[Current concept of Gougerot-Sjögren syndrome]

The Gougerot-Sjögren syndrome is giving rise to an everincreasing number of publications. Since the initial work by Gougerot in France and Sjögren in Sweden, the most important publications have been coming from the United States of America, particularly the series from the NIH at Bethesda. Since Bunim, Talal, Bloch and colleagues have taken up this topic, the conception of the disease which has become established is that of an auto-immune condition which or may not be associated with a rheumatoid polyarthritis or related diseases. It may be asked whether such a conception does in fact permit a better approach to patients suffering from the Gougerot-Sjögren syndrome. It might seem more useful to separate the exocrine syndromes from the concomittant immunitary symptoms more clearly. A further important problem is that raised by the perfection of the means of detecting the Gougerot-Sjögren syndrome. This poses a key problem : that of the borderlines of this syndrome.

[Angioneurotic hereditary edema. 3 faimilial cases]

The study involved three families with hane. This disorder differs from the simple condition by its preferential visceral localisation (digestive and, above all, the glottis), its hereditary nature and the existence of a biological abnormality affecting the serum complement system (absence of enzyme activity of C1 esterase inhibitor in the serum of sufferers). The cases reported illustrate the serious prognosis of this condition (four deaths by asphyxia in one family) in the absence of specific therapy. This disorder, although rare, represents a fundamental problem in general pathology by virtue of the enzymatic, immunological and genetic processes which it involves.