[Traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation with regressive tetraparesia].

We report a case of traumatic atlantooccipital dislocation in a 31 year old woman, with regressive quadriparesia after orthopedic stabilization.

Magnetic resonance imaging: a valuable method for the detection of synovial inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: Clinical assessment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) based on pain and swelling and physical examination is limited by observer error and interpretation. We compared magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical examination to detect synovitis in RA.

Methods: Twelve patients with active RA were assessed according to Ritchie index, swollen joint count and score, swollen joint count of hands and wrists [2 wrists, 10 metacarpophalangeal (MCP), 10 proximal interphalangeal (PIP)], morning stiffness, pain intensity, Disease Activity Score (DAS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein.

Fourteen cases of sarcomatous degeneration in Paget's disease.

Objective: To describe characteristics of cases of sarcomatous degeneration in Paget's disease (SDP) recorded over 10 years in 2 French university hospitals, with particular emphasis on the pattern of this entity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: Fourteen cases are described. Epidemiological, clinical, radiological, histological, and MRI features (in 3 cases) are compared to others in the literature.

Incidence of osteoperiostitis of the great toe in psoriatic arthritis.

Objective: To assess the incidence of osteoperiostitis of the distal phalanx of the great toe in psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: One thousand great toes (202 of PsA, 44 of cutaneous psoriasis, 274 of low back pain patients, 296 of rheumatoid arthritis, 136 of spondyloarthropathy, and 48 of connective tissue diseases) were studied for osteoperiostitis of the distal phalanx of the great toe (slight, moderate, or severe), destructive joint lesions of the feet, nail dystrophy, fungal infection, and HLA-B type (patients with PsA).

Results: Osteoperiostitis was observed in 92 great toes.

Infectious discitis diagnostic contribution of laboratory tests and percutaneous discovertebral biopsy.

Clinical and laboratory findings in 120 patients with suspected discitis (loss of disk height and erosions of the vertebral endplates on plain radiographs) were reviewed and compared with percutaneous discovertebral biopsy results. Patients were categorized into three groups based on whether the symptoms developed after an invasive procedure (Group I), during septicemia (Group II), or spontaneously (Group III). Group II patients were more likely to have fever and had higher mean erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein values.