When abdominal pain knocks the door: an unusual presentation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

A 67-year-old man presented non-specific abdominal pain. Polypoid mass at appendiceal orifice in the cecum was found on endoscopic investigation without appendicitis sign. Histopathology elucidated underlying mucosal infiltration that was chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Successful Treatment With Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents of Hepatitis C in Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease and Kidney Transplant Recipients.

Objectives: The introduction of direct-acting antiviral agents has allowed significant chances for treatment for difficult-to-treat populations. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of these therapies in both patients with end-stage renal disease and kidney transplant recipients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Materials And Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis with prospective follow-up of patients.

Liver Biopsy Results in Potential Donor Evaluation in Living Related Liver Transplant.

Objectives: The number of living-donor liver transplants has been increasing due to the growing discrepancy between the number of patients on wait lists for liver transplant and the availability of deceased donations. Evaluations of potential liver donors should ensure the safety of the surgical procedure for both the donor and recipient. Liver biopsy is the criterion standard for selecting optimal donors.

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography in Kidney Transplant Patients: Results From a Single Center.

Objectives: We report the outcomes of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography procedures performed for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in patients who had undergone kidney transplant.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the records of kidney transplant patients for January 1993 to December 2014. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was carried out using an Olympus JF240 duodenoscope (tip outer diameter 12.

Hypovolemia-related gastric tissue damage in the setting of upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background/aims: Much is known about the gastric tissue damage that is associated with hypovolemic stress, but gastrointestinal bleeding due to gastric injury and further gastric injury due to hypovolemia have not been evaluated in previous research. The aim of this study was to assess oxidative gastric tissue damage specifically linked to hypovolemia in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Methods: The study included 30 patients who presented with acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding and 30 controls.

Clinical characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease in Turkey: a multicenter epidemiologic survey.

Aim: To investigate the epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients in a large multicenter, countrywide, hospital-based study in Turkey.

Materials And Methods: Twelve centers uniformly distributed throughout Turkey reported through a questionnaire the new IBD cases between 2001 and 2003. The incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) has been reported per 100,000 people.

Pancreatic pseudocyst development due to organophosphate poisoning.

Background/aims: Acute pancreatitis is a serious complication of organophosphate poisoning. There is no report in the literature dealing with the development of a pancreatic pseudocyst after complication of organophosphate-induced acute pancreatitis. Therefore, we present a case who developed pancreatic pseudocyst after complication of organophosphate-induced acute pancreatitis.

Gastric tissue oxidative changes in portal hypertension and cirrhosis.

Gastric mucosal lesions are very common in portal hypertension and cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to assess for oxidative gastric tissue damage in cirrhosis and evaluate relations with portal hypertension and cirrhosis parameters. The study included 30 patients with cirrhosis and 30 controls.

Role of matrix metalloproteinase-7 in colorectal adenomas.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) degregade and remodel the extracellular matrix. They are known to be overexpressed as normal mucosa progresses to adenomas and carcinomas. In our prospective study we measured the overexpression of MMP-7 immunohistochemically in various types of colonic adenomas.

The effects of Gingko biloba extract on acetic acid-induced colitis in rats.

Background/aims: Gingko biloba is an antioxidant substance which has antagonistic activity on platelet-activating factor. We aimed to investigate the antioxidant effect and the histopathologic changes caused by Gingko biloba on acetic acid-induced colitis.

Methods: Totally 22 rats were divided into three groups.

The relationship of heart rate variability with severity and prognosis of cirrhosis.

Many studies have demonstrated that cirrhosis is frequently associated with autonomic dysfunction. The aim of this study was to test autonomic dysfunction in cirrhotic patients by analyzing heart rate variability (HRV), to determine whether or not the degree of autonomic dysfunction is correlated with the severity of disease, and, also, to compare the changes of HRV between survivor and nonsurvivor groups after 2-year follow-up periods. HRV was analyzed using 24-hr ECG recording in 30 cirrhotic patients and 28 normal controls.

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis due to Brucella Melitensis in a cirrhotic patient.

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is a well-known entity, with a reported incidence of 15-20% in advanced cirrhotic patients. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae are the most common causes of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis; Brucella is extremely rare. We aimed to present one case of such a rare condition in a cirrhotic patient who also had hepatocellular carcinoma.

QT interval analysis in patients with acute biliary pancreatitis.

Background: It has been previously proposed that electrocardiographic abnormalities may be associated with acute pancreatitis. However, there is a lack of data on the QT interval and dispersion value in patients with acute pancreatitis, and no data are also available concerning QT interval and QT dispersion in acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP).

Aims: : We aimed to investigate the QT parameters in patients with ABP, to compare them with those of healthy controls, and to analyze the relationship between QT parameters and Ranson score.

Brain natriuretic peptide and severity of disease in non-alcoholic cirrhotic patients.

Background: Cirrhotic patients have a hyperdynamic systemic circulation. They have insidious cardiac problems besides well-known complications. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) relaxes vascular smooth muscle and has a portal hypotensive action.

Two findings of portal hypertension: evaluation of correlation between serum-ascites albumin gradient and esophageal varices in non-alcoholic cirrhosis.

Background/aims: Esophageal varices and serum-ascites albumin gradient (SAAG) are two major findings of portal hypertension. Recently, correlation between these two findings in patients with cirrhosis due to alcohol has been attracted attention. We aimed at evaluating whether a correlation exists between these parameters in the patients with non-alcoholic cirrhosis.

Association of peripapillary fistula with common bile duct stones and cholangitis.

Background: Peripapillary choledochoduodenal fistula (PCDF) is occasionally detected during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Cholelithiasis and biliary bougienage are two suspected causes of PCDF.

Methods: The medical records for 841 patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography between 1993 and 2002 were reviewed for evaluation of PCDF.

The significance of corpus anterior wall ulcers on morbidity and mortality of patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Background/aims: Acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding is a common and potentially life-threatening medical emergency. Various factors modulating morbidity and mortality on upper gastrointestinal bleeding have been reported. However, there are no reports on the prognosis of bleeding ulcers on the anterior wall of corpus (on fundus-corpus junction, 10-15 mm from the lesser curvature) bleeding ulcers on the anterior wall of the corpus.

Acute pancreatitis: an obscure complication of organophosphate intoxication.

Acute pancreatitis secondary to organophosphate intoxication is a rare and generally well-course condition, but it is important to be aware of this complication for appropriate clinical management. There are a few reports about this subject in the literature, but it is believed that there are more cases than are reported for this condition. Because symptoms of toxicity can mask this severe complication, we report two cases of acute pancreatitis due to organophosphate intoxication for alerting this condition.

Association of CagA and VacA presence with ulcer and non-ulcer dyspepsia in a Turkish population.

Aim: The mostly known genotypic virulence features of H. pylori are cytotoxin associated gene A (cagA) and Vacuoliting cytotoxin gene A (VacA). We investigated the association of these major virulence factors with ulcer and non-ulcer dyspepsia in our region.

Complement and immunoglobulin levels in serum and ascitic fluid of patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, malignant ascites, and tuberculous peritonitis.

Background: We determined complement and immunoglobulin levels in ascitic fluid and serum of 47 patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, malignant ascites, or tuberculous ascites.

Methods: Paracentesis was done to confirm the underlying cause of ascites. Biochemical, hematologic, and microbiologic investigations were also done.

Gallbladder contractility in patients with cirrhotic versus malignant ascites.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in gallbladder contractility by measuring gallbladder wall thickness, fasting and residual gallbladder volume, and gallbladder ejection fraction in patients with cirrhotic and malignant ascites.

Methods: Twenty-four patients (16 women and 8 men) with malignant ascites (2 cervical, 2 colon, 2 stomach, 6 pancreatic, and 12 ovarian carcinomas), aged 59 +/- 12 years, and 26 patients (14 women and 12 men) with cirrhotic ascites, aged 57 +/- 16 years, were included in the study. After patients fasted overnight for 8 hours, gallbladder wall thickness, fasting gallbladder volume, and gallbladder volume and ejection fraction were measured sonographically at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 minutes after ingestion of a standard liquid test meal.