Abstract

A retrospective study of 40 patients with chronic renal failure who underwent haemodialysis for more than 10 years (mean: 153 months) showed that 18 patients (45 p. 100) had arthralgia in the shoulders, hands, wrists and knees, 13 (32 p. 100) had carpal tunnel syndrome requiring surgery, and 20 (50 p. 100) were found to have bone cavities in the humeral head, external supra-acetabular region, carpus and patella. Aluminium overload was present in 47 p. 100 of the patients, and amyloid deposits were found in 10 of the 12 patient operated upon for carpal tunnel syndrome. This study confirms the frequency in patients under long-term haemodialysis of an articular pathological entity consisting of arthralgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, juxta-articular bone cavities and amyloid deposits which are now known to be made of beta 2-microglobulin. The initial lesion seems to affect the synovial membrane; it appears to be facilitated by age and is often associated with aluminium overload. The mechanism(s) responsible for amyloid deposits remain (s) to be elucidated.