[Endoscopic vessel (radial artery and/or vein) : harvesting for coronary bypass grafting].

We report the technique of endoscopic vessel (radial artery and/or vein) harvesting for coronary bypass grafting. Clearly less invasive, this endoscopic approach therefore offers the following advantages for the patient: limited postoperative pain and therefore faster rehabilitation in terms of mobility, less postoperative care, the absence of a long scar and therefore a lower risk of surgical complications with a better aesthetic result, while allowing a quality and a permeability of the graft similar to those obtained after a classic surgical harvest.

[First report in the Liege province (Belgium) of a concomitant aortic and mitral valve surgery via a minimally invasive right latero-thoracic approach].

Compared to median sternotomy, the potential benefits of minimally invasive single aortic or mitral valve surgery include reduction of blood loss, lower morbidity, and shorter intensive care unit and hospital length of stay. However, there are few reports regarding concomitant aortic and mitral valves minimally invasive surgery via mini-thoracotomy. To the authors knowledge, this is the first report in the Liege area, of a successful minimally invasive right latero-thoracic approach for aortic and mitral valve surgery in a 78-year old woman who presented severe and symptomatic aortic stenosis and mitral insufficiency.

[Multidisciplinary management of a giant hepatic hydatidosis].

Cystic echinococcosis or hydatidosis, is a zoonosis caused by larval stages of Echinococcus granulosus that can be encountered in Belgium in patients originating from endemic countries. The liver is the most commonly affected organ. In this paper, the authors describe the multidisciplinary management of this pathology based on the clinical case of a patient suffering from a 28 cm cystic echinococcosis treated by combination of albendazole and liver resection.

A nephrotic syndrome of tropical origin: case report and short review of the aetiology.

We present a case of nephrotic syndrome in a 38-year-old man of Ivorian origin. In the search of the cause of his illness an infection with Plasmodium malariae (P. malariae) was diagnosed by serology and by microscopy of a Giemsa thin blood smear which revealed rare gametocytes of P.

Hepatitis E virus: an underdiagnosed cause of chronic hepatitis in renal transplant recipients.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection can evolve to chronic hepatitis in immunocompromised patients leading to rapidly progressive cirrhosis. Proper diagnosis is therefore important, as reducing immunosuppressive therapy can allow clearance of the virus. We report a case of chronic HEV infection in a renal transplant recipient that went undiagnosed for many years, discuss the therapeutic options, and review the current available literature.

Ethanol production from AFEX-treated forages and agricultural residues.

Lignocellulosic materials derived from forages, namely timothy grass, alfalfa, reed canary grass, and agricultural residues, such as corn stalks and barley straw, were pretreated using ammonia fiber explosion (AFEX) process. The pretreated materials were directly saccharified by cellulolytic enzymes. Sixty to 80% of theoretical yield of sugars were obtained from the pretreated biomasses.