Ree geometries

We introduce a rank 3 geometry for any Ree group over a not necessarily perfect field and show that its full collineation group is the automorphism group of the corresponding Ree group. A similar result holds for two rank 2 geometries obtained as a truncation of this rank 3 geometry. As an application, we show that a polarity in any Moufang generalized hexagon is unambiguously determined by its set of absolute points, or equivalently, its set of absolute lines

Lymphocytic Gastritis - An Unusual Cause of Hypoproteinemia

Lymphocytic gastritis (LG) is a disorder characterized by diffuse infiltration of the gastric epithelium by small lymphocytes. Its cause remains largely unknown, although several arguments favour an immune origin. Hypoproteinaemia induced by leakage of plasma proteins into the gastric lumen is a rare complication of LG. We report here on three cases of LG whose presenting symptom was lower limb oedema secondary to hypoproteinaemia. The diagnosis was based on radiological, endoscopic and histopathological findings. Radionuclide studies allowed confirmation of the loss of proteins in the stomach. Therapy with omeprazole or H-2-receptors antagonists proved to be successful. The relationship between LG and varioliform gastritis is reviewed