[The contemporary scientific context of A. Laveran's discovery].

The history of Laveran's discovery of the malaria parasite is well known. The fact that it went unconfirmed for many years reflects poorly on medical research at the time. Pasteur's discoveries had spawned widespread interest in the field of bacteriology in the mid-nineteenth century, and most epidemiologists suspected that a bacterium was responsible for malaria.

[Variations of plasma gastrin (basal and postprandial) in ththtreatmentof duodenal ulcer with either enprostil or ranitidine. Correlations with rates of relapse].

Enprostil, a synthetic E2-prostaglandin efficacious for duodenal ulcer healing, presents both antisecretory and antigastrinic effects. This is at variance with the elevation of plasma gastrin observed with ranitidine. OBJECTIVE--This leads us to compare enprostil and ranitidine on the following points: a) variations of plasma gastrin (basal and postprandial) parameters over a 6-week conventional treatment; b) correlation studies between ulcer relapses (frequency and temporal evolution) after treatment discontinuation and various gastrinic criteria.

[Effect of enprostil on the healing and the recurrence of duodenal ulcer. Comparison with ranitidine].

Enprostil, a synthetic prostaglandin E2, has been shown to exert both antisecretory and mucoprotective activity. It is effective in duodenal ulcer healing. OBJECTIVE--This study was performed to compare the frequency and the delay of spontaneous duodenal ulcer relapse during a two-year follow up period after initial healing by enprostil (35 micrograms, twice a day) or ranitidine (300 mg per day).

[Acute form of primary bilharziasis].

Acute schistosomiasis is observed in subjects with primary infestation, Schistosoma mansoni and S. japonicum being the responsible parasites in the vast majority of cases. The disease occurs between 2 weeks and 6 months from the first infesting bath and presents as fever with cutaneous, pulmonary and gastrointestinal manifestations.

[Viral hepatitis in patients over 60 years of age. Clinical, etiologic and developmental aspects].

The authors report a retrospective study of 78 cases of acute viral hepatitis observed from 1971 to 1985 in patients over 60. Viral hepatitis involved males as often as females. A, B, delta and non-A, non-B viruses were responsible for 11.

[Aspects of viral hepatitis in patients over 60 years of age].

78 acute viral hepatitis (VH) cases were seen from 1971 to 1985 in patients over 60. Virus A, B, B-Delta and non-A, non-B are, respectively, responsible for 11.5, 23.

[Yellow nail syndrome with chylous effusions].

Yellow nail syndrome is characterized by a yellow discolouration of the nails associated with idiopathic lymphoedema and pleuropulmonary manifestations. Pleural effusions are usually of the exudate type with a normal lipid content. The case reported here of a 74-year old man who had yellow nails together with chylothorax and chylous ascites provides an opportunity to discuss the origin of these rare effusions which, like the syndrome itself, were most probably due to primary abnormalities of the lymphatic system.

[Hepatic manifestations in Still's disease].

In children, as in adults, Still's disease usually presents with a hectic fever, a characteristic rash and arthralgia or arthritis. Visceral involvement is however classical; the hepatic manifestations were studied with respect to two cases. Biochemical changes are common, often mild: the commonest abnormality is cytolysis.

Mononeuritis in acute viral hepatitis.

We describe the cases of 4 adults with acute viral hepatitis A or B in whom mononeuritis affecting a cranial nerve or a nerve of a limb developed. The features of this neuropathy were the following: (a) the prevalence of mononeuritis in patients with acute viral hepatitis was low; (b) this complication developed in the early phase of acute viral hepatitis in most of our patients; (c) the onset of mononeuritis was sudden in most of them; (d) the course of mononeuritis was protracted. Mononeuritis might be the consequence of ischemia resulting from vasculitis.

[Hepatic amebiasis: study of 152 cases].

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyse retrospectively the clinical, serological, anatomical and evolutive features of 152 cases of hepatic amebiasis in young adults, treated and followed up in France from 1969 to 1983. The disease was revealed 3 times out of 4 by tender hepatomegaly with fever, but only in 6 cases by complications. Serological tests (immunofluorescence or hemagglutination) were always positive for amebiasis, whereas Entamoeba histolytica was absent from stools in 96.

[Disseminated Histoplasma duboisii histoplasmosis in a female inhabitant of the Ivory Coast].

The authors describe a disseminated multivisceral form of african histoplasmosis due to H. duboisii in a 45 years old black woman. Clinical examination shows characteristic lesions of skin, bones and lymph glands.

[Hepatic amebiasis in France. Apropos of 152 case reports].

The authors report upon 152 cases of hepatic amebiasis (H.A.) observed in France between 1969 and 1983, among young european men (average age 29,2) who were hospitalised in the initial phase of their illness.

[Viral hepatitis A: specific immunological aspects before and after exposure to risk].

The serum samples collected from 1279 healthy subjects were studied by radio-immunologic methods before they were given polyvalent immunoglobulin for hepatitis A prophylaxis. They departed all together for the endemic area at the same time. 1220 remained healthy, and serum samples (120 th day) were studied once again.