Pheochromocytoma is a rare cause of Cushing’s syndrome (<0.5% of cases) due to ectopic ACTH secretion. This condition proves very challenging regarding both diagnosis and treatment. Our case report illustrates the necessity of a thorough endocrinological investigation for all adrenal incidentalomas, particularly in the presence of clinical symptoms indicative of excessive hormonal secretion. We also show that Cushing’s syndrome secondary to ectopic ACTH secretion displays some typical characteristics as compared to the more common pituitary Cushing’s disease. Furthermore, we conducted a literature review regarding Cushing’s syndrome due to ectopic ACTH secretion from pheochromocytomas.
Déborah Debois (1), Liliane Marot (1), Eric Van Den Neste (2), Alessandra Camboni (3), Isabelle Tromme (1)Published in the journal : January 2019Category : Dermatology
We here briefly summarize the “PEAUse dermatologique” meeting organized in February 2018 by the Department of Dermatology of the Saint-Luc University Clinics and dedicated to cutaneous lymphomas. Professor E. Van Den Neste presented the most frequent cutaneous lymphomas, their treatments, as well as several clinical cases from the Department of Hematology. Professor A. Camboni focused on the histological aspects.
Lilas Al Zein1, Cécile Yelnik2, Juliette Woessner2, Angélique Lemaire-Olivier2, Marc Lambert2, Pierre-Yves Hatron2Published in the journal : January 2019Category : Internal Medicine
Idiopathic capillary leak syndrome or Clarkson’s disease is a rare and potentially life-threatening condition. This condition presents with recurrent crises, characterized by the abrupt onset of generalized edema with relative hypovolemia associated with paradoxical hypoalbuminemia and elevated hematocrit levels. This almost pathognomonic clinical and biological presentation should remind us of the diagnosis, after excluding secondary causes of capillary leaks, and lead to initiating prompt supportive treatment in a specialized department, in an effort to avoid critical care and associated complications. This article describes the clinical characteristics of the disease and current knowledge about its physiopathology, natural history, and long-term prognosis, while highlighting the efficacy of first-line prophylactic therapy using intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIg) for relapse prevention, designed to avoid progression into a more severe form with gloomy prognosis.
Liver cirrhosis is commonly encountered in general practice. Although cirrhosis can result from various causes, it most often has a toxic (alcohol), metabolic (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis [NASH]), or infectious (hepatitis B and C) origin. The initial evaluation includes a blood test and an abdominal ultrasound. The diagnosis can be confirmed with non-invasive quantification of fibrosis, using either biological markers (FibroTest®) or transient elastography (FibroScan®). A liver biopsy is only rarely required. Therapeutic management of cirrhosis involves the treatment of the underlying disease, along with the management of complications. Complete alcohol abstinence, weight loss, and the control of risk factors, such as the metabolic syndrome, are some examples. In case of confirmed cirrhosis, abdominal ultrasound and alpha-fetoprotein measurements should be performed every 6 months to screen for hepatocarcinoma. It is also recommended to conduct a gastroscopy every 2-3 years to assess the presence of esophageal varices.
Martin Buysschaert, Vanessa Preumont (1)Published in the journal : January 2019Category : Diabétologie
Suliqua® is a new fixed-ratio combination product of the basal insulin glargine 100U/mL and the GLP-1 receptor agonist lixisenatide. This article sought to analyze the recent literature to better identify the product’s potential advantages in general and more particularly, in comparison to basal insulin, and to clarify its precise place in the treatment algorithm for Type 2 diabetes in Belgium.
This paper aimed to review the clinical data on dapagliflozin (Forxiga®) treatment in the light of the recent DECLARE-TIMI 58 trial results. This study involving Type 2 diabetic patients, either with or without prior macroangiopathy, has demonstrated cardiovascular benefits in terms of the primary efficacy outcome, namely a composite of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure. Moreover, the study has revealed a lower risk for renal disease progression.
Pamela El Nemnom (1), Marie Baeck (1), Claire Dachelet (2), Liliane Marot (1)Published in the journal : December 2018Category : Dermatology
We have herein reported on the “PEAU’se dermatologique” meeting conducted at the Cliniques universitaires Saint- Luc on November 13, 2017, while being focused on bullous skin disease. After a brief reminder of the clinical lesions for each condition, the anatomopathological characteristics were specified, with the latest updates about their treatment provided. The newest update concerned rituximab that will now be reimbursed in the context of complicated bullous skin disease.
While acromio-clavicular dislocations are common lesions, the association with sterno-clavicular joint dislocation proves to be very rare, with less than fifty cases reported worldwide.
Laurent Truffaut(1), Caroline Vincent(1), Yves Coyette(2), Pierre Hanotier(2)Published in the journal : December 2018Category : Infectiologie
We have herein reported on the case of a 97-year-old patient suffering from hypoxemic pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae, complicated by severe rhabdomyolysis. The diagnosis was based on the clinical picture associated with an equivocal serology, after excluding other obvious rhabdomyolysis-based etiologies. The clinical and biological progression proved to be rapidly favorable following targeted antibiotic therapy. After clarifying the unusual rhabdomyolysis etiology within a Geriatric Unit, we have further insisted on both the search and treatment of atypical bacteria when the clinical and radiological presentations point towards these conditions.
The differential diagnosis of nasopharyngeal masses is vast and mainly comprises three categories of lesions: benign masses corresponding to benign tumors and inflammatory lesions, malignant tumors, and congenital lesions. The age of the patient, clinical context, symptoms associated with the mass, as well as iconographic data are essential to orientate professionals towards the various possible etiologies. In a context of hypothalamic-pituitary axis malformation, and with reference to the embryological origins of the pituitary gland, the hypothesis of extracranial ectopic pituitary tissue is, although rare, an etiology that must be evoked when confronted to a nasopharyngeal mass. However, biopsy with an anatomopathological examination proved to be the only technique able to confirm the lesion’s histological origin.