[Spontaneous intramural dissection of the esophagus]. / Perforación intramural espontánea del esófago.

Spontaneous intramural dissection of the esophagus (SIDE) is an unusual clinical entity. It is a benign disease that, despite its alarming endoscopic appearance, usually responds well to conservative management and has an excellent prognosis. Nevertheless, some situations require emergency surgical treatment. These situations include esophageal perforation with mediastinitis, massive bleeding, and abscess, among others. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is a useful diagnostic test when radiological examinations (hydrosoluble contrast esophagogram, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging) have excluded perforation. We present the case of a 42-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital complaining of acute chest pain, dysphagia, and odynophagia. Because of the persistence of symptoms and diagnostic uncertainty (SIDE versus complicated esophageal duplication cyst) surgery was performed. The definitive diagnosis was SIDE.

Perforación intramural espontánea del esófago / Spontaneous intramural dissection of the esophagus

La perforación intramural espontánea del esófago (PIEE) es un trastorno esofágico raro. Es una enfermedad benigna, que a pesar del aspecto endoscópico tan alarmante, tiene una buena respuesta al tratamiento conservador y un pronóstico excelente. Sin embargo, algunas situaciones requieren un tratamiento quirúrgico urgente: perforación con mediastinitis, sangrado masivo o absceso entre otras. La gastroscopia es una prueba fundamental para el diagnóstico, una vez garantizada la indemnidad del esófago mediante pruebas radiológicas (esofagograma con contraste hidrosoluble, tomografía computarizada, resonancia magnética). Exponemos el caso de una mujer de 42 años de edad, con dolor torácico agudo, disfagia y odinofagia, que sometemos a estudio radiológico y endoscópico. Ante la persistencia de la clínica y la duda diagnóstica (perforación esofágica transmural frente a quiste de duplicación esofágico complicado), se decide intervenir quirúrgicamente. El diagnóstico final fue de PIEE

Spontaneous intramural dissection of the esophagus (SIDE) is an unusual clinical entity. It is a benign disease that, despite its alarming endoscopic appearance, usually responds well to conservative management and has an excellent prognosis. Nevertheless, some situations require emergency surgical treatment. These situations include esophageal perforation with mediastinitis, massive bleeding, and abscess, among others. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is a useful diagnostic test when radiological examinations (hydrosoluble contrast esophagogram, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging) have excluded perforation. We present the case of a 42-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital complaining of acute chest pain, dysphagia, and odynophagia. Because of the persistence of symptoms and diagnostic uncertainty (SIDE versus complicated esophageal duplication cyst) surgery was performed. The definitive diagnosis was SIDE

[MALT lymphoma in a patient with Crohn's disease. A causal or incidental association?]. / Linfoma intestinal tipo MALT en una paciente con enfermedad de Crohn: asociación causal o casual?

We present the case of a 79-year-old woman who had received a diagnosis of Crohn's disease 3 years previously and who developed a mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma of the right colon while undergoing treatment with mesalazine. The patient had not received immunosuppressive drugs or infliximab. The possible association between Crohn's disease and the development of intestinal lymphomas is analyzed. The incidence, pathogenic mechanisms, diagnostic strategy, treatment and prognosis of these neoplasms are described, mainly with reference to MALT lymphomas of the colon.

Linfoma intestinal tipo MALT en una paciente con enfermedad de Crohn: ¿asociación causal o casual? / MALT lymphoma in a patient with Crohn’s disease. A causal or incidental association?

Se presenta el caso de una mujer de 79 años diagnosticada hacía 3 años de enfermedad de Crohn del colon, que desarrolló un linfoma tipo MALT de colon derecho estando en tratamiento con mesalazina y no habiendo recibido previamente fármacos inmunodepresores ni infliximab. Se analiza la posible asociación entre la enfermedad de Crohn y el desarrollo de linfomas intestinales: incidencia, mecanismos patogénicos, estrategia diagnóstica, tratamiento y pronóstico de esta neoplasia, haciendo alusión fundamentalmente al linfoma MALT de colon

We present the case of a 79-year-old woman who had received a diagnosis of Crohn's disease 3 years previously and who developed a mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma of the right colon while undergoing treatment with mesalazine. The patient had not received immunosuppressive drugs or infliximab. The possible association between Crohn's disease and the development of intestinal lymphomas is analyzed. The incidence, pathogenic mechanisms, diagnostic strategy, treatment and prognosis of these neoplasms are described, mainly with reference to MALT lymphomas of the colon

[Doxycycline-induced esophageal ulcer]. / Ulcera esofágica por doxiciclina.

We present the case of a 25-year-old woman who presented an esophageal ulcer due to doxycycline. We show the endoscopic image of the lesion and analyse the incidence, pathogenic mechanisms, symptomatology, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of doxycycline-induced esophageal lesions.

Iron-deficiency anemia due to chronic gastrointestinal bleeding.

AIMS: chronic gastrointestinal bleeding is the most common cause of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in the general population. The objectives of this study were to determine the most frequent gastrointestinal lesions in IDA, the frequency and localization of potentially bleeding lesions, the value of the clinical history in diagnosis, the value of fecal occult blood testing, and the most appropriate diagnostic procedure for these patients. METHODS: we prospectively studied 80 patients older than 40 years with IDA, using upper gastrointestinal tract (GI) endoscopy and colonoscopy, beginning with the former (group A) or the latter (group B) depending on the clinical findings. Barium enema was done when colonoscopy was incomplete or unsatisfactory. If all these tests were negative, conventional barium contrast study of the small intestine and arteriography were done, if necessary. RESULTS: upper GI endoscopy found at least one lesion in 50 patients (72%), 13 in association with a colonic lesion (26%). Colonoscopy detected at least one lesion in 31 patients (45%), among whom 11 had another upper GI lesion (35.5%). Barium enema was positive in 4 out of 24 patients (17%). Barium contrast study of the small intestine detected lesions in 1 out of 7 patients (14%), and arteriography in 1 out of 4 patients (25%). The most common upper GI lesions were of peptic origin (esophagitis in 10, gastroduodenal erosions in 10, and peptic ulcer in 8). Neoplasms (17 cancers and 3 polyps) were the most common colonic lesion. Thirteen out of 38 patients (34%) with a potentially bleeding benign upper GI lesion had another lesion in the colon. The fecal occult blood test was positive in 9 out of 10 patients with colonic cancer and in 5 out of 9 with gastric cancer (74% positive predictive value). Nonsteroid antiinflammatory drug use did not correlate with the presence, location or type of lesion. The reliability of the clinically suspected origin of bleeding was 96% sensitivity, 43% specificity and 74% positive predictive value in group A, and 34%, 93% and 80% respectively in group B. CONCLUSIONS: lesions that cause chronic bleeding were more frequently located in the upper digestive tract than in the colon. There was a high prevalence of neoplasms in patients with IDA. One-third of the patients with a potentially bleeding benign lesion in the upper digestive tract had another lesion in the colon. A positive fecal occult blood test correlated highly with neoplastic lesions, and the presence of blood in the stool did not indicate whether bleeding originated in the upper or lower GI tract. Clinical history was of limited value in predicting the location of a bleeding lesion, but can be suggestive of a prior upper GI tract exploration. These patients need a complete study of both the upper and lower GI tracts. In patients in whom the aforementioned explorations are negative, the small bowel should be studied.

[Prognostic factors in liver transplantation. Is the lidocaine test usefull?]. / Factores pronósticos en el trasplante hepático. Es útil el test de lidocaína?

UNLABELLED: With continuous development of liver transplantation, the need of better tests for selecting donors and improving diagnosis of postransplant hepatic dysfunction, is increasing. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prognostic value of a number of parameters, including the lidocaine test (MEGX) in selecting donors, and assessing the efficacy of this test in the postransplant follow-up as an indicator of morbidity and mortality. METHODS: A consecutive series of forty donor-receptor pairs was studied for six months postransplant. In addition to the lidocaine test, different clinical, analytical and histological variables were analysed. Death, retransplantation, graft dysfunction and days in hospital were considered as indicators of morbimortality. RESULTS: Among the variables selected by univariate analysis, only ALT value at day 1 and Child-Pugh score at day 7 reached independent prognostic value in a Cox's regression model. However, both a cut-off level of 50 ng/ml for MEGX in donors and 40 ng/ml for MEGX test at day 1 postransplant, allowed to identify statistically different survival curves (p < 0.05). The lidocaine test at day 7 showed a significant association with the number of rejection episodes. CONCLUSIONS: ALT value at day 1 and Child-Pugh score at day 7 turned out to be the only variables with independent prognostic value for survival during the first six months postransplant. The MEGX value may be of help in selecting donors and a subgroup of receptors (day 1 < 40 ng/ml) with a high risk of mortality.

[Comparison of 2 treatment strategies with prednisone and interferon in chronic hepatitis B]. / Comparación de dos esquemas de tratamiento con prednisona interferón en la hepatitis crónica por virus B.

Twenty patients with chronic B hepatitis and viral replication were included in a randomized study comparing the efficacy of sequential treatment with prednisone for 6 weeks followed by alpha-2a interferon (IFN) for 6 months (group A, 9 cases), versus concomitant administration of both drugs (group B, 11 cases). There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding age, sex, AST, ALT, DNA-VHB values, index of histological activity or type of underlying chronic hepatitis. Two patients from each group were excluded. The mean follow-up of the patients was 22.2 months. In group A, four responses were achieved (57.1%), of which 2 were complete and 2 partial. The overall response rate in group B was 77.7% (7 cases), 6 of them were complete responses (66.7%). Among HBsAg-positive patients from group B, one seroconverted to anti-HBs. A total of 7 patients with anti-HBe were included in the study. Two belonged to group A, in which a partial response was achieved, and another 5 were in group B, with 4 reaching a complete response and one reaching a partial response. There were no statistical differences with regards to the type of response in both groups. The AST, ALT values, as well as the pre-treatment levels of DNA-VHB, showed a significant statistical association with the response (p < 0.05). In all patients responding to treatment a histological improvement was observed that became even more evident in the biopsy performed 12 months after IFN withdrawal. In conclusion, concomitant therapy with prednisone and IFN is as effective as sequential therapy in the treatment of chronic B hepatitis. The results achieved with concomitant therapy suggest that new controlled trials are need to establish if this therapeutic schedule is the elective treatment in chronic B hepatitis.

[Asymptomatic carriers of HBsAg: is a follow-up necessary?]. / Portadores asintomáticos del HBsAg: Es necesario su seguimiento?

We evaluated the clinical and epidemiological data of 142 HBsAg carriers. This prospective trial is part of a program of study and follow-up in HVB patients. The median age was 34.58 years old, males 56.3%. The average follow-up was 32.4 months. Complete clinical history, routine analysis, liver function tests, alfa-fetoprotein, serology for HVB, HCV and HDV and abdominal ecography were done in all patients. DNA-HVB was done only in special cases. Patients with less than 6 months of follow-up were excluded. The 118 remaining carriers were classified into two groups, depending on ALT values. Group 1 (normal ALT): included 98 carriers, 3 of them developed an active chronic hepatitis that was treated with interferon. A small CHC was diagnosed in another patient and it was resected. Group 2 (elevated ALT): included 20 carriers, only 9 of them agreed to biopsy and we found severe hepatic lesions in 4 of them. No group presented coinfection with HCV or HDV. No patient died. We conclude that the study and follow-up of asymptomatic HBsAg carriers permits an early diagnosis and treatment of the complications of this pathology (chronic hepatitis, CHC, etc); in our study, three patients developed chronic hepatitis, successfully treated with interferon, and one small size CHC was diagnosed in another patient. The study of relatives permits also detect subclinic liver disease and facilitates vaccination to prevention transmission of this infection.

Somatostatin versus Sengstaken balloon tamponade for primary haemostasia of bleeding esophageal varices. A randomized pilot study.

In this study we evaluate the efficacy of somatostatin (ST) versus balloon tamponade (BT) in controlling bleeding from esophageal varices. Forty-four consecutive patients with active variceal bleeding were randomly assigned to treatment with a continuous infusion of ST at 250 micrograms/h after an initial bolus of 50 micrograms (group A) or to treatment with BT (group B). Five cases were excluded from the final analysis because of methodological issues. Nineteen patients were allocated to group A and twenty to group B. No differences in age, sex, alcohol intake, severity of bleeding or liver failure were found between the groups. Initial haemostasia within the first 4 h of treatment was obtained in 14 (74%) of the patients receiving ST and in 12 (60%) of those receiving BT. Three patients in group A and two in group B had early rebleeding. Bleeding was controlled over a 24-h period or until elective sclerotherapy could be performed in 11 (58%) and 10 (50%) of the patients, in groups A and B, respectively. One BT-treated patient developed aspiration pneumonia. No complications were observed in patients treated with ST. No significant differences in initial haemostasia, definite control of bleeding or complications were found between the two groups. In this study, somatostatin infusion was found to be as effective as Sengstaken BT in controlling acute variceal bleeding until an elective session of endoscopic sclerotherapy could be performed. However, larger studies are still needed to confirm this theory.

[Portal vein thrombosis in hepatocarcinoma. Demonstration with ultrasound]. / Trombosis de la vena porta en el hepatocarcinoma. Demostración por ultrasonidos.

Six cirrhotic patients underwent ultrasound scans in the course of their disease because of clinical deterioration. Ultrasonography revealed the presence of carcinoma as well as dilatation of the portal vein with hypoechogenic masses in its lumen. The presence of thrombi was confirmed by other techniques such as CAT and/or arteriography.