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We report the case of a 51 years old woman with myositis, myasthenia gravis and thymoma. First apparent sign is myositis in 1976 but chest X ray show a mediastinal opacity and the patient reports an intermittent diplopia since 1973. The evolution of myositis occurs in two bouts in 1976 and 1981, Myasthenia gravis restricted to diplopia from 1973 to 1979 grow worse first alone then in association with increase of myositis signs in 1981. The mediastinal opacity seen on chest X ray in 1976 don't change and is revealed to be a thymoma at operation in 1981. After thymoma ablation myasthenic and myositis signs decrease. This pathologic association is found 24 times in literature and involves "giant cells" in muscle biopsy in about 50 p. 100 of cases and a myocarditis also with "giant cells". Those "giant cells" unusual in common myositis appears to have a prognostic value.

A confusional state due to hypercalcemia led to the discovery of multiple myeloma in a 73 year old man. The recurrence of a confusional state, related to plasma cell meningitis called for hospitalization. Serum, urine and cerebrospinal fluid immunoelectrophoresis revealed monoclonal immunoglobulines of lambda light chains. The pathologic study showed an invasion of the subarachnoid space by abnormal plasma cells. The dura mater and brain substance were not invaded. The leptomeningeal invasion by multiple myeloma plasma cells in a rare occurrence. We have found only three such cases published before. The analysis of our case and the three other leads to some comment. The clinical features are those of chronic meningitis revealed by a confusional study or epilepsy. The existence of abnormal plasma cells in the cerebrospinal fluid and their absence in the blood stream seems to suggest a local production of these cells. The histopathological study confirmed, in our case as in the others published, the massive invasion of the subarachnoid space by plasma cells while the dura mater is not invaded.