[Retroperitoneal actinobacteriosis caused by Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans]. / Actinobactériose rétropéritonéale à Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans.

A 15 years old boy was admitted to the hospital for high fever, and a four month history of abdominal pain and weight loss. Clinical examination showed painful swelling of the left lumbar region. A retro peritoneal mass was revealed by tomodensitometry. There was a marked biological inflammatory syndrome without bacteriological evidence of infectious disease. Final diagnosis was performed by surgery showing a big abscess. Bacteriological culture of pus was positive for a Haemophilus actinomycetemcomitans.

[Study of the pathogenic mechanism of hypocalcemia in primary hypomagnesemia. Demonstration of a blockage of the mechanism of release of parathyroid hormone]. / Etude du mecanisme pathogenique de l'hypomagnesemie primitive. Mise en evidence d'un blocage du mecanisme d'excretion de la parathormone

Parathyroid function and peripheral responsiveness to parathyroid hormone were studied during magnesium dependent hypocalcemia in a 5 years old boy with primary hypomagnesemia. The bone system and the kidneys were responsive to exogenous bovine parathyroid extracts as demonstrated by the normalisation of the calcemia and the increase of urinary cyclic AMP, phosphorus and hydroxyproline. Low levels of serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone gave also clear indication of impaired parathyroid function. By contrast intravenous injection of magnesium sulfate induced an instantaneous and very sharp increase of serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone as shown by levels well above the normal range one minute after the injection ; this was followed by a regular decrease of hormonal levels reaching the normal range one hour later. This finding clearly demonstrates that severe magnesium depletion induces impaired parathyroid hormone release in man.