EDEMATOUS POLYARTHRITIS REVEALING ACROMEG ALY

BACKGROUND: Acromegaly is frequently associated with degenerative join t disease, but only a few cases of typical seronegative polyarthritis related to excessive growth hormone secretion have been reported. CASE REPORT: A 76-year-old man had edematous polyarthritis with an atypica l course over the last 5 years. Acromegaly had gone undetected and the discovery of an adenoma of the anterior pituitary led to the prescrip tion of somatostatin. Remission of the polyarthritis syndrome followed treatment DISCUSSION: RS3PE (remitting, seronegative, symmetrical, sy novitis with pitting edema) rheumatoid disease could be discussed in t his case where joint disease developed slowly due to low level growth hormone oversecretion. Acromegaly should be entertained as a possible diagnosis in patients with atypical inflammatory polyarthritis resista nt to antiinflammatory therapy. (C) 1998, Masson, Paris.