Endoscopic findings unrelated to portal hypertension in patients with liver cirrhosis undergoing a varicose vein screening programme.

Aim: To determine the prevalence of endoscopic lesions unrelated with portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis.

Patients And Methods: Cross-sectional study including a consecutive cohort of patients with liver cirrhosis enrolled in a screening program of oesophageal varices who underwent an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy from November, 2013, to November, 2018. Clinical predictors of endoscopic lesions unrelated to portal hypertension were analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

[Jugular vein perforation by a peripherally inserted central catheter].

Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC) are increasingly used in patients who require intravenous access for a long time. We present a 53-year-old male patient with an advanced distal esophageal cancer who suffered a potentially serious mechanical complication after insertion of a PICC.

The keys to successful TIPS in patients with portal vein thrombosis and cavernous transformation.

Portal vein thrombosis is a common complication in patients with cirrhosis. Anticoagulation involves a high risk of bleeding secondary to portal hypertension, so placing transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts (TIPS) has become an alternative treatment for portal vein thrombosis. Three strategies for TIPS placement have been reported: 1) portal recanalization and conventional implantation of the TIPS through the jugular vein; 2) portal recanalization through percutaneous transhepatic/transsplenic) access; and (3) insertion of the TIPS between the suprahepatic vein and a periportal collateral vessel without portal recanalization.

[Prevalence and characteristics of anemia and iron deficiency in patients hospitalized for gastrointestinal diseases in Spain].

Objective: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of anemia and iron deficiency in patients hospitalized for gastrointestinal diseases.

Methods: An epidemiological, multicenter, mixed design study (retrospective review of randomized clinical records and prospective visits) conducted between February 2010 and March 2011 in 22 Spanish gastroenterology departments. Severe anemia was defined as Hb < 10g/dL, mild/moderate as Hb ≥ 10g/dL, and iron deficiency as ferritin < 30ng/ml or transferrin saturation < 16%.