[Chondrocalcinosis: a disease frequently occurring in the second half of life]

Articular chondrocalcinosis (ACC) is a metabolic arthropathy caused by calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposits. It is frequent in the second half of the life (6% of the population aged between 60 and 70 years, 30% of the elderly after 80 years). Both males and females, are involved in the same proportion. Clinical manifestations include pseudogout attacks, mainly of the knee and wrist joints, secondary osteoarthritis and destructive arthropathy (mainly of the knee and hip joints). There is no basis therapy. The pyrophosphate calcium deposits do not disappear during the evolution of the disease. Symptomatic therapy with NSAIDS, analgesic drugs or intra-articular corticosteroids may be very useful. Orthopaedic surgery is necessary in cases with severe destructive arthropathy.