Subject(s)
Arteriosclerosis/etiology , Burns, Electric/etiology , Burns/etiology , Smoking/adverse effects , Adult , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
Pseudomyxoma peritonei is characterized by diffuse collections of gelatinous flux resulting from implantation of malignant tumors or irritation from ruptured benign cysts. We report a patient with pseudomyxoma peritonei caused by an occult primary adenocarcinoma, who had both pleural and hepatic metastases.
Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/secondary , Liver Neoplasms/secondary , Neoplasms, Unknown Primary/diagnosis , Peritoneal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Pleural Neoplasms/secondary , Pseudomyxoma Peritonei/diagnosis , Adenocarcinoma/diagnosis , Adenocarcinoma/radiotherapy , Adult , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Liver Neoplasms/diagnosis , Liver Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Male , Peritoneal Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Pleural Neoplasms/diagnosis , Pleural Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Pseudomyxoma Peritonei/radiotherapyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: The present study describes an outbreak of acute viral hepatitis in an institutional population (inmates of a prison) with an aim to delineate the etiological agents of this outbreak and to analyse the clinical, biochemical and serological evidence of different hepatitis viruses in relation to risk factors. METHODS: Fifty patients of acute viral hepatitis identified during the outbreak were evaluated on the basis of history, clinical examination, risk factor distribution, biochemical profile and serological markers for hepatitis A-E infection. Adequate epidemiological data were collected from prison administration including housing of prisoners, food and water supply. RESULTS: Of the 50 patients, 35 (70%) had serological evidence of HEV infection. Evidence of HBV infection was found in 17 patients (34%), HAV infection in 2 (4%) and HCV in 8 (16%) patients. While 16 patients (32%) had evidence of multiple viral infections, none of the viral markers could be detected in 8 patients (16%). One or more risk factor(s) could be identified in more than half of the subjects (26/50; 52%). There were 11 patients who gave history of more than one risk factor while 24 (48%) patients had none of the risk factors. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: HEV was found to be the major cause of the outbreak and contamination of drinking water supply could be the possible source of infection. This outbreak was seroepidemiologically similar to other outbreaks of hepatitis occurring in the country with HEV being the most common cause. However, there was evidence of multiple viral infections, particularly HBV and HCV in the high-risk predisposed prison population.
Subject(s)
Hepatitis, Viral, Human/virology , Prisoners , Adolescent , Adult , Disease Outbreaks , Hepatitis, Viral, Human/epidemiology , Humans , India/epidemiology , Male , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
In the present study the hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection and its pathogenic significance in patients of cirrhosis were assessed using reverse transcription plus nested polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum samples were collected from a total of 50 patients of histologically proven non-alcoholic cirrhosis and from a control group consisting of 50 healthy voluntary blood donors. HGV RNA was detected by RT-PCR using primer sequences located in the conserved NS3 helicase region of HGV genome. Serological evaluation for markers of chronic infection with HBV (HBsAg, IgG anti-HBc, HBeAg) and HCV (anti-HCV) was carried out using commercially available kits. HBV DNA and HCV RNA were also tested by PCR in those samples that were found to be non-B, non-C by serological assays. Serological evidence of exposure to HBV was found in 31 (62%) and to HCV in 15 (30%) patients. HGV RNA was detected in 6 (12%) cirrhosis patients and in 2 (4%) healthy blood donors but the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. Of the 6 HGV positive patients, 2 were coinfected with HBV, 1 with HCV, while the remaining 3 belonged to non-B, non-C category. No significant difference was observed in the clinical and biochemical profiles of HGV-positive and HGV-negative patients except that a history of blood transfusion was significantly (P < 0.005) more common in the former. The findings indicate that the HGV infection is commonly observed in both cirrhosis patients as well as healthy blood donors. A significant association of the virus with blood transfusion is indicative of a parenteral route of transmission. The observations of this study also suggest that the pathogenic role of HGV in the causation of liver disease may be insignificant.
Subject(s)
Flaviviridae , Hepatitis, Viral, Human/complications , Liver Cirrhosis/virology , Adult , Blood Donors , Female , Flaviviridae/genetics , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , RNA, Viral/analysis , Reference ValuesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to evalutate the association of various risk factors such as smoking, alcohol, NSAIDs, inadequate dietary intake of fibres and consumption of spicy foods with chronic duodenal ulcer using a case-control design and to establish the association of Helicobacter pylori and duodenal ulcer using different diagnostic techniques in Indian subjects. MATERIALS: A total of 16 consecutive patients with endoscopically proven duodenal ulcer (DU) constituted the test group while 160 subjects with non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD) were recruited as controls. METHODS: All subjects were interviewed based on a standard questionnaire and underwent an upper gastrointestinal endsocopy wherein multiple biopsies were taken for rapid urease test (RUT), histology and culture for detection of H. pylori. The serum samples of all the subjects were tested for the presence of antibodies against H. pylori using ELISA. RESULTS: There were significantly greater number of smokers (80%) and alcoholics (58%) in the male population of DU group as compared to the controls (49% smokers & 15% alcoholics). Similar trend was seen in relation to history of chronic exposure to NSAIDs (29% in DU & 11% in NUD) and inadequate intake of fibre in diet (66% and 39% respectively). The overall prevalence of H. pylori was 82.5% in DU and 50.6% in NUD [p < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: In North Indian subjects, alcohol consumption, smoking, inadequate intake of fibre in diet and use of NSAIDs are the risk factors associated with doudenal ulcer disease. Further, infection with H. pylori is strongly associated with DU in the North Indian population.
Subject(s)
Duodenal Ulcer/epidemiology , Helicobacter Infections/epidemiology , Helicobacter pylori/isolation & purification , Adult , Age Factors , Alcoholism/epidemiology , Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal/administration & dosage , Antibodies, Bacterial/blood , Case-Control Studies , Diet , Duodenoscopy , Female , Helicobacter pylori/immunology , Humans , India , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Risk Factors , Sex Factors , Smoking/epidemiology , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome is an uncommon disorder manifested by cutaneous and gastrointestinal hemangiomas and gastrointestinal hemorrhage causing anemia. We describe a young man who presented with hematemesis and melena and had multiple bluish rubber bleb-like hemangiomas over the body and in the stomach, jejunum and colon. The patient was treated with iron supplements for anemia; he is doing well 6 months later.
