[Subacute edematous polyarthritis in the elderly. 9 cases].

We report 9 cases of a recently described syndrome: subacute oedematous polyarthritis of the elderly. The condition is characterized by its sudden onset and by the presence of important oedema of the four limbs, symmetrical polyarthritis, marked inflammatory syndrome and negative serological test for the rheumatoid factor. Men are predominantly affected, and many of them are carrying the HLA B7 antigen. The illness subsides within a few months without sequelae. It seems that this syndrome should be clearly distinguished from late onset rheumatoid arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatica.