[Role of radiology in the diagnosis of joint chondrocalcinosis. The so-called atypical symptomatic aspects].

In a preceding article, we described "pseudogout" which is the expression of an episode of acute synovitis related to microcrystals of dehydrated calcium pyrophosphate invading the joint. This brutal episode of inflammation, predominantly occurring in the knee joint, is the most spectacular, most frequent and most characteristic manifestation of articular chondrocalcinosis. We attempted to demonstrate the important role of radiographs in the diagnosis, discovering in many cases the microcrystal impregnation of cartilage and fibrocartilage.

[Role of radiology in the diagnosis of joint chondrocalcinosis. Calcium pseudogout].

Chondrocalcinosis is a really frequent clinicopathologic entity, which is caused by the penetration of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate microcrystals into the structures of the joint, including hyaline cartilages and fibrocartilages--hense its name--as well as the synovial fluid and membrane. Calcium gout, which preferentially appears in the knees, is the most spectacular and characteristic symptom of chondrocalcinosis, expressing a crisis of acute microcrystal synovitis, of which it has all the usual clinical features, and thus simulating uratic gout. The positive diagnosis is based on: a) the radiologic demonstration of articular calcifications in the lining cartilages, forming a continuous or fragmented opaque border on the subchondral bone, from which it is separated by a light space, and/or in the fibrocartilaginous structures (most often the menisci, the symphysis pubis, the disk of the inferior radioulnar joint) where they appear as small, irregular clusters with blurred or cloudy margins.

[Chordoma of the mobile spine. Report of 9 cases. Review of the literature].

The authors reported 9 cases of chordomas of the mobile spine: 6 lumbars and 3 cervicals. There are 5 men and 4 women. Mean age at diagnosis is 60 years old.

[The new clinical picture of primary hyperparathyroidism. Diagnostic circumstances and current symptomatic characteristics. Results of a multicenter study].

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) is particularly interesting at this time because of the modifications of its traditional symptoms, which have renewed the conditions of its diagnosis. This is the result of a better knowledge and consequently an increased frequency of the simple forms, mild or clearly atypical, usually expressing the initial stages of the disease which are now better detected. The relative part of the classical manifestations of the disease is therefore reduced as well.

Coexisting rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.

Since the second publication by some of the present authors in which 10 patients with coexisting rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were described, 7 new cases have been found. For accuracy, all cases of the original study still available were reexamined. Of the total of 17 cases, 13 were male and 4 female.

Variation of surface density and other parameters in remodeling of trabecular bone in various conditions.

To appreciate the remodeling of the trabecular bone, the static morphometric parameters of surface density (SV(TRAB/BONE] and volumetric fraction (VV(TRAB/BONE] of cancellous bone were measured and compared to remodeling parameters, i.e., the surface extents of active/inactive resorption, active bone formation and nonmineralized bone.

[Concentration of gold in macrophages of the bone marrow in rheumatic diseases subjected to chrysotherapy].

Ultrastructural investigation of bone marrow cells of histiocytic lineage to determine the presence of microcrystals containing gold was carried out in 12 patients. Eleven patients had classical or definite rheumatoid arthritis and one had palindromic rheumatism; the duration of these diseases ranged from 6 months to 10 years. Two patients had never received chrysotherapy and therefore served as controls.

A comparative study of benoxaprofen and ketoprofen in ankylosing spondylitis.

Benoxaprofen, 600 mg once daily, was compared with ketoprofen, 100 mg twice daily, in a double-blind parallel study of 23 patients with definite active ankylosing spondylitis. Results were assessed using the following measurements: day pain, night pain, and spinal stiffness. Spinal stiffness was determined by means of standard clinical tests.

[Value of tomodensitometry in the diagnosis of lumbar disk hernias].

The authors relate their experiences concerning tomodensitometric examination to evaluate the herniation of a disk. 45 patients and 50 herniations of a disk have been studied. 39 herniations have sustained surgical procedures.

[The treatment of osteoporosis (author's transl)].

Treatment for osteoporosis cannot yet be prescribed in a perfectly rational manner, as the total picture of the pathogenesis of this disease remains uncertain. Furthermore, lack of significant criteria makes it difficult to evaluate the different therapeutic methods proposed, and none of them appears to be entirely satisfactory. By acting methodically, however, one can obtain good relief of pain, quiescent osteoporotic activity over long periods, and bone remineralization.

[Physiopathology of primitive arthrosis. Problems and hypotheses].

The origin and the evolution of the so-called primitive arthrosis represent two problems that hypotheses, developed by the authors, contribute to elucidate. Primitive arthrosis begins with a prearthrosic chondropathy which looks like the changes in the joint cartilage due to aging and due both to local conditions preventing the nutrition of the cartilage and to general factors causing failure of the system regulating the synthesis and the differentiation of articular tissues. These conditions are also relevant to primitive monoarthrosis, relatively rare in comparison with the frequency of secondary arthrosis and in comparison with arthrosis disease, which is the prototype of primitive polyarthrosis.