The Pan African medical journal
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Review Case Reports
Macrophage activation syndrome associated with griscelli syndrome type 2: case report and review of literature.
Macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) is a severe and potentially fatal life-threatening condition associated with excessive activation and expansion of T cells with macrophages and a high expression of cytokines, resulting in an uncontrolled inflammatory response, with high levels of macrophage colony-stimulating factor and causing multiorgan damage. This syndrome is classified into primary (genetic/familial) or secondary forms to several etiologies, such as infections, neoplasias mainly hemopathies or autoimmune diseases. It is characterised clinically by unremitting high fever, pancytopaenia, hepatosplenomegaly, hepatic dysfunction, encephalopathy, coagulation abnormalities and sharply increased levels of ferritin. ⋯ Griscelli syndrome (GS) was evoked on; consanguineous family, recurrent infection, very light silvery-gray color of the hair and eyebrows, Light microscopy examination of the hair showed large, irregular clumps of pigments characteristic of GS. The molecular biology showed mutation in RAB27A gene confirming the diagnosis of a Griscelli syndrome type 2. The first-line therapy was based on the parenteral administration of high doses of corticosteroids, associated with immunosuppressive drugs, cyclosporine A and etoposide waiting for bone marrow transplantation (BMT).
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Review Case Reports
[Pediatric esthesioneuroblastoma: an exceptional malignant lesion (a case study and literature review)].
Esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) is a rare malignant tumor accounting for 3% of all sinonasal cancers. It arises from the olfactory epithelium and usually affects subjects aged 30-50 years. It is uncommon in children. ⋯ We report the case of a 3-year old child with sphenoidal esthesioneuroblastoma discovered after early onset blindness. This study aims to highlight the clinical, radiological, anatomopathological, therapeutic and prognostic peculiarities of this disease while insisting on the importance of early diagnosis affecting prognosis. Unfortunately, diagnosis is still pejorative due to high recidivism rates as well as to the occurrence of distant metastases (in particular lung and bone metastases).