[Scorbut, historic disease ?] / Le cas clinique du mois. Scorbut, maladie historique ?

Scurvy, a disease caused by a deficit in vitamin C, is again described in Europe nowadays. This condition is associated with poverty and malnutrition, as found in developing countries. However, denutrition may also occur with a "western" lifestyle that can lead to nutriment deficiencies. In the following report is described a case of scurvy in a person suffering from alcoholism.

Le scorbut, expression clinique du déficit en vitamine C, est une maladie en recrudescence dans nos sociétés souffrant d'une précarité grandissante et adoptant de façon systématique une alimentation «occidentale¼ carencée en fruits et légumes. Le cas présenté illustre ce problème chez une personne éthylique à risque.

[Prader-Willi syndrome: specific management by a multidisciplinary team]. / Le syndrome de Prader Willi: intérêt d'une prise en charge pluridisciplinaire.

Prader Willi syndrome can be viewed as a physiopathological model of obesity. Such patients deserve specific management, preferably in a multidisciplinary setting. The paper reports on 6 patients followed in the paediatric endocrine service at the University of Liege.

[Kyphoplasty for the treatment of painful vertebral hemangioma]. / Traitement par kyphoplastie d'un hémangiome vertébral douloureux.

Vertebral angiomas are frequent and often asymptomatic. Sometimes although they do not seem invasive radiologically, they are responsible for local pain. If there is concordance between pain and vertebral angioma localisation, surgery such as vertebroplasty or cyphoplasty can be proposed. These techniques lead to a quick and complete removal of symptoms.

[Results of rehabilitation on quality of walking and outcome in elderly patients following femoral neck fracture. Development after one year]. / Résultats de la rééducation sur la qualité de la marche et le devenir de patients agés aprés fracture de l'extrémité supérieure du fémur. E'volution aprés un an.

OBJECTIVES: To examine effects of coordinated multidisciplinary inpatient rehabilitation for older patients with hip fractures. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 187 (42 men and 147 women: mean age 80.9 +/- 8.4 years) admitted with a diagnosis of fracture neck of femur. Before fracture 183 patients were living in their own house. We examine medical state before fracture, type of fracture, type of surgery, walking performance at hospital discharge and at one year, destination at this discharge, living location and quality of life at one year. RESULTS: The length stay after intracapsular fracture and prosthesis is significatively lower (p<0.01). At discharge 28% were walking alone, 38% with stick, 17% with technical aid, 8% with human aid, 2% were bedridden and 7% were dead. After hospitalisation 7% were dead, 70% were living in their own homes, 18% were in old people's homes and 6% in another hospital. One year after fracture, 19% were dead, 65% were living in their own homes, 16% were in old people's homes. Older age, medical state before fracture and male gender was found to increase mortality risk following hip fracture (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Hip fracture is a major cause of morbidity in older people and its impact, both on the individual and to society is substantial. Many people do not return to their pre-fracture life style. Coordinated multidisciplinary care of patients with fractured neck of femur seems essential.