Systemic sclerosis following anti-androgenic treatment for prostatic adenocarcinoma.

We describe a male patient who developed systemic sclerosis following orchiectomy, radiotherapy and anti-androgenic treatment for prostatic adenocarcinoma. This case appears interesting as it further supports the possibility of a relationship between neoplasia and systemic sclerosis. The concurrence of scleroderma and iatrogenic hypoandrogenism suggests that hormonal influences may also play a role in the pathogenesis of this connective tissue disorder.

Histopathological study of iron deposit distribution in the rheumatoid synovium.

A qualitative and semi-quantitative evaluation of synovial iron deposits in 20 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in 12 patients presenting with degenerative and traumatic joint disease was carried out. Ferric iron deposits, abundant and preferentially distributed in the superficial and deeper connective tissue layers in the RA patients, were more limited and prevalently sited in the synovial lining layer in the controls. These results further underline the increase in synovial iron stores found in active RA and the role played by iron deposits in sustaining inflammation, as has been reported in the literature.

[Telethermography in the early diagnosis and clinico-therapeutic monitoring of Sudeck's disease]. / La teletermografia nella diagnosi precoce e nel monitoraggio clinico-terapeutico della malattia di Sudeck.

In order to evaluate the potential value of telethermography in the early diagnosis of Sudeck's disease, the authors examined 10 patients presenting with this condition. Mean disease duration was 3.2 months and algodystrophic lesions in all patients were localized in one of the lower extremities. Ten healthy subjects, with mean age and sex distribution similar to those of the patients with Sudeck, were chosen as controls. Clinical examination, laboratory tests and telethermography were performed every two weeks for three months; X-rays of the affected limbs were also performed at the beginning and at the end of the study. All patients with algodystrophy were treated with salmon calcitonin (100 U.I./die/i.m. during the first 2 months and 100 U.I. on alternate days during the last month). Clinical-therapeutic thermographic monitoring showed that the localized hyperthermic pattern, initially shown in all patients (temperature levels at least three centigrades above normal values), later underwent a progressive time-related reduction leading to normalization. These results enable the authors to confirm the potential value of telethermography in the early diagnosis of Sudeck's disease and in its clinical monitoring, particularly in relation to therapy.