Pseudovisceral pain referred from costovertebral arthropathies. Twenty-eight cases.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C L Benhamou.
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Aging is associated both with calcium deficiency, due to low dietary intake and decreased intestinal absorption, and with vitamin D deficiency, secondary to depletion of body stores resulting from inadequate exposure to sunlight. Hepatic hydroxylation of vitamin D remains normal in elderly individuals. Recent data suggest that renal hydroxylation of vitamin D, previously believed to decrease with advancing age, also remains virtually normal even when creatinine clearance declines, as is very often the case in elderly patients. The combined deficiency in calcium and vitamin D stimulates the secretion of parathyroid hormone which tends to normalize serum calcium levels and causes the bone disorders of senile osteoporosis.
The authors report 20 cases of primary oxalosis with bone involvement, late revealed in adults in 19 cases. They have studied the clinical, radiological and histological manifestations of this bone oxalosis. 19 cases had an end stage chronic renal failure, either treated by maintenance hemodialysis, or by renal (or liver-renal) graft. 17 patients complained of bone pain after starting hemodialysis; 3 had vertebral crush fractures, and 1 multiple spontaneous fractures. Diffuse bone sclerosis (with a homogeneous pattern on axial skeleton and a patchy appearance on the peripherical skeleton), bone translucency, subperiosteal phalangeal resorption were the main radiological symptoms. Oxalate crystals surrounded by a giant cells granuloma were always observed on bone biopsy (16 cases). Bone resorption was observed in 9 cases, hyperparathyroidism in 14 cases and osteomalacia in 7 cases. Hyperparathyroidism does'nt explain all the clinical and radiological manifestations (especially bone resorption). Bone resorption as other radiological and clinical manifestations can be found without hyperparathyroidism and can increase despite parathyroidectomy; so, bone resorption seems to be partly due to the granulomatous reaction around oxalate crystals rather than hyperparathyroidism.
Proximal femur fractures in elderly people are more and more frequent. Falls and senile bone disorders are the risk factors of this fracture. In order to understand the mechanisms of these bone disorders, we studied 21 consecutive patients with this fracture using bone histomorphometry. Measurements of serum intact parathormone (PTH), 25-(OH)-vitamin D, 1,25-(OH) 2-vitamin D and osteocalcin have been performed in these 21 patients, included in a larger series. We excluded patients with renal failure (serum creatinine greater than 140 mumols/l), cancer, or previous metabolic bone disease. There were 19 female and 2 male patients, ranging from 75 to 96 years, (mean 84.9). We found a low frequency of cortical (2/21) and trabecular (3/21) osteoporosis. There was no case of clearcut osteomalacia. Following histomorphometric bone study, two patients showed a typical pattern of hyperparathyroidism, and in a third one, this condition seemed very likely. In these three patients who were among the oldest, and who had high levels of serum PTH, chronic renal failure and primary hyperparathyroidism could be excluded. High bone remodeling was frequent in our patients, as reflected by the enhancement of eroded surfaces (13 cases) and of osteoid thickness (7 cases). Intact PTH level was elevated in our series compared to normal values in adults (in accordance to the PTH elevation in the case control study in a larger series). These findings suggest a major role of a secondary hyperparathyroidism in senile bone disorders favoring proximal femur fractures. This hyperparathyroidism is probably secondary to mild calcium and vitamin D deficiency. It may lead to architectural bone changes favoring this fracture.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Two large-scale open-label studies were performed in France to confirm the efficacy and safety of etodolac (Lodine), a new non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID). Study I, a 6-week study performed by 974 rheumatologists, involved 4947 patients who had rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), or osteoarthritis (OA). Both efficacy and safety were assessed. Study II, a postmarketing safety study performed by approximately 9000 general practitioners, involved 51,355 patients who had rheumatic conditions requiring therapy with NSAIDs. The daily dose of etodolac ranged from 200 to 600 mg/day in these studies, depending on the protocol and patient response. By the end of study I (visit 3), spontaneous pain improved by 33% for patients with RA, by 42% for patients with AS, and by 50% for OA patients. A total of 1276 adverse reactions (AR) were reported during the study, and fewer than half of these were related to study treatment. Only 6 severe reactions were reported; three of these were considered unrelated to study treatment, including 2 deaths. In study II, 10.1% of patients reported 6236 ARs and 9.0% of patients dropped out because of AR. Twenty-one of the ARs reported in study II were judged severe, and all of these patients recovered completely. The overall opinion of safety was assessed as very good or good by 89% of patients. In both studies (greater than 55,000 patients), 11% of patients reported an AR, and severe reactions were rare. These results confirmed the very acceptable risk/benefit ratio of etodolac and rank this drug high for efficacy and safety among the NSAIDs recently introduced in France.
The authors report a case of spine involvement in a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis treated with corticosteroids. First, the patient developed acute back pain, related to costovertebral joints arthritis at levels T9-T10. Then, neck pain and cord involvement yielded to diagnosis of cervical interapophyseal joints arthritis; there was a C5-C6 subluxation which necessitated surgical treatment. The conjunction of these two rheumatoid localizations is an uncommon feature. Study by the CT scan is valuable when rheumatoid arthritis of the spine is suspected. Lower cervical spine subluxation, even severe, may be well tolerated. Surgery is necessary when there is medullary involvement.
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The authors report five cases of costo-vertebral (CV) joint arthropathies, without osteo-arthritis. The patients had referred pain, with misleading irradiations to the loin or to the abdomen, so that the diagnosis was difficult. The authors have performed in these five cases an arthrography of T11 and T12 CV joints. In every case, the arthrography triggered pain at one of these levels. The arthrography was followed by intra-articular injection of corticosteroid derivative in the symptomatic joint. In these cases, this procedure was a valuable diagnostic and therapeutic method. CV joint arthropathies are frequent, but often lead to incorrect diagnosis. These preliminary results encourage further use of this procedure in CV arthropathies.
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Suspecting the presence of a myeloma focus in a forest area of the Loiret department, we have undertaken a retrospective epidemiological survey on this disease. Three surveys were conducted, between 1972 and 1982: the first one among general practitioners; the second one was carried out from immuno-electrophoreses performed at the University Hospital in Orleans; the third survey was carried out from reports on the medical causes of deaths. The mean number of myelomas in the Loiret (0.029 p. cent) is comparable to the national mean (0.025 p. cent), with a sex ratio of 47.09 p. cent of men, also quite similar to the national sex ratio (46.7 p. cent). The different districts were classified according to the percentages observed in "neutral areas" (mean plus or minus a typical variation), "cold areas" (between one and two typical variations below the mean) and "hot areas" (between one and two typical variations above the mean). These results do not permit to ascertain the existence of a geographical focus of myelomas in Loiret but require a more in-depth study of "hot areas".
A 96-year-old woman presented with monoarthritis of the shoulder from a metastasis affecting both the synovium and the humeral head. Evidence of the metastatic process was based on cytologic study of the synovial fluid (SF), synovial membrane and adjacent bone. A primary cancer site was not discovered. The carcinoembryonic antigen level of SF was greatly enhanced. A similar elevation was not detected in other arthropathies (20 control cases).
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During the last few years, articular symptoms have been reported in chronic renal failure patients on maintenance haemodialysis. A prospective study of arthropathies of the limbs was conducted in 73 such patients: 20 had experienced periarthritis, 32 had tendinous calcifications (3 or more in 16 cases), 29 had destructive arthropathies (especially of the hands) and 10 had calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition. The periarthritis attacks were associated with the presence of tendinous calcifications. The destructive arthropathies could be due to calcium apatite microcrystal deposition, but the study provided no direct evidence of this mechanism. However, the pattern of erosive lesions, their location and their possible association with tendinous calcifications in the same joint were suggestive of calcium apatite deposition. Calcium pyrophosphate deposition, which affected the oldest patients, did not seem to be due to chronic renal failure treated with dialysis. The most important arthropathies were found in patients who had been haemodialysed for a long time, although the correlation was not statistically significant. The dialysis pattern did not seem to influence the articular disorders. There were more cases of calcification and periarthritis among patients whose phosphocalcium product (in mg) exceeded 6000, but the difference with other patients was not statistically significant. Periarthritis and arthropathies are truly disabling for these patients.
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Primary oxalosis is a rare congenital disorder. The excessive oxalate biosynthesis induces deposits in many organs, particularly in kidney and bone. The late onset of primary oxalosis is reported in a 50-year-old man. His chronic renal failure was treated by maintenance hemodialysis for 3 years. He then developed a diffuse bone disease with osteosclerosis and roentgenographic features of hyperparathyroidism. A parathyroidectomy was performed, with debatable improvement of bone lesions. Laboratory results and histologic and histomorphometric studies before and after parathyroidectomy suggest a double histopathogenetic mechanism for this bone disease: renal osteodystrophy and massive bone oxalate deposits. Such deposits may induce both a heterogeneous osteosclerosis with dense metaphyseal bands and histologic bone lesions similar to those of hyperparathyroidism. The crystalline deposits induce in the bone tissue a granulomatous macrophagic reaction. These macrophages are unable to phagocytize the crystals and may be involved in active bone resorption. Bone lesions of oxalosis occur in patients with chronic renal failure, and hyperparathyroidism has a worsening role.
The authors report the data collected by a national investigation organized by the French Society of Rheumatology, concerning the osteo-articular manifestations of severe acne, palmo-plantar pustulosis and primary thoracic and peripheral hyperostosis. This investigation collected 85 case-reports including 13 severe acne, 44 PPP and 28 hyperostosis without the dermatitis mentioned above. From this investigation, it appears that dermatological and osseous pictures described under various denominations, present common characteristics and transition forms justifying their common study under the acronym SAPHO (Syndrome Acne-Pustulosis-Hyperostosis-Osteitis). The bony involvement, especially anterior thoracic, but also vertebral and even peripheral seems to be the common denominator between these diseases. It realizes a true rheumatoid inflammatory osteitis, osseous counterpart of synovial and cartilagenous affections in inflammatory rheumatoid diseases. This group has rather loose connections with common psoriasis and slightly more definite relationships with primary ankylosing spondylarthritis. These clinical and immunogenetic connections occur also through bony involvement.
Costo-vertebral and costo-transverse joints are often involved during rheumatoid pelvispondylitis. Their involvement may lead to thoracic ankylosis and decreased respiratory capabilities. These arthritis may also cause intercostal or pseudo-visceral pains. The authors report three cases of lower costo-vertebral arthritis, revealed by pseudo-urological, acute or subacute pains. The diagnosis was made on clinical findings (especially mobilization of the lower ribs) and confirmed by X-Rays (especially tomodensitometry). One of the cases presents an image of unilateral pedicle opacity secondary to costovertebral arthritis. The pseudo-urological manifestation of the pain is likely explained by the anatomical relationship between costo-vertebral joints and the sympathetic communicating rami. This close anatomical relationship was confirmed by dissection. Through the communicating rami, the costo-vertebral joints are thus in relation with the sympathetic system, which is responsible for the sensory innervation of the renal space. The pseudo-urological revelation of this arthritis should be compared to that of costal sprains.