Bilateral and Symmetrical Dry Liparthritis of the Knees
Under the heading "bilateral and symmetrical dry liparthritis of the knees," R. J. Weissenbach and F. Fançon describe a form of rheumatism that occurs frequently in women coincident with the menopause or after oophorectomy. This form of arthritis constitutes a morbid entity caused by the cessation of ovarian functions. It is, in fact, associated with the well known symptoms that characterize insufficiency or abolition of the ovarian functions, such as hot flashes of the face, headache, insomnia, a tendency to obesity, and disorders of character. Liparthritis is observed around the age of 50 or, in cases of ovariotomy, from two to ten months after the operation. It is very frequent among the well-to-do, as Françon observed at Aix-les-Bains, the well known spa. Liparthritis is characterized by an inflammation of the articular synovial membrane. The membrane is thickened and abnormally vascularized, and has