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Splenic abscess is a rare disease whose diagnosis is difficult, though the use of modern imaging methods has increased diagnosed cases in recent years. We report a case of splenic abscess whose aetiology is unusual, namely, a gastric ulcer penetrating into the splenic artery and causing arterial thrombosis and septic embolism. Ultrasonography and ultrasound-guided puncture resolved any diagnostic doubt, and subsequent surgery confirmed the diagnosis. Pathogenesis, clinical picture, diagnostic methods, and treatment are discussed with reference to the literature.

The most important osteoarticular complications occurring during gastrointestinal and liver diseases are reviewed. Although etiopathogenesis of these disorders is not yet fully understood, their knowledge is required to gastroenterologists for two main reasons: to establish a correct diagnosis and to start an appropriate therapy.

Esophageal manometry is an established method of investigation in patients with suspected motor abnormalities. However, some degree of standardization of technique and method of analysis are still needed among different Laboratories. It is actually the gold standard for assessing the esophageal motor function but a correlation with other esophageal tests (i.e. radiology, endoscopy, pH-metry, scintigraphy) is usually required to reach a clinical diagnosis. Because of the large interindividual variability of manometric findings it is suggested that each laboratory could obtain its "own normal population". Recent evidences support that values outside the normal range may not always be associated with a functional abnormality. New physiopathological insights and widely accepted scheme of classification of manometric data are needed to improve its diagnostic usefulness.

Two cases of lymphadenopathy grouped together by a common histologic diagnosis of angio-immunoblastic lymphadenopathy (A.I.L.) have been described. While in the first case there was a recent vaccination with BCG and tests positive for toxoplasmosis, the second case did not reveal any important anamnestic elements. The first case appeared to respond to antiprotozoan therapy while the second underwent lymphomatous degeneration with cerebral involvement. In view of the different clinical developments the existing nosologic position of A.I.L. comes under discussion. The great difficulty with which A.I.L. is demarcated from forms of reactive or neoplastic lymphadenopathy is emphasized by this example. Essential towards this is the study of lymphocyte markers and their in vitro function.