title: [Scanning electron microscopy and microcrystals in articular diseases].
abstract: The value of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in the study of crystals in articular diseases is underlined in several cases of examination of joint fluid, or crystal deposits in articular or periarticular tissues obtained by percutaneous or surgical treatment with chemical and crystallographic correlations. Apatite crystals. Two deposits of hydroxyapatite of the rotator cuff were studied by SEM, crystallographic techniques and chemical analysis. SEM study showed spherical aggregates of various size. Urate crystals. Three tophi were observed by SEM, with crystallographic techniques and chemical analysis. Their needle-shape and their great size (20 m) were characteristic. Calcium pyrophosphate crystals. In a case of typical clinical and radiological features, examination of joint fluid, with chemical correlation showed shorter and thicker crystals than those or urate. The precise identification of crystals is based on sophisticated crystallographic techniques such as X-ray diffraction, although SEM allows an accurate and quite simple morphologic study, most often sufficient.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Anatomie, Faculté de Médecine, Vandoeuvre, France.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Grignon
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marchal
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mainard
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Delagoutte
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pourel
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gaucher
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kohler
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Albiser
mesh_terms: D001031:Apatites / Q000032:analysis; D002131:Calcium Pyrophosphate / Q000032:analysis; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D001031:Apatites; D014527:Uric Acid; D002131:Calcium Pyrophosphate
vernacular_title: Microscopie électronique à balayage et microcristaux en pathologie articulaire.