[Mesenteric arteries. Anastomotic blood supply of the mesentery via the renal and adrenal, without hypertension (author's transl)]. / Artérite Mésentérique. Vascularisation de suppléance par anastomose avec les artères rénales et surrénales, sans hypertension artérielle.

A rare clinical syndrome, observed during arterial stenosis of the large splanchnic trunks, Alfidi's syndrome associates digestive symptoms and hypertension. The latter results from reno-splanchnic shunts, reducing renal blood supply. In a patient aged 53 years, suffering for two months from severe epigastric pain with loss of weight of 10 kilos, arteriography showed anastomoses between the mesenteric circulation and the perirenal and adrenal vascular systems. However the latter were only slightly developed and consequently, insufficient to prevent infarction of the small intestine and colon. An anastomotic network neverthless existed, and renal arteriography demonstrated such shunts before the onset of hypertension which could have resulted from it. It is reasonable to believe that the renal steal syndrome did not yet have any effect on the blood pressure, as the anastomotic circulation towards the remaining digestive tract was still insufficient to ensure effective revascularisation.

[Needle biopsy of the liver in an internal medicine department]. / La ponction-biopsie du foie dans un service de médecine interne.

The authors presents 1 129 liver biopsies done during 7 years in a service of general medicine. Three accidents has been encountered representing a 0,17% mortality. Histologically, 50% of patients presented alterations due to ethylism, 25% presented a normal liver picture, which can be a diagnosis argument; 20% presented various lesions, of which tuberculosis is predominant, as well as acute, parasitary or hematological livers. Only 5% of the histological pictures are ininterpretable. The liver biopsy done very early in the evolution of a disease is sometimes a diagnosis argument which superior to others, allowing the rapid installation of the necessary treatment.