[Rapidly destructive lumbar spondyloarthropathy in chronic hemodialysis].

Rapidly destructive spondyloarthropathy occurring in the lumbar spine of 2 chronically hemodialysed patients is reported. These lesions resembled infectious spondylitis. Histological examination revealed deposits of amyloid in the L3-L4 intervertebral space in one patient, which could be a causative factor in the joint destruction.

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring as a means to avoid overtreatment of elderly hypertensive patients.

Do elderly similarly to younger hypertensive patients tend to be overtreated if therapeutic decisions are based exclusively on blood pressure measured by the physician in his office? Eighteen hypertensive patients (10 previously treated) aged 70 years or more had repeatedly office systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 170 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 100 mm Hg. The physicians in charge were asked to reduce blood pressure within 4 months to a target of less than or equal to 160/95 mm Hg using any drug regimen. Blood pressure was monitored during daytime using a noninvasive blood pressure recorder, but the results of the recording were not available to the physicians until the end of the study.

[Still's disease in adults with disseminated intravascular coagulation].

Coagulation abnormalities are not included in the definition of adult onset Still's disease (AOSD). Nevertheless, eight cases with disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC) sometimes associated with hepatopathy have been reported in the literature. The first patient, a 39-year-old woman, presents an AOSD well stabilized under steroid therapy since 1986.