Infection with the new coronavirus has been declared an international health emergency. Its curative treatment is unknown and is the subject of several clinical trials. In addition, the concomitant association of COVID-19 with tuberculosis and the human immunodeficiency virus, hitherto never described, is potentially fatal. We report the illustrative case of a 32-year-old patient who presented this trifecta of infections and who did well under treatment with chloroquine and anti-mycobacterial drugs. This patient arrived at the ER with respiratory discomfort that had been evolving over a month with symptoms of flu and deterioration of her general condition. A chest CT scan revealed an aspect of lung miliary tuberculosis with isolation of Koch’s bacilli in the sputum. A polymerization chain reaction (PCR) was positive for COVID-19 on a nasopharyngeal swab. HIV serology was positive. The course was marked by a spectacular clinical improvement and two negative COVID-19 PCR controls at the end of treatment (at days 9 and 10). Anti-tubercular drugs (especially, rifampin) are powerful enzyme inducers that can reduce the effectiveness of chloroquine in our patient. This therapeutic success may be linked to the effect of anti-tubercular drugs against SARS ncov-2, especially rifampin, inhibiting the formation of messenger RNAs of SARS ncov-2 or to the synergistic effect of chloroquine and rifampin. Researchers should explore the effect of these drugs on SARS ncov-2.
Spontaneous atlanto-axial (C1-C2) dislocation is an atlanto-axial instability, found in 10 to 30% of trisomy 21 patients, the majority of whom is asymptomatic. We report a case of a 21 years-old woman, with trisomy 21, admitted in our department presenting a spinal cord compression syndrome with right hemiparesis associated with a cervicalgia evolving for 3 months of admission without trauma. Standard cervical radiography showed a C1-C2 dislocation with posterior displacement of the odontoid process. A cervical computerized tomography revealed a C1-C2 dislocation with significant recoil of the odontoid process. A cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed the bulbo-medullar junction compression on the dislocation. The surgical treatment consisted of a cervico-occipital fixation. The laxity of the transverse ligament is one of the main causes of C1-C2 dislocation; hypoplasia, malformation or complete absence of the odontoid process; are also predisposing factors. It must be early detected. The treatment of choice is surgical also by arthrodesis of C1 to C4 + graft and enlargement of the occipital foramen or occipito-cervical arthrodesis by synthetic graft and Cotrel-Dubousset system or occipito-C4 arthrodesis + laminectomy of C1 and enlargement of the occipital foramen.
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