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Autoimmune hepatitis is an inflammatory liver disease of unknown etiology that predominantly affects females, and requires immunosuppressive treatment. A new study investigates the role of mycophenolate mofetil as a rescue treatment for children with the disease.
IFN-α therapy for hepatitis C is associated with a high prevalence of thyroid dysfunction, which is often irreversible. Two studies have recently investigated the role of HCV, PEG-IFN-α and ribavirin in the development of autoimmune thyroid disorders in patients with hepatitis C on antiviral treatment.
When all state-of-the-art reflux monitoring technologies are available, which should be used for patients who have persistent reflux symptoms despite acid suppressive therapy? A single-center study has investigated this clinical dilemma and provides guidance on the best diagnostic strategy.
Advances in gastroenterology, including the introduction of PPIs, effective therapies for Helicobacter pylori infection, and endoscopic intervention, have promised to improve the incidence and outcomes of gastrointestinal bleeding and perforation. However, have these improvements been borne out in clinical practice?
This article considers the case of a 58-year-old man with a history of type II diabetes, obesity and hypertension who presented with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis-related liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and self-referred for a second opinion. He was diagnosed with unresectable HCC. The patient underwent radioembolization with Yttrium-90 glass microspheres, which substantially decreased the tumor mass. 1 year after initial diagnosis with HCC the patient underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). He remains negative for recurrence of HCC 2.5 years post-OLT.
The etiologies of lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB), defined as bleeding from a colonic or anorectal source, are numerous and varied. LGIB can be acute or chronic; for both types, colonoscopy is the diagnostic and therapeutic procedure of choice. Hemostasis, if not occurring spontaneously, can usually be promoted by embolization or modern endoscopy techniques, and surgery is only undertaken as a last resort.
Osteoporosis is a common complication of chronic liver disease. This Review describes the prevalence and risk factors associated with bone loss in patients with chronic liver disease. New insights into the role of mediators that are involved in orchestrating bone loss in these patients are also discussed.
Pancreatic cancer, although infrequent, has an extremely high mortality rate. The epidemiologic features of this rare cancer are still poorly known. In this Review Raimondi and colleagues discuss the environmental, lifestyle and genetic factors that increase or decrease the probability of developing pancreatic cancer and that may explain the different incidence rates observed in distinct subpopulations.
Patients with end-stage liver disease often experience disease progression and develop complications while waiting for a liver transplant. Prevention and management of these complications is, therefore, paramount to ensure that the patients can remain on the waiting list and have the greatest chance of a successful outcome following transplantation.
