[Measurement of arterial pressure using 3 measurement methods in medial arterial calcification]. / Mesure de la pression artérielle par trois méthodes de mesure en présence d'une médiacalcose.

Medial calcification of the arteries, because of non-distensibility of the blood vessel walls, may overestimate the real intra-arterial pressure when blood pressure (BP) is measured by indirect sphygmomanometry cuff. In order to assess the best method for measuring BP, we compared direct intra-arterial measurements with indirect cuff sphygmomanometry as well as automatic oscillometric measurements in 15 hypertensive patients. Mean age +/- standard deviation (SD) was 62 +/- 9 years; all patients had medial calcifications of forearm and/or brachial arteries, and Osler's maneuver was negative in all. Ten sets of direct and indirect BP measurements were obtained for each patient. Results are expressed as mean +/- SD: (table; see text) There was no significant difference between cuff pressure and systolic intra-arterial pressure. The automatic oscillometric method underestimated systolic intra-arterial BP. Great individual variability was observed and could not be predicted clinically. Indirect diastolic BP values were greater than intra-arterial BP in all patients with the sphygmomanometer cuff and in 10 patients with the oscillometric recorder. There existed a direct relation between intra-arterial BP and differences between indirect BP measurements and intra-arterial BP as follows: intra-arterial BP was overestimated by indirect methods for values under 150 mmHg, and underestimated above 150 mmHg. In conclusion, invasive intra-arterial BP measurement seem to be necessary to distinguish between hypertensive and pseudo-hypertensive patients, in case of radiologic evidence of arterial calcification.

[Non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis]. / Ischémie mésentérique non occlusive chez l'hémodialysé périodique.

Non occlusive mesenteric ischaemia is a serious complication of maintenance haemodialysis. Its physiopathological mechanisms are controversial and its frequency is underestimated. Eight cases (in 5 patients) are reported: the clinical syndrome consisted of acute abdominal pain without evidence of shock or abdominal wall rigidity at palpation, associated with hyperleucocytosis and hyperkaliemic acidosis. The normality of the mesenteric vessels was confirmed at autopsy in one patient and during surgery in all others. Two patients were found to have caecal necrosis, 2 had diffuse necrotizing enterocolitis and 1 had necrosis of the left colon. The prognosis of this complication is sombre: 4 of our 5 patients died, including 3 who had relapsed 1, 4 and 18 months respectively after surgery (diffuse ileocolic necrosis). The usually accepted physiopathological mechanism is volaemic contraction consecutive to haemodialysis in often atheromatous subjects; however, the fact that the mesenteric infarction is not occlusive, that it occurs sometime after the end of the haemodialysis session and above all, the lack of haemodynamic changes during or immediately after the session suggest that other factors (bioincompatibility) are involved.

[Serum lipase and amylase levels in chronic renal failure: interpretation of results--effects of extrarenal purification]. / La lipasémie et l'amylasémie au cours de l'insuffisance rénale chronique: interprétation des résultats--effets de l'épuration extra-rénale.

Serum amylase and lipase activities were studied in two groups of patients without clinical evidence of pancreatitis: 47 with stable chronic renal failure, 61 treated by haemodialysis. Amylase activity was significantly increased in 73 of 108 patients (68%) and lipase activity in 67 of 108 (62%). After dialysis, both enzymatic activities were decreased, despite of the lack of extraction by the artificial kidney. Laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis of pancreatitis is difficult in patients with chronic renal failure, and cannot be supported only by serum amylase and lipase activity measurements.