Hereditary diffuse articular chondrocalcinosis: study of an alsatian family

Familial articular chondrocalcinosis is a chronic articular disease charact erized by acute intermittent attacks of arthritis presence of calcium pyrop hosphate dihydrate crystal in synovial fluid cartilage and periarticular so ft tissue and by x rays calcium deposition in articular cartilage. A family originating from Alsace, with an autosomal dominant transmission has been studied. As in English and Argentinean families, a linkage to the short arm of chromosome 5p has been found. These results suggest that a defective ge ne at this location may be related to the chondrocalcinosis in these famili es.