Several case reports suggest that rituximab (RTX) could be effective in steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome, but RTX efficacy has not yet been studied in a series of patients. Safety and efficacy of RTX were assessed in a multicenter series of 22 patients aged 6.3-22 years with severe steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome or steroid-resistant but cyclosporin-sensitive idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. Patients were treated with two to four infusions of RTX. Seven patients were nephrotic at the time of RTX treatment. Peripheral B cells were depleted in all subjects. Remission was induced in three of the seven proteinuric patients. One or more immunosuppressive (IS) treatments could be withdrawn in 19 patients (85%), with no relapse of proteinuria and without increasing other IS drugs. RTX was effective in all patients when administered during a proteinuria-free period in association with other IS agents. When relapses occurred, they were always associated with an increase in CD19 cell count. Adverse effects were observed in 45% of cases, but most of them were mild and transient. This study suggests that RTX could be an effective treatment for severe steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome.

Introduction: Tori are benign hamartoma-like bone excrescences, usually asymptomatic. Their removal should not be systematic. Observation: A 62-year-old patient showed bilateral tori only leaving a 1.5 mm space for the lingual frenulum path between them. The direct functional consequence was a frequent blockage of the salivary caruncles below the tori. Tori resection was performed under local anaesthesia. Surgical outcome was simple with conventional analgesic treatment and oral care. Comfort and function were immediately restored. Discussion: The originality of this case does not lie in the nature of the lesions but in the uncommon size of their hypertrophy, which caused a lingual functional impairment. We have not found a similar case described in the literature.

Introduction: There is controversy regarding the use of pharyngeal packing in oral and nasal surgery. The primary objective of this study was to examine the association between pharyngeal packing, throat pain, and postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in head and neck surgery. Material and methods: A systematic review of clinical studies published from January 2000 to August 2020 concerning the use of pharyngeal packing in head and neck surgery was conducted in the Medline, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Library databases. Throat pain and PONV were collected in each article, and a meta-analysis was performed. Results: A total of 10 clinical trials involving 877 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Pharyngeal packing did not significantly decrease PONV score either during the immediate (OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.59 to 1.38, p = 0.52, I2 = 0%) or the delayed postoperative period (OR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.54 to 1.43, p = 0.28, I2 = 21%), but significantly increased the immediate postoperative throat pain score (MD = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.21 to 1.16, p = 0.19, I2 = 35%). Conclusion: This study suggests that the use of a pharyngeal packing to improve the preoperative aftermath in head and neck surgery should not be recommended.