Use and overuse of proton pump inhibitors in cirrhotic patients.

Background: There are several indications for the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) but little evidence to support their use in patients with chronic liver disease. Moreover, the pattern of clinical use is unknown. The aim of the present study was to analyze the use of PPIs in patients with chronic liver disease in an ambulatory setting.

Pathophysiology of ascites and dilutional hyponatremia: contemporary use of aquaretic agents.

Ascites, the most common complication of cirrhosis, is associated with a poor quality of life, an increased risk of infection, and renal failure. Twenty percent of cirrhotic patients have ascites at the time of diagnosis, while 30% and 50% will develop ascites by 5 and 10 years, respectively. There are several factors that contribute to ascites formation in cirrhotic patients, these include splanchnic vasodilatation, arterial hypotension, high cardiac output, and decreased vascular resistance.

[Therapeuric aspects of NAFLD. A literature review].

The prevalence of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis has increased in the last years, paralleling the increasing incidence of overweight and obesity in the general population and related comorbidities. It is expected that in near future, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis will be responsible for a large number of subjects with chronic liver disease due to fatty liver Because of this, treatment options for fatty liver are necessary. To date, the cornerstone of treatment is based in weight reduction, with diet and increased physical activity, although reports indicating that insulin sensitizers and medications that reduce oxidative stress may hold promise for the treatment of this condition.

Microscopic colitides: a single center experience in Mexico.

Background/aim: Microscopic colitis is characterized by chronic diarrhea and specific microscopic changes in a macroscopically normal colonic mucosa. In this paper, we report the clinical and histological features of a group of Mexican patients with microscopic colitis.

Materials And Methods: Patients were identified from 10 years of data in the pathology database of our institution.

Response of negative estrogen-receptor hepatocarcinoma to tamoxifen, and survival of non-resectable patients.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth most common malignant neoplasm worldwide. Most patients are not candidates to surgical treatment. The prognosis of this neoplasm is poor, with an overall survival rate of 8 weeks in unresectable tumors.

Hepatoblastoma in adult age. A case report and literature review.

Hepatoblastoma (HB) rarely occurs in adults. We report herein the unusual case of a 19-year-old, otherwise healthy woman with no history of liver disease who presented with upper abdominal pain and hepatomegaly. Tests for hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) were negative, and AFP was normal.

Clinical and pathologic factors associated with survival in young adult patients with fibrolamellar hepatocarcinoma.

Background: Fibrolamellar Carcinoma (FLC), a subtype of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is a rare primary hepatic malignancy. Several aspects of the clinic features and epidemiology of FLC remain unclear because most of the literature on FLC consists of case reports and small cases series with limited information on factors that affect survival.

Methods: We did a retrospective analysis of the clinical and histological characteristics of FLC.

Electrocardiographic abnormalities in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Background: Electrocardiographic abnormalities may be associated with acute pancreatitis (AP).

Goals: To describe the electrocardiographic disturbances present in patients with AP and to assess differences in electrolyte and pancreatic enzyme levels among patients with and without these abnormalities.

Study: Fifty-one consecutive patients with AP and without preexisting heart disease underwent a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (EKG) and a serum electrolyte profile.

[Antibodies and physiopathogeny of autoimmune hepatitis].

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an inflammatory disease of unknown cause characterized by periportal hepatitis, increased serum globulins and the presence of certain antibodies. The disorder can be classified in three types. Type 1 AIH is characterized by the presence of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and smooth muscle autoantibodies (SMA) in up to 70-80% of patients.