[Fibromyalgia].

Purpose: We review the current knowledge about fibromyalgia, adding to the clinical aspects, the nosology, epidemiology and pathogenesis. The therapeutic and social management of these suffering patients are discussed.

Key Points: The limitations of the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria used as diagnostic criteria are discussed.

[Systemic vasculitis due to hepatitis C virus].

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of chronic liver disease in industrialized countries. HCV also causes a variety of extrahepatic disorders, of which systemic vasculitis, of the cryoglobulin or polyarteritis nodosa type, is the most severe. This article reviews the main diagnostic, pathophysiologic and therapeutic aspects of HCV-induced systemic vasculitis.

AL cardiac amyloidosis and arterial thromboembolic events.

Objective: To study the prevalence and characteristics of arterial thromboembolic events (ATEE) in the course of AL amyloidosis.

Methods: We report the case of a non-anticoagulated patient with AL amyloidosis restrictive cardiomyopathy who developed acute lower limb ischaemia. We then prospectively determined the prevalence of ATEE in all patients with AL amyloidosis who were evaluated in our institution for autologous peripheral stem cell transplantation.

Late-onset systemic lupus erythematosus: a personal series of 47 patients and pooled analysis of 714 cases in the literature.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is uncommon after the age of 50 years, and studies of elderly patients with SLE are scarce. We conducted the current study to analyze characteristics and outcome of patients with late-onset SLE in a French tertiary referral center, and to compare them with those of younger patients with SLE. From 1980 to 2000, 47 patients were identified as having late-onset SLE, defined as SLE diagnosed at or over the age of 50 years.