Upper gastrointestinal involvement in systemic sclerosis: Findings in a real-life setting.

Gastrointestinal tract involvement is the most common visceral affectation in systemic sclerosis (SSc), but the manifestations may vary in extension and severity. Endoscopic and histopathological gastroesophageal findings were investigated in patients with SSc. A total of 79 consecutive patients with definite SSc were enrolled in a cross sectional study.

The impact of thoracic paravertebral block over post-operatory evolution in open lobectomy.

Aim: The thoracic paravertebral block (PVB), a technique of post-thoracotomy analgesia of similar effectiveness as continuous epidural analgesia (CEA) but with a better safety profile, is underutilized in current practice. This study compares the outcome of post-lobectomy patients in relation to the analgesic method used: parenteral analgesia (PA) vs. PVB + PA, and provides justification for the routine use of PVB in all patients where CEA is contraindicated.

Is there a correlation between peripheral blood expression of angiogenic transcriptional factors/receptors and colorectal cancer?

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is a correlation between peripheral blood expression of angiogenic transcriptional factors/receptors and colorectal cancer (CRC).

Methods: Eighty six blood samples collected from patients with CRC (N=42), adenomas and/or hyperplastic polyps(AP, N=30) and individuals without colon pathology (control group/CTR, N=14) were used for this study. Twelve transcription factors and receptors were assessed by qRT-PCR in a case-control study.

Non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding: clinical, therapeutic and evolution aspects. Comparison between a tertiary medical center and a municipal hospital.

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is one of the most common emergencies in gastroenterology practice. In recent years, the introduction of urgent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) and of the treatment with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in high doses has resulted in an improvement of the treatment outcome in patients with UGIB, but without a significant improvement in mortality rates. In our study we compared the epidemiological, clinical, therapeutic, and prognostic aspects in patients with non-variceal UGIB admitted over a period of one year in a tertiary center where urgent UGIE is a routine procedure and in a municipal hospital where UGIE with endoscopic hemostasis is not available.