A rare cause of duodenal obstruction: Bouveret syndrome.

Gallstone ileus is a relatively rare pathology, most commonly obstructing the terminal ileum. Bouveret syndrome, leading to gastric outlet obstruction and seen with an incidence of less than 1%, is a syndrome met particularly in elderly patients and develops as the result of cholecysto-enteric fistula. In this report, it was aimed to present a 95-year-old case diagnosed with Bouveret syndrome.

Significance of red blood cell distribution width and C-reactive protein/albumin levels in predicting prognosis of acute pancreatitis.

Background: Acute pancreatitis (AP) is one of the major pathologies among gastrointestinal system diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the red cell distribution width (RDW) value and the C-reactive protein (CRP)/ albumin ratio in patients with AP.

Methods: In this retrospective study, AP cases were enrolled and divided into 2 groups according to the Ranson criteria as moderate or severe pancreatitis.

Therapeutic plasma exchange for hypertriglyceridemia induced acut pancreatitis: the 33 cases experience from a tertiary reference center in Turkey.

Background/aims: Hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) is the third most common cause of acute pancreatitis. In patients with severe HTG (TG level>1000 mg/dL), it may be beneficial to immediately lower the levels of triglyceride (TG) and chylomicrons. In this study, we present one of the largest case series on the use of therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) for hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP).

Rare cause of duodenal obstruction: Bouveret syndrome.

Gallstone ileus is a relatively rare pathology, most commonly obstructing the terminal ileum. Bouveret syndrome is a syndrome found particularly in elderly patients, which develops as the result of a cholecystoenteric fistula. It leads to the gastric outlet obstruction and has an incidence of less than 1%.

Clinical usefulness of psoas muscle thickness for the diagnosis of sarcopenia in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Background/aims: The most widely used method for diagnosing sarcopenia is the skeletal muscle index (SMI). Several studies have suggested that psoas muscle thickness per height (PMTH) is also effective for detecting sarcopenia and predicting prognosis in patients with cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the optimal cutoff values of PMTH for detecting sarcopenia in cirrhotic patients.

Safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients 80 years of age and older.

Introduction: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is used in the diagnosis and therapy of biliary tract diseases. The ERCP is an invasive procedure that does not increase complications in the elderly. Few studies have assessed the safety of ERCP in the elderly.

Intrahepatic localization of pancreatic pseudocyst: a case report.

The location of a pseudocyst in the liver is an exceptional event. We report here a case developing right and left intrahepatic pseudocyst following acute biliary pancreatitis. Ultrasound and computed tomography scan revealed a 13-cm right and two 4-cm left intrahepatic collections.

Hepcidin as a predictor of disease severity in acute pancreatitis: a single center prospective study.

Background/aims: Predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis is limited to clinical, laboratory and radiological risk factors. Hepcidin levels increase in acute inflammation. We aimed to assess the relationship between hepcidin and C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cells (WBC) and multi-detector computerized tomography (MDCT) in predicting the severity of pancreatitis.

Simple non-invasive markers as a predictor of fibrosis and viral response in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Background/aims: Chronic hepatitis C has a high prevalence and leads to development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver fibrosis staging is one of the main factors that influence the decision to indicate therapy for chronic hepatitis C carriers. Several simple laboratory tests, scores and indices have been proposed for the non-invasive prediction of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Impact of an information video before colonoscopy on patient satisfaction and anxiety.

Background/aims: Anxiety is a common problem in patients undergoing invasive medical procedures. Colonoscopy is a demanding procedure and requires a patient's good cooperation for successful results. We aimed to examine the effects of adding an information video to our usual preprocedural information.

Comparison of multidetector CT and endoscopic ultrasonography in malignant pancreatic mass lesions.

Background/aims: Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has been shown to be superior to conventional CT in detecting and staging pancreatic cancer. We conducted a prospective trial to compare EUS and MDCT, in discriminating benign/malignant, in determining local and vascular invasion of a suspected pancreatic cancer and deciding its resectability.

Methodology: The study was performed at the Gastroenterology Department of Izmir Ataturk Training and Research Hospital, from June 2009 to June 2010, all patients with suspected pancreatic and periampullary tumors referred to our department were enrolled.