Hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis in mixed connective tissue disease.

Urticarial vasculitis is characterized clinically by urticaria-like skin lesions and histologically by leukocytoclastic vasculitis. It may be idiopathic or associated with various conditions such as infections, hematologic disorders, drugs, and connective tissue diseases, primarily systemic lupus erythematosus; an association with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) has rarely been reported. We present a case of hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis in a patient with MCTD that responded to hydroxychloroquine after a period of corticosteroid dependence.

Observations on the gastric mucosa of rheumatic patients before and after ibuprofen administration as studied by the pentagastrin test, endoscopy, and light and electron microscopy.

The initial results of a study set up to investigate the gastric mucosa in rheumatic patients receiving ibuprofen are described. The study involved seven male patients, aged between 17 to 70 years, suffering from various rheumatic diseases. All patients received a daily dose of 1200 mg of ibuprofen per os divided into three fractions and taken over periods of treatment ranging from one to six weeks.