[Reflections on ankylosing spondylitis in Black Africa. Apropos of a juvenile-onset case].

From the starting point of two cases of ankylosing spondylitis, one of which began in youth, observed in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, a review of the literature concerning the major cases amongst africans is carried out. This disease is unusual in tropical Africa: about thirty published cases, of varied origin. This low incidence of ankylosing spondylitis is correlated to the rarity of the HLA B27 group and of seronegative spondylitic joint diseases in general amongst the black population of Africa.

[Unusual cause of digestive hemorrhage in chronic hemodialysis patients: splenic aneurysm with arteriovenous fistula].

A 45 years old woman, hemodialysed since 1981, with an history of Staphylococcal septicemia in may 1983, is admitted in emergency room in may 1984 for massive gastro intestinal bleeding. After oesogastro fibroscopy suspecting duodenal ulcer, because continuous and recurrent bleeding, a laparotomy find only symptoms of portal hypertension (ascites, venous dilatation on abdominal oesophagus and stomach). The ligation of this venous dilatations stop temporarily the gastro intestinal bleeding.

[Sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy or the Destombes-Rosai-Dorfman disease in the Ivory Coast].

Sinusal histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy is a rare pathological entity since, as of 1983, only 200 cases have been published. Following the seminal description in 1965 by Destombes in Blacks, histological features of this disease were specified by Rosai and Dorfman in 1969 and 1972. We report three cases in young Ivorian subjects.