[Crowned dens syndrome: three new cases].

Introduction: Crowned dens syndrome is due to a microcrystalline infringement (hydroxyapatite or calcium pyrophosphate) of the retro-odontoidal ligament of atlas, often leading to the erroneous diagnosis of meningitis or spondylitis. We report on three new cases diagnosed from 1996 to 1999.

Exegesis: The patients complained of cervicalgies, headaches or fever.

[Systemic reaction induced my minocycline treatment: a report of four patients and a review of the literature].

We report four cases of the side effects of minocycline seen during the last two years in our department. There was one case of drug-related lupus and three cases of hypersensitivity reactions, including one eosinophilic pneumopathy with pericarditis, one nephropathy and one severe, pseudo-infectious episode of high fever, rash, lympadenopathy, hepatitis and eosinophilia. Minocycline is a tetracycline agent widely used for acne therapy in France and all over the world.

[Current aspects of spinal tuberculosis: apropos of 16 case reports].

We retrospectively studied the epidemiological, clinical, histological and evolutive aspects of vertebral tuberculosis diagnosed in all consecutive patients recruited in 2 Parisian hospitals between January 1990 and July 1997. The diagnosis relied on a vertebral involvement associated with evidence of tuberculosis (culture of local puncture yielded Mycobacterium tuberculosis) or presumption of tuberculosis (evidence of other tuberculous focus, histological data, good outcome under specific treatment). Sixteen patients (mean age: 41 years; sex ratio: 1.