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Blood and bone marrow abnormalities accompanying cancers have been known for a while, without yet being understood. The study of 89 patients having lung cancers leads to the following observations: thrombocytosis is frequent and should be considered as a diagnostic criterion; anemia is often associated and we have noticed a correlation between the two. The bone marrow abnormalities shown on biopsy are also frequent, presenting mainly (54/104) as irritative type. This histological pattern becomes a criterion of prognosis, since one should interpret it as a bone marrow reaction to the implantation of cancerous cells. Lastly, no relationship has been found between the blood count and the bone marrow pattern.

After a clinical and pathological study of 55 cases of granulomatous hepatitis, the authors are trying to understand the data so that they can predict the etiology of the granulomas. The authors must insist on the necessity of homogeneity in clinical data, histological findings and ethnic origins.

Four cases of hepatic granulomatosis with positive Yersinia serologic tests are reported. In one case, the Wright serodiagnostic tests were also positive. In the three other cases, no other likely etiology was demonstrated. The authors recall the main causes of hepatic granulomatosis, diagnostic criteria of Yersiniosis infections, and the possible occurrence of simultaneous positive serodiagnostic tests for Yersinia enterocolitica type 9 and Brucella abortus.

Over eight years the authors recorded 46 cases of hepatic tuberculosis. Most cases occurred in patients from black Africa. Forty-five patients had at least one extrahepatic tuberculous localization. Moderate cholestasis, without jaundice, found in 75% of patients, was the main biologic disorder. Upon histologic examination, five different types of granulomas were found. Each one has a specific predictive value concerning the outcome of the tuberculous infection.

This study of 96 bone biopsies carried out in 84 patients with various malignant solid tumours showed 27 normal bone marrows, 21 hypoplastic marrows, 34 irritant marrows and 14 metastatic marrows. All the patients in the last group and 75% of those with signs of irritation already had other metastases. Tolerance to chemotherapy was better in the normal marrows than in the other cases. There was a significant relationship between the irritant or metastatic or metastatic aspect and the existence of peripheral leucoerythroblastosis (metastatic marrows) or increased platelets (irritant appearances). A significant difference existed during the first five months of survival between these cases with a metastatic marrow and those with an iritant marrow. Bone biopsy should, in our opinion, form part of the routine investigation of cancer patients. It may identify metasine investigation of cancer patients. It may identify metastases where radiography and bone scans have failed.

The authors report two studies : 1) Retrospective : study of liver biopsies in 44 Africans : 22 were HBs Ag positive and 22 HBs Ag negative ; 10 of the HBs Ag positive subjects were found to have chronic persistent hepatitis (CPH), 4 chronic active hepatitis (CAH) and 3 cirrhosis ; 2 of the HBs Ag negative subjects were found to have CPH and 3 CAH ; as far a biological findings are concerned, only the CAH and cirrhosis groups differed from the control group, with higher prothrombin times, transaminase levels and gammaglobulin levels. 2) Prospective : study of the incidence of HBs Ag carriage in 168 Africans ; 17.8 % of them were found to be carriers ; no correlation was found between HBs Ag carriage and S. haematobium schistosomiasis or hemoglobinopathies.