Annales de medecine interne最新文献

The association between antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and vasculitis is rare and continues to evoke great interest. We report a case with neurological manifestations of polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) and concurrent APS. Electromyography and neuromuscular biopsy of the limb showed an axonal polyneuropathy following obliteration and necrosis of medium sized arteries, initially suggesting PAN. This vasculitis was confirmed on visceral selective arteriography, with the presence of numerous aneurysms. Cerebral MRI revealed multiple cortical and subcortical signals in the fronto-parietal areas, corresponding to ischemic microvascular lesions of APS. This association was confirmed by the presence IgG anticardiolipid, the past medical history of skin necrotic lesions and central retinal obliteration. Pulse intravenous cyclophosphamide, oral prednisolone and curative anticoagulation led to stabilization for 8 months.

Benzodiazepines and opiates or opioids are used concomitantly in various circumstances, for example in anesthesiology, for the management of acute or chronic pain and for substitution therapy in heroin addiction. There are numerous interactions between these two families of substances. The objective of this review is to present the interactions identified in clinical and experimental studies reported in the literature dealing with their effects on pain, anxiety, sedation and respiration. The exact mechanism of benzodiazepine and opioid interactions remains to be established. It may depend on pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic mechanisms. Certain arguments would support the pharmacodynamic hypothesis: the co-location of GABA and opiate receptors in the central nervous system, the existence of possible cross-reactivity and common pathways of intracellular transduction. The deleterious interaction of benzodiazepines and opioids on respiration may take place at the level of the central command of ventilation or may be related to additive actions on the different neuromuscular components of the respiration. A better understanding of the exact mechanisms implicated in these interactions would increase the safety of prescription of these drugs.

Pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of venous thromboembolism, especially in women with a congenital predisposition. The detection of these thrombophilias, with an autosomal dominant transmission, is justified if an appropriate prophylaxis is administered during pregnancy and/or post-partum. The aim of the prophylaxis is to prevent thrombotic events and possibly adverse pregnancy complications, such as pregnancy loss at the second or third trimester, intra-uterine fetal growth retardation or pre-eclampsia. The magnitude of the pregnancy-associated risk in the different thrombophilias is taken into account for the selection of the patients to be tested for the detection of thrombophilia. Tests to be performed are proposed and their interpretation depends on whether the patient is pregnant, receiving oral contraception or oral anticoagulants.

To prevent deep vein thrombosis during pregnancy and the puerperium, compression stockings and heparin have been proposed. These measures are safe for the mothers and their babies, however low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) must be preferred to unfractioned heparin if possible. The prevention of preeclampsia (PE) has been widely studied. Among nutrients, calcium supplementation is effective to prevent PE among women with a spontaneous low calcium intake, but fish oil supplementation is not. The effectiveness of folic acid is still controversial. Aspirin has been widely studied to prevent, and also treat, PE. The effectiveness of aspirin depends on an early administration during pregnancy and probably on the dose, while the best results have been observed with doses more than 60 mg/day. The association of aspirin and LMWH was used among patients with systemic pathologies, and no hemorrhagic complications were described. Oral anticoagulants are used only among patients with mechanical heart valves, the use between the 6th and the 12th week of pregnancy is controversial, because of an increased risk of fetal malformation, and near term because of an increased risk of neonatal hemorrhage.

The purpose is to identify maternal and prenatal risks factors for placental vascular disorders. We excluded biologic and epidemiological data which are discussed in another chapter. Maternal risks factors are pre-existing vascular systemic diseases. Systemic lupus erythematosus (antiphospholipid antibodies are studied in another chapter) is a classical disease associated with unfavorable outcome, particularly when the disease is not quiescent and if the patient has a history of previous poor outcome. Obstetricians' awareness of the influence of inflammatory bowel diseases on pregnancy and fetal outcome is quite poor. These diseases, if they are not quiescent, can induce deleterious perinatal effects. Type 1 or even type 2 diabetes mellitus increases the risk of preeclampsia or hypertension in pregnancy, particularly when there is poor glycemic control early in pregnancy. The duration of type 1 diabetes affects the outcome of pregnancy more than type 2. Smoking during pregnancy is associated with many adverse events including spontaneous abortion, low birth weight and placental abruption. There are data about the dose-response relationship between the number of cigarettes smoked per day and the risk of abortion. Smoking during pregnancy is also protective against preeclampsia and this apparent paradox suggests the complexity of what is called vascular placental pathology. There is a significant relationship between pejorative perinatal vascular outcome and the non quiescence of renal disease. Mid-trimester uterine artery Doppler combining bilateral notches and increased uterine resistance index is the best criterion to predict the placental vascular risk of the pregnancy. Some promising studies suggest the feasibility of uterine Doppler ultrasound screening early in the pregnancy during the first trimester. Large studies are required to confirm this practice. Uterine artery Doppler in combination with other tests (elevated maternal serum hCG or ambulatory 24-hour blood pressure monitoring at 22 weeks gestation) could be a more efficient predictor of vascular complications. A large-scale evaluation is necessary before recommendations can be made. Multiple pregnancies increase the risk of preeclampsia 2- or 3-fold (RR 2.62; 95% CI: 2.03-3.38). A history of preeclampsia is the strongest predictor of unfavorable outcome for the second pregnancy.

Thrombophilia may represent a new risk factor for placental vascular disorders. Thromboprophylaxis with low doses of heparin and aspirin may be discussed in order to reduced adverse obstetric outcomes. No randomized controlled trials are currently published in the literature. Thromboprophylaxis may be unwarranted in asymptomatic women because of the lack for an association between thrombophilia and pregnancy outcome. Women with antiphospholipid syndrome are at high risk for pregnancy loss and maternal complications. Pregnancy in women with antiphospholipid syndrome appears to be improved by thromboprophylaxis, but adverse obstetric outcome may occur despite treatment. Thromboprophylaxis is recently reported in women with previous poor obstetric outcomes. These preliminary observational studies are still insufficient to recommend a large diffusion for thromboprophylaxis. Prevention for adverse outcomes with a low fixed dose of heparin may only be discussed in women with previous late fetal loss or intrauterine fetal death.

We report an observation of intravascular lymphoma occurring in a 69-year-old woman. This relatively rare disease presents polymorphic clinical features that render diagnosis difficult. Cutaneous and central nervous system signs and symptoms are frequently observed and should be recognized as suggestive of intravascular lymphoma. However, they are not always observed, in our case only pancytopenia was present. Pronostic is generally unfavorable but good response to chemotherapy has been described with early diagnosis. A large number of pathogenic hypotheses have been put forward: abnormality of cellular receptor, role of Epstein-Barr virus or transformation from lymphoma. Intravascular lymphoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of pancytopenia to increase chances of good response.