[Therapeutic efficacy and tolerance of a new drug, sodium diclofenac, in inflammatory and metabolic rheumatism].

A new antirheumatic, non-steroid drug, sodium diclofenac (Voltaren Geigy) has been experimented in 14 patients aged between 27 and 69 hospitalized at the IInd Medical Division of Enna Hospital. The patients were divided into three groups suffering from: rheumatoid arthritis, scapulohumeral periarthritis, uratic arthritis, and rheumatic carditis in active phase. In almost all treated cases, the drug proved to have good therapeutic effectiveness demonstrated by complete remission or attenuation of clinical symptomatology and by the return to normal or reduction in the various modified biohumoral indices; in all cases treated, good tolerance, absolute lack of side-effects and toxicity. Special attention has been paid to study of possible changes to gastric mucosa by means of careful evaluation of endoscopic and histological findings.