Is hyperbilirubinemia a component or just a coincidence of familial mediterranean fever: a case report and review of the literature.

Familial Mediterranean fever is a multisystem disorder, usually seen in subjects of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern origin, characterized by recurrent bouts of fever and pain due to inflammation of the peritoneum, synovia, or pleura. In this article we report a case of Familial Mediterranean fever with recurrent abdominal pain and hyperbilirubinemia, review the literature and discuss whether the hyperbilirubinemia is co-existant or a feature of the disease.

Value of regional cerebral blood flow in the evaluation of chronic liver disease and subclinical hepatic encephalopathy.

Aims: Regional changes in cerebral blood flow in patients with chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and subclinical hepatic encephalopathy were investigated in the present study using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Methods: Twenty patients with cirrhosis, 11 patients with chronic hepatitis, and nine healthy controls were included in the study. Cerebral SPECT were obtained for all patients.

Impact of imprint cytology in detecting short segment Barrett's esophagus.

Background: Short-segment Barrett's esophagus (SSBE) is defined by the presence of columnar-appearing mucosa in distal esophagus (involving less than 2 to 3 cm), with intestinal metaplasia on biopsy. Its potential to develop dysplasia and cancer may require a surveillance program with better diagnostic tools to detect intestinal metaplasia.

Goals: To investigate the role of imprint cytology as a diagnostic tool either alone or combined with histology in SSBE.