Disappearing hypercalcaemia.

Four women presented with symptomatic hypercalcaemia and raised concentrations of serum parathyroid hormone (PTH). In each case, serum calcium returned spontaneously to normal. In two patients serum PTH also fell to the normal range and biochemical relapse has not occurred despite prolonged follow-up.

Degenerative joint disease in the hip and spine.

Clinical and radiographic assessment of the spine was carried out in 75 patients with osteoarthrosis (OA) of the hip and in 75 controls without hip disease. Radiographic degenerative changes in the spine were more frequent in the patients with OA hips, occurring in both the dorsal and lumbar spine. Moderate or severe changes were found in the dorsal spine in 29 patients with OA hips (compared with 12 controls), and in the lumbar spine in 32 patients with OA hips (compared with 10 controls).

Autonomic neuropathy in rheumatoid arthritis.

Patients with seropositive and seronegative rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and age-matched controls were investigated for the presence of autonomic neuropathy. Significantly more patients with RA had abnormal autonomic function, suggesting that autonomic neuropathy occurs more commonly in RA than hitherto suspected. The existence of an autonomic neuropathy may be an important complicating factor in rheumatoid disease and may lead to increased morbidity and mortality.

Dyslexia as cause of psychiatric disorder in adults.

A few patients may be of normal intelligence but have difficulties in reading, writing, and spelling, which are the main precipitants of a psychiatric disorder. In seven patients this illiteracy emerged only after intensive examination, as they had hidden it from employers, friends, and children. Characteristically these patients are often very sensitive about this disability and marital friction is common.