[Current aspects of the osteoarticular pathology of hemodialysis patients. Results and discussion of a rheumatological survey].

In a prospective study, 80 patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis, 30% more than ten years, were evaluated for joint function and radiographic abnormalities; 58 patients (72%) had clinical symptoms; non-specific arthralgia was the most frequent; 15 patients had inflammatory pain (shoulders 9, hands 3) and diminution of finger mobility (10). Radiological examinations showed 40 abnormal findings in 23 patients (28%): erosive arthropathies of fingers (4), and multiple geodes of the carpus (8), of the humeral head (7) or of the hip (9). We also detected spondylolisthesis (4), erosive arthropathy of cervical (6) or lumbar (2) spine. Pathological study of synovial biopsies was performed in 16 cases. Amyloidosis was found in 4 samples taken routinely. In 2 other cases the biopsy was done on the basis of lesions seen on x-rays: we found amyloidosis in the synovial membrane in both patients and in the bone in one. In 8 patients we found C3 deposits positive in immunofluorescence. These results underline the role of amyloidosis in the mechanism of some arthropathies in long-term hemodialysis patients.