Peri-arthritis of the shoulder; studies of vegetative function.

Definition.-A diagnosis of peri-arthritis of the shoulder is made when a patient exhibits pain in the region of the shoulder and limited mobility of the joint, apparently of spontaneous onset or following slight injury. The x-ray appearances may show either nothing abnormal or calcific deposits in the capsule or periarticular tissue. This syndrome is not a disease sui generis, since the underlying pathological changes may no doubt affect either ,the joint capsule or the peri-articular tissue. Peri-arthritis of the shoulder, therefore, is a collective term for a number of different lesions of the shoulder, the only common features being pain and limitation of movement in the shoulder joint. A common term may be used for the time being because the clinical features, regardless of the site ofthe morbid changes, which can hardly be determined without biopsy, are more or less uniform.