Usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography in the clinical suspicion of biliary disease.

Background And Aims: endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a very sensitive and specific technique for the diagnosis of biliary diseases. This procedure has proven its usefulness in cases of high suspicion of biliary disease (history of gallstones and dilatation of the intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic bile ducts). We know less about its usefulness in cases of low suspicion of biliary pathology.

Portal hypertensive colopathy is associated with portal hypertension severity in cirrhotic patients.

Aim: To assess the prevalence of portal hypertension (PH) related colorectal lesions in liver transplant candidates, and to evaluate its association with the severity of PH.

Methods: Between October 2004 and December 2005, colonoscopy was performed in 92 cirrhotic liver transplant candidates. We described the lesions resulting from colorectal PH and their association with the grade of PH in 77 patients who underwent measurement of hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG).

[Results of colonoscopic examination in the evaluation of cirrhotic candidates for liver transplantation].

Aim: To assess the presence of preneoplastic and neoplastic colonic lesions, as well as those related to portal hypertensive vasculopathy, and their association with liver disease in cirrhotic patients who are candidates for orthotopic liver transplantation (LT).

Methods: Between October 2004 and December 2005, colonoscopy was performed in 92 patients who were LT candidates, aged >50 years old or aged <50 years old but with clinical indications.

Results: Eighty-eight percent of the patients were > 50 years old, the mean age was 55.

Patients with cirrhosis and bare-stent TIPS may have increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma.

A trend toward a higher incidence of hepatocelullar carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis treated with bare-stent transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) has been observed in previous studies. To assess the influence of TIPS as a risk factor for developing HCC, we have compared the incidence of HCC in two retrospective cohorts of patients. The TIPS cohort (n = 138) included patients with cirrhosis who underwent TIPS placement for the treatment of portal hypertension-related complications; the non-TIPS cohort was composed of patients admitted at the hospital at the same time of TIPS insertion who were individually matched 1:1 according to age, sex, Child-Turcotte-Pugh class, and cause of cirrhosis.

Comparison of transcatheter arterial embolization and surgery for treatment of bleeding peptic ulcer after endoscopic treatment failure.

Purpose: To compare the outcomes of embolotherapy and surgery as salvage therapy after therapeutic endoscopy failure in the treatment of upper gastrointestinal peptic ulcer bleeding.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective analysis of 70 cases of refractory peptic upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage was performed. Thirty-one cases were managed with embolotherapy and 39 were managed surgically.