Background: Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphomas (ENKTL) are rare non-Hodgkin's lymphomas with aggressive clinical behavior. ENKTL are frequently associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Data on ENKTL in Africa and Arab world are extremely limited. The study investigated the clinicopathological characteristics, EBV infection, and immunophenotype of ENKTL in Tunisia. We conducted a retrospective study of ENKTL. Main clinicopathological features were reported. The expression of CD3, CD4, CD5, CD8, CD20, CD56, CD57, and Granzyme B were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. EBV infection was detected by IHC (LMP-1) and Epstein-Barr encoding region (EBER1/2) in situ hybridization. Results: A total of nine ENKTL were identified (mean age of 48 years and male-to-female ratio of 8:1). There were five nasal ENKTL, and the remaining four cases had extranasal involvement (palate, sub-mandibular gland, skin, and soft tissues of the ankle). The histopathology showed a lymphoid and pleomorphic proliferation characterized by images of angiocentrism. Strong and diffuse CD3 expression was observed in all cases. Tumor cells exhibited an expression of CD5 (two cases), CD8 (three cases), CD56 (six cases), CD57 (three cases), and Granzyme B (eight cases). All ENKTL cases were EBV-associated. Overall 5-year survival rate was 57%. Although six ENKTL were diagnosed at early clinical stages, the prognosis was unfavorable and associated with patient death in three cases. Conclusions: ENKTL are exceptional in Tunisia with unfavorable outcome. Histopathological diagnosis remains challenging in clinical practice. However, a careful histopathological examination combined with a correct interpretation of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization results refines the ENKTL diagnosis.

Tympanoplasty is a surgical procedure aiming to reconstruct the tympanic membrane and hearing. The aim of this study was to compare anatomic and audiological results of cartilage graft with temporal fascia graft in type 1 tympanoplasty patients. We conducted a descriptive, retrospective study of medical records of patients who underwent tympanoplasty between January 2010 and December 2015 at the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery of Farhat Hached University Hospital. In total, we obtained 46 patients. Twenty-three patients who underwent type 1 cartilage tympanoplasty using cartilage graft were compared with 23 patients in whom temporal muscle fascia was used. In follow-up, residual perforation occurred in 1 of 23 patients (4.3%) undergoing cartilage tympanoplasty and in 2 of 23 patients undergoing fascia tympanoplasty (8.7%), which was found to be statistically non significant (P > 0.05). In both cartilage and fascia groups, when they were compared in terms of gain, no significant difference was found between groups (P = 0.271), air bone gap gain was found to be 12.9 ±9.9 decibels in cartilage group, whereas it was 10 ± 6.6 decibels in fascia group. Operation success is defined by successful anatomical and functional outcome. Among all patients, 35 (76%) were reported to have operation success. It was established that type of operation had no significant influence on success (P = 0.73). Currently, there is an increasing interest in using cartilage grafts in primary tympanoplasty. Especially, in patients with severe middle ear pathology, cartilage graft should be used routinely without risk on influencing audiological results.

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La maladie de Basedow est une affection auto-immune caractérisée par la présence d'Anticorps anti-récepteurs à la TSH. Elle est la conséquence d'un hyperfonctionnement du tout ou d'une partie du parenchyme thyroïdien [1]. La gravité de cette pathologie est en rapport avec le retentissement cardiaque de l'hyperthyroïdie et l'atteinte ophtalmologique. Le traitement de la maladie de Basedow fait généralement appel aux anti-thyroidiens de synthèse (ATS) en première intention. En seconde intention, plusieurs alternatives sont possibles : l'iode 131, la thyroïdectomie subtotale et la thyroïdectomie totale [2].

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