Acute Pancreatitis with an Ongoing Pancreatic Duct Leak Complicated by Refractory Pleural Effusion: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND Acute pancreatitis causes a significant systemic inflammatory response that affects multiple organs. Pulmonary complications include pleural effusions, hypoxia, atelectasis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Pleural effusion is an indicator of poor prognosis in pancreatitis.

Liver biopsies in adult hemophiliacs with hepatitis C: a United States center's experience.

We report a case series of 13 adult hemophiliacs with serological evidence of hepatitis C who underwent percutaneous liver biopsies without major complications. We also briefly review the recent literature on safety of liver biopsies in this population, and conclude that these patients may be safely biopsied using appropriate precautions regardless of the severity of hemophilia.

Laparoscopy-assisted endoscopic removal of a stromal-cell tumor of the stomach.

Endoscopic resection of gastrointestinal tumors is being performed with increased frequency. Submucosal mass lesions pose a particular problem, because of the risk of malignancy and the risk of complications associated with endoscopic removal. Increased incidences of both perforation and bleeding have been reported.

A pilot study of the effects of d-alpha-tocopherol on hepatic stellate cell activation in chronic hepatitis C.

Background & Aims: Oxidative stress mediates activation and stimulates collagen production of cultured hepatic stellate (Ito) cells. The aim of this study was to assess whether oxidative stress contributes to hepatic fibrogenesis in chronic hepatitis C.

Methods: In liver biopsy specimens of patients with chronic hepatitis C, the following fibrogenesis cascade was analyzed: (1) oxidative stress, determined by the presence of malondialdehyde protein adducts; (2) activation of stellate cells as indicated by their expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin; (3) stimulation of c-myb expression in stellate cells, a critical step in the activation of these cells; and (4) induction of collagen gene expression as detected by in situ hybridization.

Successful topical dissolution of cholesterol gallbladder stones using ethyl propionate.

Topical dissolution of cholesterol gallbladder stones using methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is useful in symptomatic patients judged too ill for surgery. Previous studies showed that ethyl propionate (EP), a C5 ester, dissolves cholesterol gallstones rapidly in vitro, but differs from MTBE in being eliminated so rapidly by the liver that blood levels remain undetectable. Our aim was to test EP as a topical dissolution agent for cholesterol gallbladder stones.