Unusual location of myxopapillary ependymoma in the sacrum: Case report and review of the literature

Myxopapillary ependymoma, a rare variant of ependymoma, commonly occurs in the conus medullaris or filum terminale. The rarity of these tumors can make their diagnosis and treatment challenging. This case report presents an atypical occurrence of myxopapillary ependymoma within the sacrum in a 68-year-old patient presented with a 3-month history of persistent left-sided low back pain radiating to the legs and fecal dysfunction. The patient underwent a sacral laminectomy and subtotal excision of the tumor, followed by adjuvant radiotherapy with favorable outcomes. This report highlights the significance of tailored approaches for unconventional tumor locations emphasizes the potential benefits of multimodal treatment strategies and provides insights from a comprehensive literature review on similar cases.

Diagnostic Challenges in Adult Intestinal Malrotation: A Case Report and Literature Review

Adult intestinal malrotation is a rare anatomical anomaly that typically manifests during infancy but can also present in adulthood. Symptoms are mainly digestive, with a long history of intermittent abdominal pain and epigastralgia. It often presents a diagnostic challenge due to the varied and nonspecific nature of clinical symptoms. Radiological evaluations reveal diverse patterns of malrotation, including incomplete rotation, mesenteric base abnormalities, and associated malformations. Computed tomography (CT) scans consistently identify characteristic anatomical distortions, aiding in accurate diagnosis. In this context, we present a unique case in which contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen, initially conducted to investigate a suspected episode of acute pancreatitis accompanied by epigastralgia, fortuitously revealed the presence of intestinal malrotation. Once the diagnosis has been made, the therapeutic approach is based on monitoring or managing complications such as intestinal obstruction. Early recognition and accurate radiological assessment of intestinal malrotation play an essential role in establishing the diagnosis and guiding appropriate management strategies. Increased awareness among clinicians and radiologists is essential to avoid delays in diagnosis and the potential complications associated with this entity.

Hallucal sesamoiditis on a bipartite sesamoid bone: An uncommon cause of chronic great toe pain

The pathologies and lesions affecting the sesamoid bones of the hallux are uncommon and can be easily overlooked. Among them, sesamoiditis is a relatively rare condition known to cause severe great toe pain; lack of awareness of this particular entity leads to misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, and contributes to significant morbidity. Herein, we present a chronic sesamoiditis case occurring on a medial bipartite sesamoid bone, presenting as chronic great toe pain. The main purpose of this work is to discuss the role of magnetic resonance imaging and X-rays in the diagnosis process. To the best of our knowledge, no cases of great toe sesamoiditis occurring on a bipartite bone in no-athletic patients have yet been reported.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Revealed by a Palatal Necrosis: A Rare Case Report

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematological malignancy due to genetic alterations characterized by an overproduction of neoplastic clonal myeloid stem cells in both the bone marrow and peripheral blood. We report a case of a 43-year-old man referred to the department of hematology with a three-week history of palatal pain and weakness. The physical examination revealed an ecchymosis on the left hard palatal mucosa and necrosis. The maxillofacial computerized tomography (CT) scan revealed large osteolysis of the left maxillary bone and a fistulated soft palate. The lesion's biopsy showed an acute polymorphic inflammation with no sign of malignancy. Laboratory findings revealed anemia, thrombocytopenia, elevated lactic dehydrogenase, and elevated serum ferritin. The diagnosis was subsequently confirmed by a peripheral-blood smear revealing 60% of circulating blasts and bone marrow aspiration with 80% of blast infiltration. The latter was further classified through cytogenetic studies as an AML with deletion of chromosome 7q. This case report aims to highlight the need for clinicians to be aware of palatal necrosis as an initial manifestation of the disease and to emphasize the role of multidisciplinary collaboration between dental surgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and hematologists for early detection and treatment.

[Angiocholitis on hepatic hydatid cyst fistulised in the main bile duct: two case reports]

Hydatid cyst is a zoonosis that frequently affects the liver, which is endemic in several countries such as Morocco. The hepatic hydatidosis can be complicated by angiocholitis, currently, the treatment of choice is endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography with sphincterotomy. We report two clinical cases of angiocholitis on hepatic hydatid cyst fistulised in the main bile duct which were treated endoscopically with a favourable outcome. Early diagnosis and adequate management can improve the prognosis of these patients.

Cataclysmic Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage: Dreaded Complication of Metastatic Breast Cancer

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) from variceal rupture is a serious condition that can be life-threatening in some cases. Usually, the main cause is portal hypertension in cirrhosis, but other etiologies like liver metastases can be also involved. We present the case of a 64-year-old woman, with a history of metastatic breast cancer, who was admitted for a massive UGIB due to ruptured esophageal varices related to portal hypertension.

Co-existence of severe coarctation of the aorta and aortic valve stenosis in adulthood: a case report

Aortic coarctation is a congenital heart disease that usually presents and is treated in the childhood. The aortic coarctation is often associated with concomitant cardiac pathologies, such as aortic stenosis and bicuspid aortic valve. We report the case of a 56-year-old man, admitted in our cardiologic unit, for sudden onset of chest pain, dyspnea and syncope. Aortic coarctation with aortic valve stenosis was diagnosed. The aortic valve was successfully replaced in the first stage; the coarctation had to be treated in a second time.

A review on current diagnostic techniques for COVID-19

INTRODUCTION

SARS-Cov-2 first appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and spread all over the world soon after that. Given the infectious nature ofSARS-CoV-2, fast and accurate diagnosis tools are important to detect the virus. In this review, we discuss the different diagnostic tests that are currently being implemented in laboratories and provide a description of various COVID-19 kits.

AREAS COVERED

We summarize molecular techniques that target the viral load, serological methods used for SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies detection as well as newly developed faster assays for the detection of SARS-COV 2 in various biological samples.

EXPERT OPINION

In the light of the widespread pandemic, the massive diagnosis of COVID-19, using various detection techniques, appears to be the most effective strategy for monitoring and containing its propagation.