Advances in Noninvasive Biomarkers for Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) currently represents one of the most common liver diseases worldwide. Early diagnosis and disease staging is crucial, since it is mainly asymptomatic, but can progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) or cirrhosis or even lead to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. Over time, efforts have been put into developing noninvasive diagnostic and staging methods in order to replace the use of a liver biopsy.

Efficacy of Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy in cirrhotic patients with peptic ulcer disease.

Unlabelled: Few studies have been focused on the role of Helicobacter pylori eradication in cirrhotic patients with peptic ulcer and the reported results are conflicting.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy of proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-based triple therapy on peptic ulcer course in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Material And Methods: This prospective study was carried out in a tertiary-care hospital.

[Peptic ulcer disease in liver cirrhosis: role of Helicobacter pylori infection and therapeutic approach].

Peptic ulcer has frequently been associated with liver cirrhosis. The death rate for peptic ulcer in cirrhotics has been reported to be five times higher than in general population. The underlying mechanisms are poorly understood.

Spiral enteroscopy--a novel method for the management of small bowel diseases--case report and description of technique.

Small bowel diseases are associated with difficult management. Recently, new methods such as single or double balloon enteroscopy and capsule endoscopy have been implemented for the investigation of small bowel, but none is perfect. Spiral enteroscopy seems to be an alternative primising technique for the diagnosis and therapy of small bowel diseases.

[Hemostatic disorders in liver disease].

Hemorrhagic complications are common in patients with liver diseases and contribute to the morbidity and mortality associated to this condition. The liver plays a central role in the hemostatic process as here all clotting factors and their inhibitors are synthetized. Liver damage is commonly associated with variable impairment of hemostasis due to multiple causes: decreased synthesis of clotting and inhibitor factors, decreased clearance of activated factors, hyperfibrinolysis, accelerated intravascular coagulation, quantitative and qualitative platelet defects.

Extragastric manifestations of Helicobacter pylori infection.

The role of Helicobacter pylori (HP) in some digestive diseases (gastritis, ulcer, gastric cancer, MALT lymphoma) is well known. It has been suggested relatively recently that infection with HP can be involved in various extra-digestive conditions: respiratory disorders (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, lung cancer, pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchial asthma); vascular disorders (ischaemic heart disease, stroke, primary Raynaud phenomena, primary headache); autoimmune disorders (Sjogren syndrome, Henoch-Schonlein purpura, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, autoimmune thyroiditis, Parkinson's disease, idiopathic chronic urticaria, rosacea, alopecia areata); other disorders (iron deficiency anaemia, growth retardations, liver cirrhosis). Case studies, small patient series and non-randomized trials that have shown a beneficial effect of HP eradication in different conditions are not convincing.

[Abdominal pain in liver cirrhosis patient--an unusual case].

We present the case of a 62 years male subjects, known with liver cirrhosis diagnosed in 2000 during a laparoscopy. The subject presented with important atypical abdominal pain, leucocytosis, thrombocytosis, small ascites; pneumatosis and hydro-aeric images of small intestine at abdominal X Ray, thickened bowel wall at CT-scan. Laparoscopy revealed mesenteric venous thrombosis, intestinal infarction and the standard surgical treatment was enterectomy.

[The changing spectrum of lower gastrointestinal haemorrhages].

Unlabelled: Lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage (LGH) is a frequent reason for medical referral. It has an annual incidence ranging between 17 and 20.5 cases per 100,000 adults and represents 20-30% of all gastrointestinal haemorrhages.

[Liver metastases with unknown primary site].

Patients with unknown primary site cancer represents 5% to 10% of all neoplasia patients. Liver is a favourite site for gastrointestinal tumors, but not only. The adenocarcinomas represents 60% of patients from this group.

[Functional digestive disorders and the relationship with psychiatric diseases].

Unlabelled: Functional gastrointestinal disorders are frequent causes for medical consultations. Features related to disease, patient or the environment could influence the medical referral. The aim of the study was to estimate the importance of psychiatric disorders in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders.