Lactococcus lactis endocarditis and liver abscess in an immunocompetent patient: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Over the last two decades, several cases of infections caused by Lactococcus lactis have been reported. This Gram-positive coccus is considered non-pathogenic for humans. However, in some rare cases, it can cause serious infections such as endocarditis, peritonitis, and intra-abdominal infections.

[Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and eclampsia: a descriptive study of 13 cases in Morocco].

Introduction: The occurrence of posterior reversible encephalopathy in eclampsia is a rare but known event. We propose to describe the clinical and radiological features and the outcome.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted from January 2005 to April 2010 including all cases of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) occurring on eclampsia in patients hospitalized in the obstetrical intensive care unit, University Hospital of Casablanca.

[Acute renal failure requiring haemodialysis in obstetrics].

Acute renal failure (ARF) requiring hemodialysis is a rare complication of pregnancy in western world, but in developing countries, it is still frequent. The objective of this study was to determine the epidemiology, etiologies, clinical data and outcomes for pregnant women with ARF requiring dialysis. We studied the records of 58 patients with ARF who had needed dialysis in the obstetric intensive care unit of the maternity teaching hospital of Ibn Rochd (Casablanca) between January 1st 2002 and 31st December 2008.

Eclampsia, study of 342 cases.

Objectives: To conduct a prospective review of all cases of eclampsia over a 4-year period and to establish prognostic factors that may assist in reducing morbidity and mortality in these patients.

Methods: The population studied was split into two groups: Group1 (survivors) and Group 2 (deceased). We compared their demographic, clinical, biological and radiological data.

[Post-partum eclampsia: epidemiology and prognosis].

Introduction: The post-partum eclampsia occurs usually in the first 48 hours, its incidence is between 13 and 37% of all eclampsia. The goal of this prospective study was to analyse the epidemiologic data and the prognosis of this complication in the post-partum stage.

Materials And Methods: We enrolled between January 1st 2000 to December 31st 2003 all eclampsia admitted to the intensive care unit of the maternity of the university hospital centre Ibn Rochd of Casablanca, Morocco.

[Liver rupture in peripartum: about 8 cases].

Objectives: Subcapsular liver hematoma (SLH) is a serious complication of the preeclampsia and HELLP syndrom. We report eight cases, and we'll precise circumstances of occurrence of this complication, its management and its prognosis.

Materials And Methods: Between January 2000 and December 2005, we enrolled eight patients with SLH cases in the intensive care unit of maternity's Ibn Rochd university hospital in Casablanca, Morocco.

Brainstem ischemia and preeclampsia.

Diffuse neurological manifestations of preeclampsia are due to endothelial involvement that lead to ischemia, hemorrhage, or edema. We analyzed clinical and radiological features and the course of brainstem ischemic strokes in a preeclampsia patient. We report a case of severe preeclampsia in a 30-year-old woman who was admitted 10 hr after a vaginal delivery at home.

Pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax associated with labour.

A 19-year-old primiparous woman in labour presented with spontaneous pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax and surgical emphysema. The membranes were intact and the fetus had a breech presentation. There was little improvement in her symptoms and labour progressed slowly.

Spontaneous cervical epidural haematoma during pregnancy.

Spontaneous cervical epidural haematoma is very rare during pregnancy. We describe a woman who presented with tetraplegia at 41 weeks of pregnancy. She had no previous history of any relevant medical disorder.

[Critical analysis of hemostasis disorders in the course of eclampsia. Report of 106 cases].

Objective: Study of hemostatic disorders during eclampsia, their risk factors, maternal complications and associated mortality.

Methods: Retrospective study concerning 106 cases of severe eclampsia treated in intensive care between September 1992 and December 96. Patients with or without hemostatic disorders were compared for laboratory findings, maternal complications and mortality.

[Postpartum cerebral thrombophlebitis. A case secondary to acquired antithrombin III deficiency].

The cerebral thrombophlebitis is a rare complication of the pregnancy and the postpartum. We report a case of a 21 year-woman presenting a post-partum cerebral thrombophlebitis, secondary to an acquired deficiency of antithrombin III. The clinical symptoms of cerebral thrombophlebitis can be misleading.

[Mesenteric infarction secondary to antithrombin III deficiency].

AT III is a physiologic inhibitor of blood clot formation: its deficiency is manifested by venous thrombosis. The authors reported case of mesenteric venous infarction in a 42-years-old woman. AT III deficiency was transient and caused by an oral contraceptive.

[Fatal hepatic necrosis during treatment with sodium valproate].

The authors report a case of fatal hepatic failure in a 19-year old young man suffering from absence seizures and treated for two months with valproic acid (VPA). The duration of VPA therapy before onset of clinical manifestations was four weeks. The prodromal symptoms were weakness, anorexia, and vomiting, then in a few weeks occurred a jaundice and an hepatic encephalopathy leading to death.

[Acute hepatic steatosis in pregnancy can be cured without interrupting the pregnancy].

Fatty liver during pregnancy is an acute hepatic disease of unknown origin. We report the case of a 24-year-old woman in whom the diagnosis was made on the basis of the histological examination. The disease did not disturb the normal course of the pregnancy and delivery.

[Cerebral complication in eclampsia].

Many brain complications occur during eclampsia with various degree of gravity. The pathogenesis of these lesions continues to be a source of considerable controversy. Five cases of eclampsia with severe neurologic manifestations were treated in our surgical intensive care unit.

[Pulmonary edema following laryngospasm in a child].

A case is reported of a pulmonary oedema secondary to a laryngospasm in a 10-year-old child during a scheduled orchidopexy. Anaesthesia was induced with 50% nitrous oxide in oxygen and halothane via a face mask. Pulmonary oedema occurred before the relief of the laryngospasm and its course was uneventful after tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation with PEEP.

[An unusual case of HELLP syndrome].

The Hellp's syndrome is a complication of gravidic hypertension which associates the microangiopathic hemolysis, the cytolytic hepatic anomalies and a thrombocytopenia. There are resemblences between the biologic and histologic forms of the thrombotic microangiopathy and Hellp's syndrome. In this publishing, we report one case of Hellp's syndrome which the particular character is that the hepatic and hemolytic biologic anomalies are still very discrete, where as the thrombopenia is deep; this led us to rediscuss about the authencity of Hellp's syndrome.

[Severe hemobilia of cholecystic origin].

The authors report a case of severe hematobilia originating in the gall bladder itself ans associated with a cholecysto-colic fistula. They review the different etiologies of hematobilia and stress the major value of selective arteriography of the coeliac trunk and possible pitfalls in this condition. This case highlights the rare complications of cholelithiasis (hematobilia and cholecyto-colic fistula) and the severity of blood spoliation.