The Association Between Cholecystectomy and Colorectal Cancer in the Female Gender.

Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) has been of great interest among researchers, and multiple causes have been proposed and accepted; however, cholecystectomy (CMY) as a potential cause for CRC, particularly in the female gender has not been studied in detail, despite multiple evidence suggesting a positive association. This review is directed at investigating the association between CMY and CRC in the female gender and aims at finding a potential cause for this association. CRC involves cancer of the sigmoid and rectum. The composition of the bile acids is altered in patients after CMY, and the resultant secondary bile acids (BA) without a functioning gall bladder are exposed directly to the intestines, which could lead to cancer. An increase in fecal secondary bile acids is also described as high in the CMY population and has been linked to cancer. Right-sided GI cancers were attributed to CMY, although many earlier studies did not find this to be true. It is interesting to note a strong association between CRC and CMY in the female western population.

Cardiomyopathy in Sickle Cell Disease.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited disorder that occurs due to point mutation in the beta-globin chain resulting in the production of hemoglobin S that tends to become rigid and sickle-shaped under low oxygen concentration. These sickle-shaped red blood cells (RBCs) obstruct the blood vessels leading to reduced blood flow to the organs, causing ischemia and tissue fibrosis. These sickle RBCs being abnormal in shape are frequently sequestered by the spleen, creating a state of chronic anemia in the body. This chronic anemia leads to a high cardiac output state causing cardiac remodeling. To tackle chronic anemia, patients are frequently treated with blood transfusions that makes them more prone to the risk of iron overload (from newly transfused RBCs and iron release from the RBCs that just got sequestered as well as from volume overload) and volume overload causing left ventricular (LV) dilation. The above-mentioned mechanism of cardiac hypertrophy, along with LV dilation together, makes SCD-related cardiomyopathy unique cardiomyopathy with features of restrictive cardiomyopathy with LV dilation. It is interesting to note here that even though there is a presence of LV dilatation, Systolic dysfunction is very uncommon in SCD-related cardiomyopathy.