[X-ray computed tomography (CT scanner) in schizophrenia. Comparison of its results with other studies]. / Tomodensitométrie (CT scanner) au cours de la schizophrénie. Confrontation de ses résultats avec d'autres investigations.

This paper concerns the tomodensitometric (TDM) study, with the same clinical and radiological criteria, of 78 schizophrenic patients (age: less than 60 years) from psychiatric hospitals in Madrid and from Sainte-Anne hospital (Paris). The length of evolution and the severity of disturbances seemed to be the most important causal elements of cerebral atrophy. Some TDM peculiarities appeared correlated with some clinical forms (paranoid or hebephrenic). The review of previous works illustrates the importance of some etiological conditions for the production of cerebral atrophy: age, length of evolution and, more particularly, the severity of the disease. The confrontation of the anatomo-pathological and pneumoencephalographic studies with the TDM results suggests that, if the TDM is a good indicator of ventricular dilatation, appreciation of the widening of the cerebral sulci remains difficult.

[Human cysticercosis. Four cases. (second part) (author's transl)]. / La cysticercose humaine. A propos de quatre cas (deuxième partie).

Beside the principal aspects of cysticercosis (see the first part of this article) there are others clinical forms : medullar, ocular, subcutaneous, often associated to cerebral cysticercosis, latent or not. The complemental investigations are numerous, their value is variable. The complemental investigations are numerous, their value is variable. It is often difficult to distinguish cysticercosis from cenurosis. Therapy remains deceitful. Very important and useful are the measures of prevention.

[Human cysticercosis. Four cases (First part) (author's transl)]. / La cysticercose humaine. A propos de 4 cas. (Première partie).

Produced by the larval form of Taenia solium, human cysticercosis is especially redoutable because of its great affinity for the nervous system and the eyes. In France, the isolated cases, apparently autochtons, are very seldom; cysticercosis is discovered, more frequently, among immigrated people. After an historical recall, the authors describe the lesions and, among clinical manifestations, the epileptogenic, ventricular and diffuse cerebral forms.

[Cerebral tomodensitometry (scanner) and accident sequelae: its medico-legal value]. / Tomodensitométrie cérébrale (scanner) et pathologie séquellaire; son intérêt médico-légal.

The authors report their experience of one years use of a cerebral scanner in the investigation of the sequelae of head injuries, and the medico-legal interest of this discovery. It permits one to visualise the pathological processes responsible for the symptoms following head injuries and its is thus of major intetrest in legal medicine where the subjective factor in these symptoms is difficult to assess. Increasing considerably the proportion of definite etiologies in this pathology, the authors believe that this new method will become standard in the medico-legal assessment of head injuries.

[Torsion dystonia of the left upper limb probably due to a head injury. Calcification of the head of the right caudate nucleus discovered by tomodensitometric examination]. / Dystonie de torsion du membre supérieur gauche probablement consécutive a un traumatisme cranien. Calcification de la tête du noyau caudé droit découverte à l'examen tomodensitométrique.

A young man (30 years) suffered a head injury in the course of a road accident. Four years after the accident, there was progressive development of hypertonia of the muscles of the left shoulder in association with certain movements, with torsion dystonia of the left upper limb. The presence of minimal neurological signs differentiated this cases from so-called idiopathic torsion dystonia. Tomodensitometry revealed an opacity of the head of the right caudate nucleus which was invisible on standard skull films. The authors discuss the physiopathology problems raised by this special case.

[Cutaneous elastopathy and vascular anomalies associated with neurological disorders. Apropos of 2 cases]. / Elastopathie cutanée et anomalies vasculaires associées avec troubles neurologiques A propos de deux cas

The two cases described exhibited elastopathy associated with arterial stenosis (case 1) or aneurysms (case 2). The first was clearly a case of elastic pseudo-xanthoma with characteristic cutaneous lesions associated with retinal angioid streaks and severe arterial lesions, notably stenosis of the vertebral arteries (especially the left) causing disorders in the mechanism of balance. There were, in addition, mild diabetes, hyperlipidaemia and abnormal cutaneous pigmentation. The second patient, an African, had been hospitalised for an optochiasmatic syndrome which further investigation, notably by arteriography, indicated was caused by compression of the visual pathways due to massive bilateral carotid aneurysms. The patient had molluscoid pseudo-tumours of the axillae and she reported that her father was in the same condition. Although in the first case, cutaneous biopsy enabled diagnosis of systematized elastorrhexis to be confirmed, histological investigation in the second case revealed mainly hyaline sclerosis of the deep dermal layer. The diagnosis of Ehlers-Danlos disease, suggested for this second patient, could not be confirmed. These two cases emphasize the possibility of various neurological disorders occurring in the course of dystrophy of the connectivo elastic tissue.