Fluconazole showed fewer side effects than amphotericin B and was more convenient to use.

The response of active Crohn's disease to sulphasalazine (4-6 g per day) has been studied in a placebo-controlled trial. The study was carried out at two hospitals. From August 1977 to August 1979 all patients with established Crohn's disease were examined for their eligibility for the trial. A nine-item index of inflammatory activity was used as the primary measure of response. The variables in this index were serum albumin, ESR, body weight related to height, abdominal mass, temperature, stool consistency, bowel resection, and extraintestinal symptoms related to Crohn's disease. A favourable response to therapy was defined as a decrease of the activity index with 25 0 or more at the end of the trial period, compared with the initial value. Twenty-six patients (13 in each treatment group) have been followed up for six months. The response of active Crohn's disease to sulphasalazine was significantly better than to placebo. Sulphasalazine (SASP) is widely used in the medical treatment of active Crohn's disease but so far only two controlled trials have been published, the results of which are not unequivocal.'2 We therefore undertook a controlled double-blind study to evaluate the efficacy of SASP in the treatment of patients with active Crohn's disease. When the trial was planned there was no evidence that any medical treatment was effective in Crohn's disease, so the effect of SASP was compared with a placebo. Methods CASE SELECTION AND DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR CROHN'S DISEASE The study was carried out at two hospitals. From August 1977 to August 1979 all patients with established Crohn's disease who were seen at or referred to these hospitals and the patients who were

This study was aimed at examining the relation between secondary hyperparathyroidism (sHPT) and depressive syndromes in chronic renal failure (CRF). Sample and methods: 59 chronic CRF patients and 16 depressive patients without CRF were included. Parathyroid hormone (PTH), calcium and phosphate as well as psychopathology were measured. Results: Depressive CRF patients with cognitive disorders show higher levels of PTH than less or not depressive subjects. With respect to the literature, our results give reason to assume that sHPT may play a pathogenetic role in those depressive syndromes which are additionally characterized by cognitive disorders.