[Immunoproliferative disease of the small intestine. A case of polymeric IgA with evolution to lymphoma]. / Enfermedad inmunoproliferativa del intestino delgado. A propósito de un caso de IgA polimérica con evolución a linfoma.

Immunoproliferative disease of the small intestine (IPDSI) is rare and although it is more frequent in mediterranean countries it has more exceptionally been described in Western countries. IPDSI is characterized by diffuse infiltration of the small intestine mucose by lymphoblastic cells and over time may evolve to the development of lymphoma, generally of an immunoblastic nature. Another peculiarity of the disease is its association with heavy alpha chain disease (HACD). Several types of paraproteinemia may appear in the serum of patients, very seldom in the form of polymeric IgA, with the evolution of the cases reported in the literature not leading to the development of heavy chain disease or lymphoma. We herewith present an exceptional case of IPDSI in whom the association of HACD was discarded and in whom polymeric IgA paraproteinemia which evolved to the development of lymphoma was observed.

[A comparative cross-over study of pellet pancreatin and tablet pancreatin in chronic pancreatitis]. / Estudio comparativo cruzado entre pancreatina en "pellets" y pancreatina en tabletas en pancreatitis crónica.

We have made a comparative cross study of 30 patients with chronic pancreatitis and steatorrhea. The aim of the study has been to compare the effectiveness of a new galenic form of pancreatin, in pellets, with the common galenic presentation, in tablets. In all the cases the cause of pancreatic failure was alcoholism. In both groups the treatment was administered during seven days, after a period of wash out. We evaluated steatorrhea and clinical symptoms, including the typical abdominal pain. (The doses administrated were 12 tablets/day or 9 pellets/day.) Statistically there was a significant decrease of steatorrhea p less than 0.01.