[Cerebral pathology in inactive rheumatism].

AIM: Characterization of cerebral pathology in inactive phase of rheumatism.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Clinical, experimental psychological examinations were performed in 110 rheumatic patients with inactive disease. Computer tomography of the head was carried out in 45 patients.

RESULTS

Psychic defects were absent only in 2.73% of the examinees. The rest had different neurotic symptoms manifest as panic attacks (> 50% of cases) or mildpsychoorganic shifts (60.91% of cases). Computer tomography of the brain has revealed hypodensive foci, deformed subarachnoid spaces and cerebral ventricles, hydrocephalia in 66.67% of the patients. These occurred more frequently in patients with psychoorganic syndrome or valvular heart diseases.

CONCLUSION

Treatment and rehabilitation of rheumatic patients should also include measures to correct psychic and cerebral abnormalities frequently present in such patients.