Sixty-one subjects with rheumatoid arthritis, 61 with psoriatic arthritis, 61 with ankylosing spondylitis, and 61 healthy controls were examined with regard to subjective symptoms and clinical signs of craniomandibular disorders (CMD). The frequencies of most subjective and clinical variables were higher in all three disease groups than in the control group. Subjects with rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis showed more frequent and severe signs and symptoms than subjects with ankylosing spondylitis. It is concluded that subjective symptoms and clinical signs of CMD are common in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis and are mainly caused by the respective general joint disease. None of the signs and symptoms is pathognomonic for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis.

summary Eighty‐one patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 41 patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) were evaluated with questionnaires regarding subjective symptoms from the masticatory system. The general well‐being was assessed using the Mood Adjective Check List (MACL) and the Body Symptom Scale (BSS). Patients with rheumatoid arthritis in general had less symptoms from the masticatory system than TMD patients. The RA patients reported that their symptoms were related to acute phases of the general disease, while the TMD patients reported that mental stress, anxiety, bruxism and chewing aggravated their symptoms. The RA patients had more general physical discomfort than TMD patients according to the BSS. The RA patients rated their mental well‐being (MACL) close to normal, except that they were less active than TMD patients. The TMD patients, on the other hand, showed higher values for mental tension. In conclusion, many patients with RA will develop TMD symptoms but there is a great variation in time relationship between the onset of RA and involvement of the masticatory system.

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Abdominal angiography was performed in patients with occlusive disease of the iliofemoral arteries. In 85 of 389 patients, the anomalous arterial blood supply of the upper abdomen was detected accidentally: 81% of the variations were related to the hepatic artery, 19% to the celiac artery. The possible surgical consequences are discussed if these variations are disregarded. Four patients with aneurysms of the visceral arteries (three aneurysms of the hepatic artery, one aneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery) and one patient with a celiac artery compression syndrome were also detected. The latter diseases represent clear indication for operation with high chances of success if treated in time.