Spinal tuberculosis in adults. A study of 103 cases in a developed country, 1980-1994.

Spinal tuberculosis (TB) accounts for about 2% of all cases of TB. New methods of diagnosis such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or percutaneous needle biopsy have emerged. Two distinct patterns of spinal TB can be identified, the classic form, called spondylodiscitis (SPD) in this article, and an increasingly common atypical form characterized by spondylitis without disk involvement (SPwD). We conducted a retrospective study of patients with spinal TB managed in the area of Paris, France, between 1980 and 1994 with the goal of defining the characteristics of spinal TB and comparing SPD to SPwD. The 103 consecutive patients included in our study had TB confirmed by bacteriologic and/or histologic studies of specimens from spinal or paraspinal lesions (93 patients) or from extraspinal skeletal lesions (10 patients). Sixty-eight percent of patients were foreign-born subjects from developing countries. None of our patients was HIV-positive. SPD accounted for 48% of cases and SPwD for 52%. Patients with SPwD were younger and more likely to be foreign-born and to have multiple skeletal TB lesions. Neurologic manifestations were observed in 50% of patients, with no differences between the SPD and SPwD groups. Of the 44 patients investigated by MRI, 6 had normal plain radiographs; MRI was consistently positive and demonstrated epidural involvement in 77% of cases. Bacteriologic and histologic yields were similar for surgical biopsy (n = 16) and for percutaneous needle aspiration and/or biopsy (n = 77). Cultures for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were positive in 83% of patients, and no strains were resistant to rifampin. Median duration of antituberculous chemotherapy was 14 months. Surgical treatment was performed in 24% of patients. There were 2 TB-related deaths. Our data suggest that SPwD may now be the most common pattern of spinal TB in foreign-born subjects in industrialized countries. The reasons for this remain to be elucidated.

Nonsurgical treatment of osteoarticular tuberculosis. A retrospective study in 143 adults.

OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: Data are sparse on nonsurgical treatments currently used for osteoarticular tuberculosis in industrialized countries. We conducted a multicenter retrospective study in the Paris urban area, France, in 206 cases of osteoarticular tuberculosis documented by examination of a local specimen. This article reports our findings in the 143 patients who were followed up at least until treatment completion. RESULTS: Mean follow-up after treatment completion was 16 months. Seventy-five (52%) patients had spondylitis and 68 (48%) did not. The number of antituberculous agents used during the initial treatment phase was four in 65% of cases and three in 35%. In the spondylitis subgroup, mean (+/- SD) antibiotic therapy duration was 14.7 +/- 3.4 months, and 25% of patients required surgery; 3% of patients died, 1% suffered a relapse, and 96% achieved a full recovery with no relapse. In the nonspondylitis subgroup, mean antibiotic therapy duration was 13 +/- 3 months and 29% of patients required surgery. The only HIV-positive patient had osteitis of the calcaneus with a relapse that led to discovery of secondary rifampin resistance. CONCLUSION: Based on our findings and on data from the literature, we believe that 12 months is a reasonable duration for antituberculous therapy in osteoarticular tuberculosis, including tuberculous spondylitis.

[Epidemiological aspects of osteoarticular tuberculosis in adults. Retrospective study of 206 cases diagnosed in the Paris area from 1980 to 1994]. / Aspects épidémiologiques de la tuberculose ostéo-articulaire de l'adulte. Etude rétrospective de 206 cas diagnostiqués en région parisienne de 1980 à 1994.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiologic features of bone and joint tuberculosis in the Paris area from 1980 to 1994. METHODS: This retrospective study included 206 cases of confirmed bone and joint tuberculosis (in situ specimen) diagnosed from 1980 to 1994 in 7 hospital units (mainly rheumatology clinics) in Paris and suburban areas. RESULTS: The number of cases increased by a mean 12 per year from 1980 to 1989 then by 17 cases per year from 1990 to 1994. In both 1993 and 1994 there were 21 cases per year. The percentage of immigrant patients was 53% from 1980 to 1989 then reached 74% for 1990-1994, predominantly in subjects from black Africa. Only one patient in the series had human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. A favoring factor was found in 23% of the immigrant and in 45% of the native French patients. Mean age was 37 years in immigrants and 58 years in French patients. Compared with French patients, immigrants had a higher rate of multifocal bone and joint tuberculosis, peripheral osteitis and spondylitus. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the incidence of bone and joint tuberculosis has increased in Paris in 1993 and 1994. Two populations are especially susceptible: the elderly and/or immunodepressed French population and immigrants coming from endemic zones. The role or HIV infection was minimal in this predominantly rheumatology series.

Mesalazine-induced lupus.

We report a case of lupus induced by mesalazine therapy taken for over a year for Crohn's disease. The patient had polyarthritis, alopecia, lymphoneutropenia, antinuclear factors, anti-histone antibodies, anti-Sm and anti-RNP. Discontinuation of mesalazine was followed by rapid resolution of the joint manifestations, alopecia and lymphoneutropenia; the anti-histone antibodies fell to undetectable levels and the titers of the other auto-antibodies decreased gradually.

Acetabular fractures due to bone insufficiency. Two case-reports.

Acetabular fractures due to bone insufficiency are rare and difficult to diagnose based on clinical findings alone. Plain films are often normal for a long period of time. We report two cases of acetabular fractures in women aged 78 and 90 years, respectively. An acetabular fracture should be considered in elderly females with sudden onset of pain in the groin occurring immediately upon weight-bearing, a clinostatic syndrome, and increased radionuclide uptake by the acetabulum. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are useful when the diagnosis remains in doubt.

Hypersensitivity to glucocorticoids: does it exist?

Hypersensitivity to corticosteroids is a classical but rarely reported event. We report a 30-year-old patient who developed generalized urticaria after her first methylprednisolone bolus. We reviewed the relevant literature to look for factors associated with hypersensitivity to corticosteroids. Causality should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis using diagnostic criteria for drug hypersensitivity reaction. Etiopathogenesis may involve either an IgE-mediated immunoallergic reaction or semi-delayed hypersensitivity. The main problems are identification of the offending agent and evaluation of the safety of further corticosteroid therapy. Although a few fatal reactions have been reported, some were probably due to underlying cardiovascular disease or serum electrolyte abnormalities.

[Osteoarthritis with rice bodies rich in calcium microcrystals. 4 cases with ultrastructural study]. / Arthropathies mécaniques avec grains de riz riches en microcristaux calciques. Quatre cas avec étude ultrastructurale.

Rice bodies are often found in inflammatory joint fluid specimens, especially from rheumatoid arthritis patients, but have rarely been reported in osteoarthritis. We found rice bodies in knee joint fluid specimens from four of 88 patients with osteoarthritis. There were three males and one female. Age ranged from 61 to 86 years. Three patients had slowly progressive knee osteoarthritis and one had rapidly destructive disease. Abundant, recurrent effusions occurred in all four patients despite one to five local corticosteroid injections per patient and radiation synovectomy in two patients. The joint fluid specimens contained 120 to 320 cells/mm3 and large numbers of rice bodies that stained with alizarin red S. Transmission electron microscopy studies showed that the rice bodies were composed of fibrin and contained numerous intra- and extra-cellular calcium crystals composed of apatite alone in two cases and of a combination of apatite and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate in the two others. Collagen fibers and fragments of bone and cartilage were present in a few rice bodies. Phagocytic cells, type C synoviocytes, chondrocytes and a few inflammatory cells were also seen. These rice bodies composed mainly of fibrin and apatite may have played a role in the pathogenesis of the recurrent joint effusions in our patients.

[Bone metastases in epidural invasion of gastrinoma]. / Métastases osseuses avec extension épidurale d'un gastrinome.

Malignant gastrinoma is a nonbeta islet cell tumor which rarely disseminates to the bone. However, in the case reported herein, diffuse metastatic bone disease with symptomatic epidural spread developed. Somatostatin and 99mTc-HDP bone scans demonstrated hot spots in the same sites, establishing that the bone lesions contained somatostatin receptor. Irradiation was effective in relieving pain.

[Therapeutic maintenance and tolerance of sulfasalazine in rheumatoid polyarthritis. Retrospective study of 95 patients]. / Maintenance thérapeutique et tolérance de la sulfasalazine dans la polyarthrite rhumatoïde. Etude rétrospective sur 95 patients.

This retrospective study evaluated treatment with sulfasalazine (SAS) in a mean dosage of 2.1 g/day in 95 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who were followed-up for 3 months to 4 years. Mean disease duration was 7 years; 79 patients had previously received at least one disease-modifying drug. Four per cent of patients were lost to follow-up. Mean duration of treatment was 15 months (3 weeks-50 months). Treatment continuation rates were 57% at one year, 40% at two years, and 26% at three years. Reasons for discontinuation of SAS included adverse effects (n = 24), inefficacy (n = 33), and death unrelated to SAS therapy (n = 2). In four patients, SAS was discontinued within three months of the first dose because of a severe adverse effect (diffuse erythematous rash, diffuse bullous rash, hepatitis with jaundice, agranulocytosis). SAS-induced biologic markers for lupus were seen in one patient. Furthermore, 12% of evaluable patients developed antinuclear antibodies during SAS therapy. The SAS treatment continuation rate was higher (p = 0.05) among patients under 40 years of age (n = 18) than among older patients. This difference was due to a correlation between age and tolerance with less SAS-induced side effects in patients under 40 years of age (p = 0.03). The SAS treatment continuation rate was unrelated to the duration of rheumatoid arthritis or number of previous maintenance treatments. This study suggests that rheumatoid arthritis patients under 40 years of age exhibit better tolerance to SAS therapy.

[Long-term survival and prognostic factors in stage II-III multiple myeloma treated with conventional chemotherapy]. / Survie à long terme et facteurs pronostiques du myélome multiple stade II-III traité par chimiothérapie conventionnelle.

In this retrospective study, survival and prognostic factors were analysed in 65 patients with stage II-III multiple myeloma with osteolytic lesions. Multiple myeloma was diagnosed from 1976 to 1984, and patients were treated with conventional chemotherapy. The response rate to initial chemotherapy was 46%. The median survival time was 31 months. The 10-year survival rate was 10%. Four variables were individually prognostic: response to initial chemotherapy, bone marrow plasma cell percentage, the Durie and Salmon staging system, a biological staging system derived from Durie and Salmon's biological criteria regardless of bone lesions. In the multivariate analysis, only two prognostic variables were retained, namely the response to chemotherapy and the biological staging system. No prognostic value was observed for the extent of osteolytic lesions. This study suggests that, in conventionally treated multiple myeloma, long-term survival has improved compared with the previous decade. It also indicates that the extent of osteolytic lesions has little value for the definition of high-risk myeloma.