[The needs of elderly or disabled inmates in Basse-Normandie].

The Regional Healthcare Observatory has carried out a study of the health of elderly or disabled inmates in Basse-Normandie. Its objective is to identify more clearly the different situations of dependency and the difficulties expressed by professionals and inmates in order to draw up certain recommendations.

[Alcohol consumption patterns and behaviour among people using the health care system in Lower-Normandy].

A national study on the prevalence of excessive alcohol consumption behaviour was undertaken throughout France. The results presented in this paper are those from Lower-Normandy. Two surveys were carried out: one among patients of general practitioners, and another among those in hospitals.

[Regional evaluation of long-term care facilities for the elderly].

The increase in the total number of very elderly people demands the precision and specification of the needs of long-term care structures in the coming years. A survey conducted in Lower-Normandy is presented and described. Questionnaires were sent to directors of residence homes and nursing homes in order to investigate their operations and their problems.

[Alpha-methyl-paratyrosine in the treatment of malignant pheochromocytoma].

Alpha-methyl-paratyrosine (Demser) is a specific inhibitor of tyrosine hydroxylation to dopa. It is administered orally and may be given in combination with symptomatic treatments to reduce the hypersecretion of catecholamines. We report two cases of malignant phaeochromocytoma in which this drug was used.

[Histomorphometric data in 5 cases of pseudohypoparathyroidism: discussion on bone sensitivity to parathyroid hormone].

We studied 5 patients (aged 8 to 18) presenting chronic calcipenia with hyperphosphatemia and an increase in C terminal-specific immunoreactive parathyroid hormone. Systematic radiography of the hands revealed 2 cases with signs of subperiosteal resorption characteristic of hyperparathyroidism and 2 cases of cortical fibrillation. These cases were monitored by measuring phosphate levels in the urine after injection of parathyroid hormone (Ellsworth-Howard test), by determining urinary elimination of cyclic AMP after injection of parathyroid hormone (Chase-Aurbach test) and by assaying cyclic AMP levels in the plasma after intravenous administration of parathyroid hormone (Tomlinson-Hendy test).