CPPD crystal deposition disease as a cause of unrecognised pyrexia.

We describe three cases of CPPD crystal deposition disease in elderly patients whose main symptom was fever. Misdiagnosis of such cases is possible because of the similarity of the clinical picture to that of septic fever. The probable mechanisms causing the fever are discussed. There was spectacular improvement in these patients after a high dose of oral colchicine and loperamide and no relapse was observed during the long term administration of colchicine in a conservative dose together with supplementary magnesium.

Clinical and laboratory parameters in adult diabetics with and without calcific shoulder periarthritis.

The clinical and laboratory parameters of calcific shoulder periarthritis (CSP) were examined in 900 patients with type II diabetes mellitus as well as in 350 age- and sex-matched control subjects. A threefold increased prevalence of CSP in diabetics compared with the control group was associated with the presence of longstanding and poorly controlled diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertriglyceridemia suggesting pronounced diabetic angiopathy, as well as with minor trauma and hypomagnesemia. Aging and serum calcium concentrations were not related to the presence of CSP. Thirty-two percent of diabetics with CSP were symptomatic; 15% of them presented with severe pain and restriction of shoulder movement. These findings confirm a close pathogenetic interrelation between CSP and diabetes mellitus.