumor and its slow evolution remain an essential factor in diagnosis delays. This tumor has a good prognosis with a low recurrence rate and potential for malignant transformation.

Bilateral anterior shoulder dislocation with bilateral fractures of the greater tuberosity: A case report.

Bilateral anterior dislocation of the shoulders with fractures of both greater tuberosities is very rare. A 76-year-old woman sustained a bilateral anterior dislocation of her shoulders with fractures of the greater tuberosity on both sides after a fall on stairs. Her arms were abducted and externally rotated. Radiological examination revealed the bilateral anterior dislocation and also the bilateral fractures of the greater tuberosity. Prompt closed reduction followed by a 3 weeks immobilization and subsequent rehabilitation allows a good outcome. Results at one-year follow-up were satisfactory with normal range of motion and no redislocations occurring. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of bilateral anterior shoulder dislocation associated with fractures of both greater tuberosities in elderly woman.

Abcès du coude révélant la maladie des griffes du chat: à propos d’un cas

Cat-scratch disease (CSD) is a common cause of chronic benign lymphadenopathy in the child and the young adult. Bartonella henselae is the agent responsible for this disease. Common symptoms include regional lymphadenopathy associated with fever. We report a clinically atypical and potentially misleading case of a 18-year old girl with CSD revealed by elbow abscess.

Pneumothorax complicating isolated clavicle fracture

Isolated clavicle fractures are among the commonest of traumatic fractures in the emergency department. Complications of isolated clavicle fractures are rare. Pneumothorax has been described as a complication of a fractured clavicle only rarely in English literature. In all the reported cases, the pneumothorax was treated by a thoracostomy and the clavicle fracture was treated conservatively. In our case, the pneumothorax required a chest drain insertion and the clavicle fracture was treated surgically with good result.

Resection of osteoid osteoma of distal tibia using the intraoperative isotopic scan

Osteoid osteomas are small-sized benign painful bony tumors. The authors report the case of an osteoid osteoma located in the distal third of the tibia, treated by the surgical excision of the nidus using the intraoperatively isotopic marking which allows reducing the incision size and the bony resection.