Discordance between biochemical markers of liver activity and fibrosis (Actitest-Fibrotest) and liver biopsy in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Introduction: The purpose of this clinical trial was to determine in routine practice and in comparison with liver biopsy the limitations of two blood tests, Actitest and Fibrotest, for the evaluation of hepatic activity and fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Methods: Routine blood tests, Actitest and Fibrotest, and liver biopsy were performed in 96 patients with chronic hepatitis C attending routine outpatient clinics. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were used to assess the diagnostic value of the biochemical tests in comparison with the METAVIR classification.

Intravenous nitroglycerin for prevention of pancreatitis after therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiography: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial.

Background And Study Aims: Several studies have suggested that nitroglycerin promotes pancreatic drainage and thereby helps to prevent pancreatitis occurring after endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC). We performed a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of intravenous nitroglycerin for preventing acute pancreatitis in moderate- to high-risk patients undergoing ERC.

Patients And Methods: The patients underwent therapeutic ERC for gallstone removal, bile duct stenosis, or sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD).

Epidemiology of chronic hepatitis B infection in France: risk factors for significant fibrosis--results of a nationwide survey.

Background: Epidemiological data concerning hepatitis B are scarce in France.

Aim: To describe epidemiological, clinical, virological and histological features of HBsAg-positive patients followed at non-academic hospitals in France.

Methods: Clinical, biological, virological and histological data of all HBsAg-positive consecutive patients observed from April 1, 2001 to May 31, 2002 in participating centres were recorded prospectively.

[Gangliocytic paraganglioma of the pancreas with bone metastasis].

We report the case of a 50-years-old man who underwent sequential curative resection for gangliocytic paraganglioma of the pancreas with metachronous sternal metastasis. Gangliocytic paraganglioma are mainly located on the duodenum but several localizations have been reported, including on the digestive tract. Locoregional lymph node metastases are possible and prove their malignant potential but, to our knowledge, this observation is the first documented case of distant metastasis.

Assessment of tumour response to chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer: accuracy of the RECIST criteria.

Evaluation of tumour size modifications in response to treatment is a critical issue in the management of advanced malignancies. In 1981, the World Health Organization (WHO) established guidelines for tumour response assessment. These WHO1981 criteria were recently simplified in a revised version, named RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours), which uses unidimensional instead of bidimensional measurements, a reduced number of measured lesions, withdrawal of the progression criteria based on isolated increase of a single lesion, and different shrinkage threshold for definitions of tumour response and progression.

[Infectious endocarditis caused by Streptococcus bovis and alcoholic cirrhosis complicated by hepatoma].

The case is reported of a 66-year old man who developed Streptococcus bovis endocarditis on a fairly loose aortic stenosis and who also presented with alcoholic cirrhosis complicated by an ultimately lethal hepatoma. On this occasion, comments are made on the following points: -Str. bovis is increasingly responsible for bacterial endocarditis.