Inflammatory sternal metastasis heralding lung cancer: two cases.

Bone pain due to bone metastases is a frequent presenting symptom of lung cancer. However, sternal metastases are unusual. We report two patients with inflammatory sternal metastases mimicking osteitis and indicating lung cancer.

Rheumatoid nodules indicating seronegative rheumatoid arthritis in a patient with gout.

The association of gout and rheumatoid arthritis is rare. We report the case of a patient with gout who presented with rheumatoid nodules indicating seronegative rheumatoid arthritis.

[Hepatitis C epidemiology at a general hospital center. Management and natural history as a function of the manner of identification].

Objectives: To study the epidemiological characteristics of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus followed in a primary referral hospital and the clinical influence of "systematic screening" defined as the screening of patients without symptoms and with known risk factors of hepatitis C (past transfusion, past or present intravenous drug use, haemodialysis) on the natural history and treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus.

Methods: The files of 311 consecutive patients who screened positive for anti-hepatitis C virus and were seen at the primary referral hospital, Creil, from January 1992 to February 1996, were analyzed.

Results: Patients who underwent "systematic screening" were younger with a shorter duration of infection.

[Treatment of polycythemia. I--Using radiophosphorus with or without treatment in 483 patients over 65 years of age].

Aims: To compare by a prospective study in high risk polycythemia vera (PV) patients 33P alone and 32P followed by low-dose hydroxyurea (HU) maintenance therapy. Toxicity, efficiency, and leukemogenic potential were studied.

Patients: 483 patients with a documented PV, aged more than 65 years at diagnosis, were included between 1980 and 1996 in a prospective study comparing 32P alone and 32P followed by low-dose HU maintenance therapy.

Gastric adenocarcinoma in a patient with X-linked agammaglobulinaemia.

Patients with primary immunodeficiencies are at high risk for developing haematological malignancies and, to a lesser degree, carcinoma. We report a patient with ascertained X-linked agammaglobulinaemia who developed a gastric carcinoma involving the distal part of the stomach associated with chronic atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia. These latter conditions are considered to be precursor conditions and the role of chronic infections is likely.

Acute autoimmune sensorineural hearing loss associated with Crohn's disease.

We report the sudden onset of bilateral hearing loss in a patient with Crohn's disease while the intestinal disease was quiescent. Antibodies directed against collagen type II were detected in the serum. Dramatic improvement of his hearing was observed under corticosteroid therapy.

Early ritonavir-induced maculopapular eruption.

We report 2 cases of maculopapular eruption and fever in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) on the 2nd day of first administration of ritonavir, a protease inhibitor. In the 1st patient, clinical improvement occurred despite continuation of therapy, and in the 2nd the treatment was stopped with remission and rechallenge resulting in recurrence. Ritonavir should be added to the list of drugs that can induce adverse cutaneous reactions in HIV patients.

Similar cytogenetic abnormalities in two cases of plasma cell leukemia.

Plasma cell leukemia (PCL) is a very rare disease. We report two cases of PCL with complex chromosomal abnormalities: long arm trisomy and short arm partial monosomy of chromosome 1, a marker derived from chromosome 8, and monosomy 13 were found in both cases; other additional chromosome abnormalities were also present in each case. Bastard et al.

[Psoriatic arthritis with renal amyloïdosis. A case-report. Review of the literature (author's transl)].

A case of severe psoriatic arthritis with both spinal and peripheral joint involvement is reported. The patient, an HLA B27-positive man, was thirty-one years old at onset. Both antiinflammatory drugs and immunosuppressive agents (chlorambucil followed by azathioprine) were ineffective and the patient became bed-ridden.

[Extra skeletal Ewing's sarcoma. Report of two cases. Ultrastructural study of one case (author's transl)].

The authors report two cases of extra skeletal Ewing's sarcoma. The first case concerns a 26 years old woman presenting a tumor at the level of the sacrum area, locally recurrent, metastazing to the lungs and the lumbar column, despite of radiotherapy and chemotherapy and leading to death after a course of 18 months. The second one is that of a 30 years old man bearing a tumor of the shoulder area probably already metastazed to bones, rapidly recurrent and metastazing to the lungs and cause of death after 9 months in spite of intensive therapy.

[Cases of acute leukaemia following immunosuppressive therapy for disseminated sclerosis and for Behçet's syndrome (author's transl)].

On the basis of two personal cases of acute leukaemia occurring following immunosuppressive therapy for disseminated sclerosis and for Behçet's syndrome, the literature is reviewed. Thirty three similar detailed cases were collected. They are characterised in general by the prolonged use of immunosuppression.