diagnostic role of magnetic resonance enterography as a complementary test to colonoscopy in active Crohn's disease

Background: According to recent studies comparing magnetic resonance enterography [MRE] with ileocolonoscopy for assessing inflammation of small bowel and colonic segments in adults with active Crohn's disease [CD], we aimed to compare the accuracy of these two diagnostic methods in Iranian population

Method: During 2013-2014 a follow-up study was done on 30 patients with active CD ina gastroenterology clinic affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences. MRE and ileocolonoscopy were performed for all the patients. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS [version 18] and P value<0.05 was considered as statistically significant

Results: Of the 30 patients with active CD, 11[36.7%] were men and 19 [63.3%] were women with mean age of 37.30 +/- 13.66 years [range: 19-67 years]. MRE had sensitivity and specificity of 50% and 90% with positive predictive value [PPV] and negative predictive value [NPV] of 71.43 and 78.26, respectively for localizing sigmoid lesions and ileum had sensitivity and specificity of 84.21 and 45.45 with PPV and NPV of 72.73 and 62.50, respectively

Conclusion: While moderate sensitivity and high specificity of MRE in localizing colonic lesions makes it an appropriate confirmatory test after colonoscopy, the reported high sensitivity and moderate specificity of MRE versus colonoscopy in detecting ileal lesions makes it a suitable screening test for ileal lesions. Finally we can conclude that MRE can be an important complementary test to colonoscopy in detecting active disease

Accuracy of 99mTc [V]-dimercaptosuccinic acid scintigraphy and fecal calprotectin compared with colonoscopy in localizing active lesions in inflammatory bowel disease

Introduction: Due to limitation of colonoscopy in assessing the entire bowel and patients' intolerance in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], in the current study, we aimed to prospectively compare the accuracy of [99m]Tc[V]-dimercaptosuccinic acid [DMSA] and fecal calprotectin with ileocolonoscopy as new methods for localizing inflammations

Methods: Current prospective study conducted between 2012 and 2014 on 30 patients with IBD attending Gastroenterology Clinic of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Fecal calprotectin and disease activity were measured for all participants and all of them underwent [99m]Tc [V]-DMSA scintigraphy and colonoscopy. The accuracy of [99m]Tc [V]-DMSA scintigraphy and calprotectin in localizing bowel lesions were calculated

Results: A total of 22 patients with ulcerative colitis [UC] and 8 patients with Crohn's disease [CD] were evaluated in our study. Sensitivity, positive likelihood ratio [PLR], and positive predictive value [PPV] of scintigraphy and calprotectin over colonoscopy in localization of UC lesions were 86.36%, 0.86%, 100.00% and 90.91%, 0.91, and 100.00%, respectively. Meanwhile, it showed 66.67% sensitivity and 81.25% specificity with PLR=3.56, negative likelihood ratio [NLR]=0.41, PPV=84.21%, and negative predictive value [NPV]= 61.90% in localizing lesions in patients with CD. The calprotectin level had sensitivity, PLR, and PPV of 90.00%, 0.90, and 100.00% in detecting active disease over colonoscopy, respectively

Conclusion: The [99m]Tc [V]-DMSA scintigraphy would be an accurate method for detecting active inflammation in follow-up of patients with IBD and assessing response to treatment as a non-invasive and complementary method beside colonoscopy for more accurate diagnosis of CD or UC

44 year old woman with acute pancreatitis and confusion: case report study

Wernike encephalopathy[WE]caused by thiamine deficiency was a critical but reversible disorder. It can be occurred after acute pancreatitis due to prolonged fasting. WE after acute pancreatitis was rarely suspected and diagnosed at early stages. We reported a 44 year-old woman with severe acute pancreatitis who developed altered mental status and bilateral nystagmus and ophthalmoplegia soon after 14 days of fasting. The brain MRI confirmed the diagnosis. After empiric treatment with thiamine all of the neurological symptoms reversed except only some antegrade and retrograde amnesia. In this case report considering thiamine deficiency in any patients with fasting and neurological symptoms, was addressed since WE was a reversible disorder if it was diagnosed in early stage

effect of quality of care on cardiovascular risk factors in newly diagnosed diabetic patients

In this study, we evaluated the quality of care and control of cardiovascular risk factors in newly diagnosed diabetic patients, identified during diabetes screening program, 1 year after diagnosis. In this prospective study, 83 newly diagnosed diabetic patients identified at screening in Isfahan, were studied. Height, weight, blood pressure, plasma glucose, lipids, and hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] of these patients were measured 2 times, first at the time of diagnosis and then 1 year later, and the results were compared between two groups, with and without regular course of treatment. Nearly 46.99% and 53.1% of the studied patients have regular and irregular course of treatment. After 1 year, significant improvement in the mean of plasma glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein [LDL], high density lipoprotein and HbA1c was seen in patients with regular course of treatment except for blood pressure [P < 0.05]. Frequency of controlled cardiovascular risk factors including fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, cholesterol and LDL was significantly improved in patients with regular course of treatment [P < 0.05]. Mentioned changes were not seen in patients with irregular course of treatment. The findings of the current study demonstrated that though diabetes screening program result in earlier diagnosis of patients with type 2 diabetes, but it seems that regular follow-up and proper management of newly diagnosed patients is crucial for appropriate glycemic and metabolic control and preventing its related micro and macrovascular complication