[Starch granulomatous peritonitis. Description of a clinical case].

The starch peritonitis is a rare disease which is present in the patients recently submitted to a laparotomy. The ethology is an allergic reaction to the surgical glove starch. The symptoms are a continuous temperature, a leucocytosis and a eosinophilia.

Oesophageal motility and lower oesophageal sphincter competence in progressive systemic sclerosis and localized scleroderma.

Oesophageal motility and lower oesophageal sphincter (LOS) competence were investigated in 13 patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) and in 16 patients with localized scleroderma (LS) by means of oesophageal manometry and 24-h pH monitoring of the distal oesophagus. Results were compared with those of a control group consisting of asymptomatic volunteers. Marked abnormalities in oesophageal motility and in acid exposure in the distal oesophagus were observed in PSS patients only.