Giant cell arteritis and thyroid dysfunction: multicentre case-control study. The Groupe de Recherche sur l'Artériteá Cellules Géantes.
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Biomedical subjects
S Demolombe-Ragué
Publications and source records attributed to S Demolombe-Ragué.
Giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica: are pregnancies a protective factor? A prospective, multicentre case-control study. GRACG (Groupe de Recherche sur l'Artérite à Cellules Géantes).
OBJECTIVE: To assess the potential role of allo-immunization, either by former pregnancies, or by a history of blood transfusion, in the pathogenesis of giant cell arteritis and polymyalgia rheumatica. METHODS: Two hundred and eighty-five incident female cases and 186 age-matched, population-based female controls were prospectively included in a multicentre case-control study. RESULTS: The number of pregnancies was significantly lower in cases than in controls (nulliparous: 21.55% vs 12.90%; > or =4 pregnancies: 16.25% vs 27.42%; Wilcoxon rank sum test: P = 0.0019) in biopsy-proven or negative temporal arteritis and, to a lesser extent, in polymyalgia rheumatica. No difference was found for history of blood transfusion. Pregnancies remained negatively associated with the disease in a multivariate analysis including cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking or a pre-existing peripheral vascular disease. CONCLUSION: Former pregnancies are not a risk factor for giant cell arteritis. Pregnancies may be protective thanks to an effect of the associated hyperoestrogenic state against alterations of the artery wall, as suggested in animal models.
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Biopsy proven and biopsy negative temporal arteritis: differences in clinical spectrum at the onset of the disease. Groupe de Recherche sur l'Artérite à Cellules Géantes.
OBJECTIVES: To assess the clinical features of biopsy proven and negative biopsy temporal arteritis at the time of diagnosis and during a three year follow up. METHODS: Newly diagnosed cases of giant cell arteritis were included in a prospective, multicentre study. Initial clinical and biological features, season of diagnosis, and cardiovascular events occurring during the follow up were recorded. Biopsy proven and negative biopsy cases were compared. RESULTS: Two hundred and seven biopsy proven, and 85 negative biopsy cases were included from 1991 to 1997. Fifty eight per cent of the biopsy proven cases, compared with 39.29% of the negative biopsy cases, were diagnosed during the autumn or winter (p = 0.003). Visual problems (31.5%, v 19.1%, p = 0.031), blindness (9.7% v 2.38%, p = 0.033), jaw claudication (40.8%, v 28.243%, p = 0.044), and temporal artery palpation abnormalities (61.3% v 29.5%, p = 7.10(-7)) were more frequent in the biopsy proven than in the negative biopsy group. Less specific symptoms, such as headache (82.5% v 92. 9%, p = 0.021), or associated polymyalgia rheumatica (40.1% v 65.9%, p = 9 x 10(-5)) were more prevalent in the negative biopsy cases. Biological markers of inflammation were significantly more increased in the biopsy proven group. All cases of blindness occurring after treatment belonged to the biopsy proven group. CONCLUSION: Biopsy proven cases seem to be more severe than biopsy negative cases at the time of diagnosis and during follow up. Seasonal difference at diagnosis may suggest a different aetiological pattern.
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[Intravascular malignant lymphoma (ex-malignant angioendotheliosis). 3 cases].
Malignant angioendotheliomatosis is an intravascular proliferation of tumour cells in the small arteries, veins and capillaries. Its lymphomatous origin has been proved recently by immunohistochemistry. It is a rare, generally rapidly fatal condition. Less than 150 cases have been reported in the literature. We report three cases. Long course fever with delayed neurologic disturbances were observed in the first case and long course fever, hyponatraemia, corticotropic and gonadotropic insufficiency in the second. The third case began with febrile meningo-encephalitis. Diagnosis was made at autopsy in the two first cases and on evidence from kidney needle-biopsy in the third. Clinical manifestations are polymorphic and frequently simulate vasculitis. Neurologic signs are the most common. Histologically, kidneys, skin, endocrine glands, lungs, muscles and most of the organs may be involved. Surprisingly lymph nodes, bone marrow and spleen are often free from disease. Current treatment is based on polychemotherapy. Earlier diagnosis of the disease should improve the prognosis as observed in our third patient.
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