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Q fever is a worldwide-occurring zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii. There are various clinical manifestations of acute Q fever, of which acute cholecystitis is a very rare clinical presentation. This study reports seven cases of acute cholecystitis associated with Coxiella burnetii and reviews two other cases from the literature. All patients were admitted to hospital for fever and abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant. Abdominal echography showed a distended gallbladder with biliary sludge without concrements in eight cases and with a single stone in one case. Diagnosis was made by specific serological investigation (microimmunofluorescence assay) for Coxiella burnetii. All nine patients were cured, six after laparoscopic cholecystectomy and three with antibiotics only. Histological examination of the gallbladders showed inflammation in five cases, although Coxiella burnetii was not detected by immunohistochemistry. The results show that laboratory investigations in patients admitted to hospital for symptoms consistent with acute acalculous cholecystitis should include a systematic search for Coxiella burnetii.

Acute chemotherapy-induced diarrhoea may require reducing or even stopping subsequent therapy. Antidiarrhoeal drug efficiency has not been extensively studied and the effects of the new antisecretory compound acetorphan--a potent enkephalinase inhibitor active in acute diarrhoea--are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible effects of acetorphan on 5 FU-induced diarrhoea in man.Fifteen patients reporting acute diarrhoea following chemotherapy were included in this study. They presented with metastatic colo-rectal cancer (n = 14) or pancreatic carcinoma (n = 1) and were treated, once weekly, by an 8-hour IV infusion of folinic acid 200 mg/m2 and 5 FU 1,800 to 3,000 mg/m2. In each patient, number and consistency of stools were assessed every day during the week following chemotherapy, once without (control period) and once with acetorphan p.o. 300 mg/d/7d.During the control period, 3 out of 15 patients did not have significant diarrhoea, but 2 out of 3 patients had abdominal pain which was relieved by acetorphan without appearance of constipation. Twelve out of 15 patients presented with diarrhoea (3 stools/day for2 days: WHO grades 2 and 3); with acetorphan, the number of stools per day was reduced in all cases from 6.3 (range: 3-10.6) to 4.9 (range: 2.6-8.9) (P0.002), and the number of days with liquid stools dropped from 4.7 (range: 2-7) to 2.4 (range: 0-7) (P0.02). In addition, during treatment with acetorphan, there was a close positive linear relationship between the percent reduction in the number of stools and the number of stools during control period up to a 8 stools/day level (8 patients) above which efficiency decreased (4 patients).These results suggest the efficacy of acetorphan on chemotherapy-induced diarrhoea and urgent need for a randomized controlled trial.

Portal vein aneurysm is very rare. A case of portal vein aneurysm without symptoms of portal hypertension is described. Ultrasonography demonstrated a hypoechoic mass at the isthmic region of the pancreas. Computed tomography demonstrated the vascular origin of the mass. Angiography showed a portal vein aneurysm, measuring 3 cm in diameter, at the junction of portal vein trunk and splenic vein. The association with a splenic artery aneurysm and absence of portal hypertension lead us to suggest that our case is congenital. Non-invasive diagnostic methods are useful to recognize the pathology of portal vein aneurysm and prevent complications especially those related to a possible portal hypertension.

The quantification of gastroduodenal motility uses invasive methods. The aim of our study was to further characterize the contractility of antrum, pylorus and duodenal bulb in two states, using a new, non invasive fluorographic method. Healthy volunteers (mean age = 28) were involved in this study under fasting conditions (n = 20) and after a meal (n = 20). In both conditions, the subjects have swallowed 250 ml of a barium sulfate solution for fluoroscopic gastrographies taken every 2 seconds, during 30 s. Spot films were analysed using a graphic table and locally developed microcomputer program to generate space-time diagrams of antral and duodenal areas and of pylorus diameters. For each subject, the antral CA, duodenal CB contractilities (maximal variation of antral, duodenal areas in p 100) and pylorus contractility CP (closure during the observation time in p 100) were calculated. CA values were high in the two situations, but did not differ (81.1 p 100 vs 82.5 p 100 post-prandial). In contrast, CP was higher under fasting (54.0 p 100) than in post-prandial (15.0 p 100; p less than .001). Two pyloric motor patterns were observed in post-prandial: A--pyloric contractions in relation with the end of antral contraction B--augmented pyloric resistances observed during the end of antral contraction and also associated with duodenal contractions. CB was low in post-prandial (27.0 p 100) compared to fasting CB (50.8 p 100; P less than .001). This method is reproducible and simple to use. It allows quantification of contractility and coordination in the antrum, pylorus and duodenal bulb. It may be useful to assess gastroduodenal motility under pathological conditions.

Gastric peristalsis has not been studied extensively in patients with dyspepsia. The aim of our study was to further characterize gastric peristalsis in such patients using a newly described fluorographic method. Thirty-two patients with dyspepsia and 18 healthy volunteers were included in our study. Four hours after a standard solid-liquid meal, the subject swallowed 250 ml of a baryum sulfate solution and (100 mm x 100 mm) fluoroscopy of the stomach was performed every 2 s during 30 s. Spot films were analyzed using a graphic table and a amateur microcomputer program. For each subject, the instant velocity, vi, and mean velocity, V, of gastric peristalsis were calculated and used to generate a time-space diagram of contractions, a velocity histogram and an index of propagation, Ip. These parameters were compared to normal values (V = 2.2 +/- 0.2 mm/s; Ip = 2.2 +/- 0.4). When compared with normal values, 3 different motility patterns appeared in dyspeptic patients with a high correlation between V and Ip (P less than 0.01): normoperistalsis (n = 8; 1.8 less than V less than 2.6 mm/s); 1.4 less than Ip less than 30); hypoperistalsis (n = 7; V less than 1.8 mm/s; Ip greater than 3.0) and hyperperistalsis (n = 7; V greater than 2.6 mm/s; Ip less than 1.4). In a 4th group (n = 5), a retroperistalsis was effect observed with Ip less than 0. For 5 other patients, Ip or V was abnormal with atypical motor activity detected on the time-space diagram.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Decrease in lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure and frequent acid reflux were observed in 3 of 5 adult patients with rumination syndrome confirmed by antroduodenal manometry. The role of the LES in the rumination syndrome is unclear but decreased LES pressure could be a determining factor. Antroduodenal manometric studies should therefore be performed during ordinary gastroesophageal reflux in order to determine the diagnostic value of antroduodenal manometry in the rumination syndrome.

In this report, we examined the sensitivity and specificity of pancreatic fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Aspiration cytodiagnosis was performed in 45 patients (36 cancers and 9 benign pancreatic lesions) using a 22 Gauge fine needle either percutaneously in 25 patients with real-time ultrasonic guidance or during surgery in 20 patients. Cytologic examination included a precise description and the classification in one of the 4 Papanicolaou classes, the fourth only being considered as positive in terms of cancer. No complication occurred with either technic. Overall sensitivity was 75 p. 100, 74 p. 100 percutaneously and 77 p. 100 intraoperatively, but specificity was 78 p. 100 due to two false-positive results recorded among the 9 benign lesions. Retrospective analysis of cytologic examinations of the 29 class IV lesions led us to differentiate cases with "sure malignancy" (20 cases) from those with "strong suspicion of malignancy" (9 cases including the 2 false-positives). Only class IV lesions with "sure malignancy" call for aggressive treatment, whereas a "strong suspicion of malignancy", which may result from carcinoma or severe cellular abnormalities occasionally found in inflammatory pancreatic lesions, should lead to a second pancreatic aspiration.

The prodromal syndrome of radiation sickness is characterized by nausea, vomiting, and suppression of gastric function, but the mediators responsible for this entity remain unknown. We investigated the possible involvement of prostaglandins in this syndrome by determining the concurrent effects of ionizing radiation on gastric function and on prostaglandins. We measured gastric electrical control activity (ECA, waves/ min), fractional emptying rate (FER, %/min), acid output (AO, μEq/min), and plasma and gastric juice levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and 6-keto-PGF2α, the stable metabolite of PGI2. Nine conscious, chair-adapted rhesus monkeys were studied once before, once immediately after, and once 2 days after a single 8-Gy total-body irradiation (800 rads) of cobalt-60. In addition to causing vomiting, total-body irradiation transiently suppressed gastric electrical control activity, gastric emptying, and gastric secretion. Levels of PGE2 and 6-keto-PGF2α were increased in the gastric juice but not in the plasma. Thus, PG’s may be responsible for the gastric symptoms of the prodromal syndrome.

Early radiation toxicity is characterized by nausea and vomiting. We have previously shown that gastric emptying, gastric motility, and gastric secretion were suppressed after total body exposure to irradiation. In the present studies, we evaluated the relation between vomiting and gastric function in nine rhesus monkeys and explored the possible role of prostaglandins (PG) in these phenomena. The concentration of PG in plasma and gastric juice was determined using a standard radioimmunoassay and gastric acid output was measured concurrently using a marker dilution technique. The animals were studied in the basal state and after total body exposure to 800 cGy 60Co delivered at a rate of 500 cGy/min. Acid output was abolished from 40 min to 2 h after irradiation but had returned to preirradiation levels 2 days later. Plasma PGE2 and PGI2 (as measured by 6-keto-PGF1 alpha determination) were not significantly modified by irradiation. In contrast, irradiation produced an immediate significant increase (P less than 0.05) in gastric juice concentration of PGE2 (318 +/- 80 to 523 +/- 94 pg/ml; mean +/- SE) and PGI2 (230 +/- 36 to 346 +/- 57 pg/ml); both had returned to basal levels 2 days later. Thus, an increase in gastric juice concentration of both PGE2 and PGI2 is associated with the radiation induced suppression of acid output.

The velocities of gastric peristaltic waves were measured on fluorographic series made in normal subjects and patients with duodenal ulcer. After an overnight fast, the subjects drank 250 ml of barium suspension. Sequential radiograms were taken every 2 s during 30 s after two pyloric ejections. Peristaltic waves were located and their displacements measured with an Apple Graphic Tablet. Wave progression diagrams and velocity histograms were drawn for each subject. The velocities were calculated every 2 s. A "spread index" Ip was determined for each subject, characterizing the irregularity of propagation. Mean frequency and mean velocity were greater in duodenal ulcer patients (3.6 c/min; 3.7 mm/s) than in normal subjects (2.9 c/min; 2.4 mm/s; p less than 0.001). Nevertheless, no significant difference was found between proximal or midcorpus and antral velocities, in ulcer patients as well as in normal subjects, contrarily to classical data. However, the velocities were not uniform along the stomach. The contractions spread unevenly and displayed transient slopes. The irregularities of propagation were more pronounced in normal subjects, ranging from 0 to 14 mm/s with 28 p. 100 of velocities less than 1 mm/s, then in ulcer patients (0 to 13 mm/s with 12 p. 100 of low velocities). The spread index Ip was greater in normal (ranged from 0.54 to 2.62) than in ulcer patients (ranged from 0.16 to 0.48; p less than 0.001). This study showed that the propagation velocity of the peristaltic waves and its regularity were different in normal subjects and in duodenal ulcer patients.

Hypocalcemia does not appear among the endocrine and metabolic causes of constipation. The work-up of a severe constipation has disclosed a pseudo-hypoparathyroidism according to the clinical picture described by Albright, associating signs of hypo-parathyroidism, a characteristic dysmorphic syndrome, mental deficiency and normal PTH dosages. The resolve of the constipation along with the return to a normal calcemia suggests that hypocalcemia should be added to the long list of endocrine and metabolic causes of constipation.