[Clinico-biological aspects of myositis due to Trichinella T3 with special regard to a rheumatologic study].

One hundred and fifty patients living in Salsomaggiore Terme developed signs and symptoms of trichinellosis after eating infected horse meat. The etiological agent was identified as Trichinella T3. This large outbreak gave us the opportunity of studying the rheumatic manifestations during this kind of parasitic disease. Myositis was observed in 62% of the entire series whereas arthralgias were recorded in only 20% of the patients. The muscle pain was described in several ways, but in the majority it appeared during isokinetic movements. The scapular girdle was involved much more than the pelvic girdle. Arthralgias correlated with the degree of myositis, thus allowing us to conclude that the involvement of the muscle groups proximal to the joint clearly determined a painful sensation in the joint itself. Our histopathologic data suggest that the eosinophils may play an important role in the myositis process.