ABSTRACT
Autoimmune LgG4- associated cholangitis is a new entity among the liver and biliary tree disorders, classified among the so-called IgG4-related diseases. Even though prognosis of this disease is unclear, this type of sclerosing cholangitis is not being linked to a carcinoma. Clinical and laboratory data differ slightly from the findings associated with the usual primary sclerosing cholangitis and it is mainly the high IgG4 level and hyperbilirubinaemia that supports the diagnosis ofautoimmune disease. Unlike primary sclerosing cholangitis, this disease is not associated with a malignant prognosis and steroids represent an effective treatment. Combination of steroids with azathioprin is a possible alternative in case of a relapse. Patient's response to steroid therapy is a diagnosis-supporting criterion. This disease should always be considered as part of differential diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis, especially when autoimmune aberrations or other autoimmune diseases are present. Long-term evaluations of these patients are so far lacking and thus studies on larger patient samples are required.
Subject(s)
Autoimmune Diseases/diagnosis , Cholangitis, Sclerosing/diagnosis , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , Male , Young AdultABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Pancreatic carcinoma is one of the diseases which mostly fail to be diagnosed on a timely basis, and there is no way to effectively screen patients for pancreatic carcinoma either. An option for the diagnosis of the "early glandular carcinoma" therefore resides in identification and systematic screening of patients with risk of pancreatic carcinoma. METHOD: We monitored 223 patients with chronic pancreatitis on a systematic basis from 1992 to 2005. During this 14-year period, we monitored the number of cigarettes smoked per year in addition to standard parametres measured by biochemical methods, endosonography, CT and ERCP exams, and assigned the alcoholic form of chronic pancreatitis to patients consuming more than 80g of alcohol per day on a systematic basis for more than 5 years in the case of men, and 50 g of alcohol per day in the case of women, and classed the patients according the TIGARO classification. RESULTS: Alcoholic etiology was proven in 73.1% of the examined patients, chronic obstructive form of pancreatitis was diagnosed in 21.5% of patients, and only 5.4% of patients were classified into the idiopathic pancreatitis group. Pancreatic carcinoma in the region of chronic pancreatitis was found in 13 patients (5.8%); stomach carcinoma was diagnosed in 3 patients with chronic pancreatitis, and oesophageal carcinoma in 1 patient of the total of patients monitored. Malignant pancreatic disease was diagnosed primarily in patients with alcoholic pancreatitis (4.5%). During the period of 14 years, 11 patients died, 8 of the deaths being associated with pancreatic carcinoma. CONCLUSION: Both pancreatic and extrapancreatic carcinoma in gastrointestinal location is a serious complication of protracted chronic, non-hereditary pancreatitis. Systematic identification and treatment of patients with chronic pancreatitis is therefore necessary for timely diagnosis ofgastrointestinal and pancreatic malignancies.
Subject(s)
Pancreatic Neoplasms/complications , Pancreatitis, Chronic/complications , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pancreatic Neoplasms/diagnosis , Pancreatitis, Alcoholic/complications , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Chronic pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease manifested by maldigestion and, in an advanced stage, by malabsorption. The aim of our research was to monitor the occurrence of metabolic osteopathies (osteopenia, osteoporosis and osteomalacia) in patients with chronic pancreatitis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The group consisted of 73 patients (17 women and 56 men) in different stages of chronic pancreatitis. In all patients we determined serum concentrations of Ca, P, 25-OH vitamin D, 1,25-(OH)(2) vitamin D, alkaline phosphatase and its bone isoenzyme. Bone mineral density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in the lumbar spine (L(1)-L(4)) and in the proximal femur. When bone pathology was identified by DXA, we determined the other to exclude other causes of secondary osteopathy and the 24-hour loss of calcium and phosphorus in the urine. RESULTS: Osteopathy was found in 39% of patients, i.e. osteopenia in 26%, osteoporosis in 5% and osteomalacia in 8% of cases. CONCLUSION: The occurrence of relatively high percentages of metabolic osteopathies in patients with chronic pancreatitis may correlate, namely in advanced stages of the disease, with the malabsorption of vitamin D to the enterohepatic circulation. In initial forms of pancreatitis, it is not possible to exclude progression of osteopathy due to changes of the intestinal flora, with disturbance of vitamin D absorption to the intestinal mucosa.
Subject(s)
Bone Diseases, Metabolic/etiology , Pancreatitis, Chronic/complications , Vitamin D Deficiency/etiology , Female , Humans , Hydroxycholecalciferols/deficiency , MaleABSTRACT
Carcinoma of the pancreas is a very serious disease as regards early diagnosis, effective therapy and screening of the disease. Possible risk factors of development of carcinoma of the pancreas include chronic pancreatitis. In the submitted investigation the authors evaluated 213 patients under long-term (more than 5 years) dispensary care with the diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis. In these patients they proved unequivocally carcinoma of the pancreas on the background of chronic pancreatitis in 11 instances, incl. 71.8% where from the etiological aspect chronic alcoholic pancreatitis was involved. Practically all patients were smokers, incl. 8 who were regular smokers of more than 10 cigarettes per day for a number of years. Carcinoma of the pancreas is a serious disease, patients with long-term chronic pancreatitis are at risk (prevalence of carcinoma 5.1) and within the framework of dispensary care they must be systematically examined with regard to possible malignant growth on the background of chronic pancreatitis.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma/etiology , Pancreatic Neoplasms/etiology , Pancreatitis/complications , Adult , Chronic Disease , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
There have been only a few studies dealing with the incidence of chronic pancreatitis published. Over the last 80 years, original studies describing the incidence of chronic pancreatitis were undertaken, including studies in Scandinavia, Switzerland, Hungary and Poland. Incidence varied geographically, from 1.6 new cases per year among 100,000 inhabitants in Switzerland to 23 new cases among 100,000 inhabitants in Finland. The aetiology of 70% of all cases was alcoholic pancreatitis. The incidence of chronic pancreatitis in the Czech Republic is 7.9 per 100,000 inhabitants per year, similar to that of Denmark and Germany, but higher than that of Poland or Switzerland. In our study, the main aetiological factor was alcohol (65.4% of all cases, with consumption of alcohol of > 75.0 g/day).
Subject(s)
Pancreatitis/epidemiology , Adult , Age Distribution , Aged , Chronic Disease , Czech Republic/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Incidence , Male , Middle Aged , Pancreatitis/diagnosis , Risk Factors , Sex DistributionABSTRACT
The authors summarize the principles of conservative treatment of chronic pancreatitis with special attention to treatment of exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and pancreatic pain. They emphasize the principles of the rational administration of drugs with pancreatin, the position of analgesics, and other possible procedures, if medicamentous treatment fails. An outline of dietetic treatment is also given.
Subject(s)
Pancreatitis/therapy , Chronic Disease , HumansABSTRACT
Twenty-one patients with a medium severe form of acute pancreatitis were divided into two groups. Eleven were treated with octreotide, 200 micrograms s.c. every 8 hours, combined with standard conservative treatment, 10 patients had the same treatment but without octreotide. In the octreotide-treated group the level of free oxygen radicals and important antioxidants--vitamins A, E and C--was assessed. In the octreotide-treated group the authors found after five days normal levels of originally elevated free oxygen radicals and a significant increase of the vitamin C level. As compared with the control group, in the octreotide group the period of hospitalization was significantly shorter (9.8 +/- 3.2 vs. 13.7 +/- 4.7). The number of complications was not affected.
Subject(s)
Antioxidants/metabolism , Free Radicals/blood , Gastrointestinal Agents/therapeutic use , Octreotide/therapeutic use , Pancreatitis/drug therapy , Acute Disease , Female , Humans , Male , Pancreatitis/bloodABSTRACT
The authors discuss the diagnosis and treatment of acute myocardial infarct complications. They describe a rare combination of these complications: interventricular septum rupture and left ventricular aneurysm with envelope perforation, filled by a thrombus.
Subject(s)
Myocardial Infarction/complications , Female , Heart Aneurysm/diagnosis , Heart Aneurysm/etiology , Heart Aneurysm/therapy , Heart Diseases/diagnosis , Heart Diseases/etiology , Heart Diseases/therapy , Heart Rupture, Post-Infarction/diagnosis , Heart Rupture, Post-Infarction/therapy , Humans , Middle Aged , Thrombosis/diagnosis , Thrombosis/etiology , Thrombosis/therapyABSTRACT
A group of 22 men with essential hypertension stage I and II according to WHO, mean age 29.1 +/- 1.4 years, was divided at random into two sub-groups. Eleven patients were treated for four weeks with enalapril (E), 10 mg/day, 11 patients were given placebo (P), also for a period of four weeks. The patients were subjected to echocardiographic examination before and after four-week therapy with enalapril or placebo. In patients treated with E a significant reduction of the left ventricular wall and the interventricular septum was observed. There was also a highly significant decline of the weight of the left ventricle and the index of left ventricular mass. Enalapril led to a decline of the specific binding capacity and affinity of beta 2-adrenergic lymphocyte receptors. In the group given P no differences were found during the examination repeated after four weeks. By means of multidimensional linear regression estimates a close relationship was revealed between the difference in the weight of the left ventricle, the difference of the index of left ventricular mass and the difference of specific binding capacity and affinity of beta 2-adrenergic lymphocyte receptors.
