Insertion of self-expanding metal stent for treatment of malignant obstruction in a pregnant woman.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most frequent cancer both in incidence and mortality in women, especially in those over 60 years of age. Diagnosis in women at gestational age is rare, so its incidence during pregnancy is low. However, an increase in its diagnosis is expected during the next years because of the raise in the average age of pregnancy.In most cases, the diagnosis is delayed because symptoms related to CRC can be attributed to pregnancy itself. Up to 30 % of CRC cases may present as an intestinal obstruction. In this situation, the main objective is to solve the clinical emergency in the safest way for mother and fetus, together with performing an accurate diagnostic approach to offer the best possible therapeutic management knowing the limitations and difficulties related to pregnancy. The self-expanding metallic stent (SEMS) can be particularly useful in colon obstruction in a pregnant patient with CRC because it allows solving the acute condition providing time to perform a more accurate staging study and to prepare the patient for surgery, thus reducing both post-surgical morbidity and mortality.We report on the case of a patient who early in the second trimester of pregnancy presented with an acute colonic obstruction due to CRC which was successfully managed with the placement of a self-expanding metal stent.

[Cryoglobulinemia following liver transplantation for cirrhosis secondary to hepatitis C virus infection]. / Crioglobulinemia tras trasplante hepático por cirrosis secundaria al virus de la hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been linked with some extrahepatic immunologic abnormalities. Cryoglobulinemia is one of the most frequently reported. Nevertheless, there are only a few reports of cryoglobulinemia in the setting of liver transplantation. More studies are needed to clarify the frequency of post-OLT cryoglobulinemia in patients with HCV-related cirrhosis and its impact on OLT outcome. A case of a patient who underwent liver transplantation because of HCV end-stage liver disease and in whom cryoglobulinemia appeared 3 years after transplantation is reported. Treatment with cyclophosphamide and steroids was attempted but patient died of septicemia 3 years after liver transplantation.