[Periarteritis nodosa in children. Diagnostic difficulties in 2 cases]

Periarteritis nodosa is a rare multisystemic disease whose diagnosis is difficult: diagnostic approach by biopsies in various involved organs is of poor efficacy; abdominal selective angiography yields a precise diagnosis in 50 to 60 of the studied cases as far as the celiac, mesenteric and renal circulations are investigated selectively. Digitalized intravenous angiography (DIVA) carried out in two patients of 9 and 13 years of age allowed to demonstrate aneurysm formations in hepatic, renal and cerebral circulations. Its true efficacy in the diagnosis of periarteritis nodosa of children remains to be determined.