Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography and Controlled Attenuation Parameter for the Diagnosis of Liver Steatosis and Fibrosis in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE) with Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) is a widely used non-invasive technique for concomitant assessment of liver steatosis and fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We aimed to evaluate the level both of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis as well as the associated risk factors in patients referred to our unit with clinically suspected NAFLD or diagnosed by abdominal ultrasonography. Two hundred four patients were prospectively included in this study and assessed by VCTE with CAP. The final analysis included 181 patients with reliable liver stiffness measurements (LSMs) (53% female, mean age 57.62 ± 11.8 years and BMI 29.48 ± 4.85 kg/m2). According to the cut-off values for steatosis grading, there were 10 (5.5%) patients without steatosis (S0), 30 (16.6%) with mild (S1), 45 (24.9%) moderate (S2), and 96 (53%) severe (S3) steatosis. Based on LSM, there were 73 (40.3%) patients without fibrosis (F0), 42 (23.2%) with mild (F1), 32 (17.7%) significant (F2), 19 (10.5%) advanced (F3) fibrosis, and 15 (8.3%) with cirrhosis (F4). In addition, we found an association between several metabolic components and hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. Thus, in the multivariate analysis, higher BMI, fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and serum uric were associated with increased CAP. Furthermore, higher serum uric acid and alpha-fetoprotein together with lower platelets count and albumin levels were associated with increased LSM. The assessment of steatosis and fibrosis using VCTE and CAP should be performed in all patients with suspected or previously diagnosed NAFLD in units with available facilities.

Duodenal large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma as unusual cause of acute pancreatitis.

Early identification of acute pancreatitis etiology is essential for choosing the best therapeutic management. The main causes are cholelithiasis and alcohol consumption. Tumors that obstruct the main pancreatic duct are uncommon causes of acute pancreatitis. Duodenal neuroendocrine tumors are rare entities and may be exceptional causes of acute pancreatitis. A 57-year-old male, with associated severe cardiovascular pathology, was admitted with clinical and biological picture of acute pancreatitis. Biliary and alcoholic causes were excluded. Abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan identified circumferential wall thickening of the second segment of the duodenum with peri-ampullary and papillary nodular non-homogenous contrast enhancement aspect. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy described irregular hypertrophic duodenal mucosal folds and biopsies were performed. The histopathological diagnosis after immunohistochemistry tests was duodenal large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma. The patient was referred to the oncology clinic and palliative treatment was initiated. The evolution was marked by additional complications due to the tumor evolution - upper gastrointestinal bleeding and obstructive jaundice, conservatory treated and, respectively, by interventional radiology technique. This case illustrates that, although often obvious, etiological diagnosis approach of acute pancreatitis can be sometimes challenging. Tumor cause is infrequent and requires thorough work-up, as the treatment is different. Although extremely rare and sometimes with mild clinical presentation, duodenal neuroendocrine carcinomas may have dramatic onset and evolution, involving extensive therapeutic resources.

NONSELECTIVE BETA-BLOCKERS IN PATIENTS WITH CIRRHOSIS: "THE THERAPEUTIC WINDOW".

For over 30 years, nonselective beta-blockers (NSBB) have been successfully used for preventing variceal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Nevertheless, recent studies suggest that NSBB may be effective only within a particular "therapeutic window" in patients with advanced liver disease. Outside of this window, in early stages of cirrhosis and in very advanced cirrhosis, NSBB may be ineffective and even potentially harmful. In this paper we review the beneficial effects and potential harms of beta-blocker therapy in cirrhosis and underline the most recent recommendations for their use in very advanced cases of liver disease.

Platelet indices in patients with de novo portal vein thrombosis and liver cirrhosis.

UNLABELLED: Platelet indices are markers of platelet reactivity used for thrombotic risk assessment in patients with cardiovascular diseases, and recently in venous thrombosis. AIM: To assess the diagnostic value of platelet indices in patients with non-malignant de novo portal vein thrombosis and liver cirrhosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective, case-control study on patients admitted to a tertiary center in the interval January, 2010 - December, 2012. Included in the study were 54 patients with portal vein thrombosis (PVT) and 54 controls. Patients with known malignancy, sepsis, thrombophilia, on anticoagulant or antiaggregant therapy, acute or chronic inflammatory diseases, severe anemia, renal failure, acute coronary syndrome, and chronic pulmonary disease were excluded from the study. RESULTS: Both groups were comparable for baseline characteristics. Mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width (PDW) and plateletcrit were higher in the PVT group. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, significant predictors of the presence of PVT were mean platelet volume (MPV), PDW, and procalcitonin (PCT). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that increased platelet indices contribute to the prethrombotic state in liver cirrhosis and that larger platelets may play a specific role in thrombosis despite thrombocytopenia.

Increased liver stiffness in extrahepatic cholestasis caused by choledocholithiasis.

BACKGROUND: Extrahepatic cholestasis that is caused by benign and malignant diseases has been reported to increase liver stiffness (LS), as measured by transient elastography (TE). OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate LS in patients with extrahepatic cholestasis due to choledocholithiasis before and after endoscopic sphincterotomy and stone removal. PATIENTS AND METHODS: LS was measured by TE (Fibroscan) in patients with extrahepatic cholestasis that was caused by choledocholithiasis before and 1 month after endoscopic sphincterotomy and successful stone removal. RESULTS: We studied 12 patients (7 females, 5 males), aged 36 to 76 years (mean age 57.1 ± 11.6 years), with extrahepatic cholestasis that was caused by choledocholithiasis. LS was increased in all patients (range: 6.2-18.4 kPa; mean: 8.9 ± 3.5 kPa) before endoscopic therapy. Successful biliary drainage was effected by sphincterotomy and stone removal in all patients, which led to a significant decline in LS to 3.9-8.1 kPa (Mean: 5.6 ± 1.2 kPa; p < 0.001) within a mean observation time of 29 days. The decrease in LS values correlated significantly with a decline in serum total bilirubin levels (r = 0.691; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Extrahepatic cholestasis due to choledocholithiasis increases LS and should be excluded before assesing liver fibrosis by transient elastography.

Guide-wire versus conventional contrast cannulation of the common bile duct for the prevention of post-ERCP pancreatitis in patients with choledocholithiasis.

BACKGROUND: Inadvertent injection of a contrast agent into the pancreatic duct is an important contributor factor to post-ERCP pancreatitis. AIM: To compare the incidence of post-ERCP pancreatitis and the success rate of biliary cannulation using guide-wire cannulation or the standard contrast injection technique. METHODS: A total of 128 patients with choledocholithiasis who underwent either guide-were cannulation (n=70) or contrast injection (n=58) were retrospectively reviewed. Outcome measurements were post-ERCP pancreatitis and rate of successful common bile duct (CBD) cannulation. RESULTS: Three patients (4.3%) in the guide-wire cannulation group and five patients (8.6%) in the contrast injection group had post-ERCP pancreatitis (p>0.05). Successful CBD cannulation was achieved in 91.4% with guide-wire cannulation and in 88% with conventional contrast cannulation (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study failed to show significant reduction in the rate of post-ERCP pancreatitis with the use of guide-wire, although there was a downward trend. The success rate of cannulation was comparable between the two techniques.

[Noncardiac chest pain and gastroesophageal reflux disease]. / Durerea toracica si refluxul gastroesofagian.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may manifest typically with heartburn and regurgitation or may have atypical manifestations as laryngitis, asthma, chronic cough or noncardiac chest pain (NCCP). While typical GERD is easy to be recognized, the atypical extraesophageal symptoms of the disease make the diagnosis difficult because most patients do not have heartburn or regurgitation. Most common atypical manifestations include ear, nose and throat (ENT), pulmonary or cardiac symptoms. GERD should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients with atypical symptoms, especially when alternative diagnoses are excluded. NCCP is defined as recurring angina-like substernal chest pain of noncardiac origin. We present the most recent epidemiologic data, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of NCCP. The major causes of NCCP are GERD and esophageal dysmotility. By far, GERD has been demonstrated to be the most frequent source of NCCP. After a complete cardiac evaluation, the patient with NCCP will be referred to a gastroenterologist. All recent studies suggest the use of PPI test as the first diagnostic tool in patients with NCCP. The invasive diagnostic tests (especially, the 24-hour pH monitoring and esophageal manometry) are used only in those cases who do not respond to PPI therapy. Patients with GERD-related NCCP require long-term treatment with a PPI.

Colonoscopic screening of asymptomatic first-degree relatives of colorectal cancer patients.

AIM: First-degree relatives of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients are at increased risk for developing colorectal neoplasm, and current guidelines recommend screening colonoscopy in such individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of colonoscopy as the screening test in asymptomatic first-degree relatives of CRC patients. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Colonoscopy was performed in 102 asymptomatic individuals who had at least one first-degree relatives with CRC. Subjects included in the screening program were aged between 36 and 72 years, and majority came from two counties (Suceava, Iasi) located in north-eastern Romania. RESULTS: Thirty colorectal lesions were found in 17 individuals: two (6.6%) had adenocarcinomas, and remaining 15 patients had 28 polypoid lesions: 14 (46.6%) adenomas, 5 (16.6%) tubulovillous adenomas, 3 (10%) adenomas with high grade dysplasia and 6 (20%) had hyperplasic polyps. CONCLUSION: Colonoscopy is a useful, feasible and safety initial screening tool for first-degree relatives of patients with CRC.