A retrospective comparative study of histoacryl injection and banding ligation in the treatment of acute type 1 gastric variceal hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND. Esophageal varices extending along lesser curvature side of stomach is classified as GOV1. The optimal therapy for GOV1 bleeding is still undetermined.

Expression of aquaporins in rat liver regeneration.

Objective: The remarkable ability of liver to regenerate after insults has been harnessed by surgeons when designing techniques for liver resection or transplantation. However, the underlying mechanisms of liver regeneration are not fully clarified. On the other hand, aquaporins (AQPs) are small transmembrane proteins with unexpected physiological roles in addition to water transport.

Entecavir versus lamivudine in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B patients with hepatic decompensation.

Background: Lamivudine has been widely used in chronic hepatitis B patients with hepatic decompensation, but its use is limited by drug resistance. This outcome research aimed to investigate the comparative efficacy and safety of entecavir versus lamivudine in decompensated patients.

Methods: Between November 2004 and February 2010, 126 consecutive treatment-naive patients received either entecavir (n=53) or lamivudine (n=73) for decompensated chronic hepatitis B.

Spontaneous regression of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: a case report.

Spontaneous regression of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma is extremely rare. A 66-year-old Taiwanese male patient with liver cirrhosis related to chronic hepatitis C presented with hepatocellular carcinoma with portal vein thrombosis. At first, he refused curative therapy, except for silymarin medicine.

The difference in clinical characteristics between acute Q fever and scrub typhus in southern Taiwan.

Objective: To identify the differences in clinical characteristics between acute Q fever and scrub typhus in southern Taiwan.

Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in which serological tests for acute Q fever and scrub typhus were performed simultaneously regardless of which disease was suspected clinically. From April 2004 to December 2007, 80 and 40 cases of serologically confirmed acute Q fever and scrub typhus, respectively, were identified and included in the study for comparison.

Clinical characteristics of acute Q fever, scrub typhus, and murine typhus with delayed defervescence despite doxycycline treatment.

Doxycycline is the recommended antibiotic for acute Q fever, scrub typhus, and murine typhus and defervescence often occurs within 3 days of treatment. Patients with delayed defervescence (> 3 days) are troublesome for clinicians. To investigate the characteristics of such patients, 18 and 88 cases with and without delayed defervescence, respectively, were studied.

Acute Q fever: an emerging and endemic disease in southern Taiwan.

Acute Q fever is a worldwide zoonosis caused by Coxiella burnetii infection. In Taiwan, cases of acute Q fever increased during 3 y of observation, especially at Kaohsiung County and City in southern Taiwan. From 15 April 2004 to 15 April 2007, a total of 67 cases of acute Q fever were identified at E-Da hospital located at Kaohsiung County.

Concomitant hepatocellular adenoma and adenomatous hyperplasia in a patient without cirrhosis.

Aim: Hepatocelluar adenoma (HCA) and adenomatous hyperplasia (AH) are rare benign tumors of the liver. HCA is usually found in women who use oral contraceptives. AH usually occurs in patients with liver cirrhosis.