Evelyne Harkemanne (1), Mathieu Ziraldo (1), Camille Francès (2), Marie Baeck (1)Published in the journal : December 2019Category : Dermatology
We herein report on the “Peau’se dermatologique” meeting held on June 3rd, 2019 in the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, and focused on dermatological manifestations of systemic diseases. Professor Camille Francès, member of the Dermatology department at Hôpital Tenon in Paris, presented eight interesting clinical cases of systemic diseases with associated dermatological features.
Margarita Goula, Marie Strivay, Vincianne ThielenPublished in the journal : December 2019Category : Diabétologie
The self-monitoring of glucose values is deemed necessary in diabetic patients to achieve a better glycemic control while avoiding hypoglycemias. New technologies have been devel-oped, such as the Freestyle Libre (sFL), a flash glucose monitoring system whose impact on better glycemic control and improved quality of life must still be assessed. This study confirmed the significant rise in the frequency of self-monitored glucose tests performed when using the sFL, in comparison with baseline, thereby resulting in an improvement in glycemic control and various quality of life features. Larger studies are required to elucidate the potential benefits gained by using sFL in blood glucose self-monitoring by diabetic in a larger scale.
François-Xavier Sibille (1), Emilie Verreckt (1), Pierre Philippot (2), Stéphane Agrigoroaei (2), Pierre Gobiet (3), Laurence Mees (1), Marie Masse (1), Didier Schoevaerdts (1)Published in the journal : December 2019Category : Geriatry
This article provides some insight into the clinical presentation of depression among the elderly, along with some management paths pertaining to this common, morbid, and at times potentially lethal syndrome. Diagnosis may be challenging because of complaints frequently related to ageing, comorbidities, and polypharmacy. Nonetheless, diagnosis should be made as early as possible. As first step, we must emphasize the relevance of spending time with seniors, thereby improving their communication skills. Several methods borrowed from cognitive rehabilitation may be proposed thereafter. This article is a summary of the twentieth annual meeting organized by the geriatric service association of the CHU, UCL Namur, Belgium.
Physicians encounter a wide range of patients and clinical conditions upon their clinical practice. This generates numerous clinical questions for which it may prove difficult to find quickly a reliable answer. A search in the well-known online engine "Dr. Google" is, therefore, often tempting and can at times provide interesting answers. However, are these answers reliable, validated, and of quality? It is not always easy to sort out, and then evaluate the quality of such information. The Belgian Evidence-based Medicine Center (CEBAM) provides access to all Belgian healthcare professionals by means of a virtual library whose slogan is "medical information for clinical practice, with one click". It offers you access to point-of-care tools, such as Dynamedplus, Belgian clinical practice guides, and a host of other resources, as outlined in this article.
Geoffrey Jacqmin (1), Geanina Curca (1), Mikhael Janssen (2), Christophe Boland (3), David Heuker (1)Published in the journal : November 2019Category : Chirurgie digestive
Desmoid tumors are rare monoclonal myofibroblastic proliferations with varying clinical courses depending on the disease location and extent. Despite being comprised of histologically benign stromal cell proliferations, these growths can, at times, become locally aggressive and have a high rate of local reccurence, even following complete resection. To date, there are no reports of metastases in the literature. Although various risk factors have been described, the etiologies and pathways of these cell growths are not completely understood. Desmoid tumors occur either as sporadic lesions or as part of familial adenomatous polyposis, which is caused by germ line mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli gene. Due to their different clinical presentations, no standard approach for desmoid tumors has been recommended so far. Herein, we describe the case of a 46-year-old female who had undergone gastric bypass three years earlier, whilst being diagnosed with a mesenteric desmoid tumor that compressed her Roux-en-Y jejunal limb. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of desmoid tumor in a patient having undergone a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.
In 2002, Belgium adopted a law decriminalizing euthanasia in certain situations. One of this law’s particularities is that it opens the physician’s possibility to practice euthanasia following a patient’s request, which can be based on a constant and unbearable psychic suffering, in the context of a serious accidental or pathological affection, even without a fatal outcome in the short-term. However, this law raises serious ethical issues in the field of mental health, both concerning the concept of diagnosis in psychiatry as well as the incurability of mental illness. This may result in dangerous interpretations. The psychiatric function itself appears to be rather destabilized and challenged by the application of this law. Excesses are possible, and an in-depth reflection is thus paramount concerning the need to better protect the rights of the most vulnerable, such as, among others, the mentally ill.
Combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) has significantly improved the prognosis and life expectancy of people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWHIV). Current international guidelines recommend a triple therapy that conventionally combines two nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and a third agent that is either a ritonavir- or cobicistat-boosted protease inhibitor (PI), either a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), or a boosted or unboosted integrase inhibitor (INI). Due to the toxicity of NRTIs, alternative non-NRTI-based therapeutic regimens have been proposed. They initially had limited success compared to the standard triple therapy due to low efficacy, particularly in patients with high viral load and low CD4 cell counts. A new strategy combining lamivudine (3TC) with boosted PI or INI has yielded promising results, suggesting that modern dual therapies will become a reliable first-line treatment option for PLWHIV. Recently, the European AIDS Clinical Society guidelines have recommended dual therapy as the preferred regimen in treatment-naive patients in certain circumstances.
Benzodiazepines withdrawal management is often accompanied by anxiety, resulting in a risk of relapse and the prescription of additional medications. A dry extract of Passiflora incarnata L. has previously demonstrated its usefulness in the first-line treatment of anxiety symptoms.
Subjects and methods
We performed a longitudinal study over a 3-month period wherein we initiated this medication in patients who were discontinuing long-term benzodiazepine use. Patients included in the study were all sufficiently stable and had been followed-up for at least three months in consultation. The benzodiazepine decrease scheduled was 25% of the initial dose every second week. Specific psychiatric interviewing was not used either before or during the study. We assessed the evolution of the anxiety score and the number of sexual intercourses in the course of drug withdrawal.
Results
Overall, 91 patients participated to this study, including 27 men (36.5%) and 47 women (63.5%). The mean age was 44.1 ± 11.0 years. The withdrawal success rate was 78.4% (95% CI: 69.0-87.8%). There was a clear and highly significant decrease in the Hamilton scale's anxiety scores, while the monthly frequency of intercourse was shown to slightly, though significantly, increase. Treatment with Passiflora incarnata L. was pursued in 70.3% of patients following total withdrawal of or reduction in benzodiazepine dosing.
Conclusions
A dry extract of Passiflora incarnata L. was shown to be safe, with significant favorable effects on anxiety scores. This product, therefore, may likely be used to improve benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms.
Patrick Lebecque (1), Olivier Lebecque (2), Marijke Proesmans (3), Teresinha Leal (4)Published in the journal : November 2019Category : Pneumologie pédiatrique
In 2019, a national program of cystic fibrosis newborn screening is scheduled to be eventually implemented in Belgium. An IRT/DNA algorithm has been chosen, pretty similar to the French algorithm. In both countries, R117H is almost always combined in cis with a 7T sequence in the intron 8 acceptor splice site. It was included in the initial panel of CFTR variants looked for. This paper critically describes the program’s steps, while emphasizing the crucial roles of general practitioners and local pediatricians.
Corentine Vanlier (1), Marie Baeck (1), Anne-Simone Parent (2), Christine Lafforgue (3), Caroline Peeters (1), Anne Herman (1)Published in the journal : October 2019Category : Dermatology
We herein report on the “PEAU’se dermatologique” meeting focused on endocrine disruptors, which was held on October 22, 2018 and organised by the Department of dermatology of the Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc. Doctor AS. Parent first described the interactions taking place between endocrine disruptors and child development. Next, Doctor CH. Laforge presented the legislation on endocrine disruptors and talked about absorption mechanisms. Finally, the experts provided us with advice on how to limit exposure to and, thus, avoid the undesirable effects of these products.