ABSTRACT
Introduction: Chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection is an important cause of chronic and end stage liver disease. Treatment response has improved with combination therapy. We review our experience with combination therapy in CHC patients. Materials and Methods: All patients who had completed at least one course of combination therapy (> 6 months) and had longer than 6 months of follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. Results: There were 28 (22 males, mean age 40.7 ± 9.9 years old) patients who completed one course of treatment. Intravenous drug use (IDU) accounted for 61% of the aetiology. The end of treatment biochemical response was 92.6%. The overall sustained viral response (SVR) was 64.3%. Comparing IDU to the others (non-IDU), there was no difference in treatment SVR (64.7% vs. 63.6%, p = 0.954). Responders had significantly higher pretreatment serum alanine aminotransferase (p = 0.018). Overall treatment side effects were observed in 64% (flu-like symptoms 58.3%, haematological 50% and depressive mood 8%). Conclusions: Our response rates are comparable to published data. There was no difference in treatment response rate between the IDU and non-IDU. CHC infected IDU should be offered treatment.
ABSTRACT
Eosinophilic gastroenteritis is rare, seen in approximately 1 in 10,000 hospital admissions. The diagnosis is often retrospective and histopathological. Abdominal pain and obstructive symptoms associated with weight loss are the usual presenting complaints. We report a patient with symptoms of proximal bowel obstruction in whom diagnosis could not be made with conventional radiology and endoscopy. Laparoscopy showed that an intensely thickened proximal jejunum to be the cause of the obstruction. A laparotomy and resection anastomosis were done. The biopsy showed eosinophilic jejunitis. The patient did well post-operatively. The literature of this disease entity has been reviewed. Full-thickness laparoscopic biopsy and a course of steroids might avoid a laparotomy in these patients.