[Periarteritis nodosa and Australia antigen. Comparative study apropos of 25 cases]

The authors compared two series of 27 cases of périateritis over a period of 5 years. The determined the frequency of the nodosa HBs+ (series B) and HBs-- (series A) collected clinical and laboratory signs in both series. There resulted that apart from the hepatic signs constant in series B and absent in series A, the only statistically significant differences were the joint sings and the hypertension more common in series B and the respiratory signs more common in series A. Furthermore, the course of HBs+ cases appears much mote severe than that of HBs-- cases which emphasises the importance of the hepatic involvement but this finding should be interpreted with circumspection for the mode of selection of the patients and the treatment were different in the two series.