Irreversible sensorineural hearing loss due to clarithromycin.

Clarithromycin is a commonly used advanced generation macrolide. This case study reviews a case of an 81 year old woman who developed sensorineural deafness in the right ear after the start of low dose oral clarithromycin for an infective exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Despite cessation of this drug after only three days, the sensorineural deafness was found to be irreversible.

Diffuse esophageal leiomyomatosis: another cause of pseudoachalasia.

The patient was a 22-year-old woman who had presented in early childhood with gastroesophageal reflux and who subsequently underwent surgery. It was commented upon by the surgeons at that time that the esophagus was abnormally thickened. The patient subsequently presented during her first pregnancy with a vulval tumor, which proved histologically to be a leiomyoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma arising in non-cirrhotic liver in genetic haemochromatosis.

The occurrence of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with genetic haemochromatosis (GH) with cirrhosis is well known. In the past it has been suggested that patients with GH without cirrhosis have the same risk of HCC and life expectancy as the general population. However, recently there have been cases of HCC arising in non-cirrhotic livers, and we report another such case.

Buckling of redundant expansile stent distal to an oesophageal cancer: endoscopic management.

This report describes a complication that occurred as a result of deploying an Ultraflex stent too low in relation to a stenosing carcinoma of the gastro-oesophageal junction. Intermittent kinking of the redundant lower end of the stent caused frequent episodes of total dysphagia. A percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy was deployed to anchor the redundant portion of the stent within the stomach, allowing it to be shortened with endoscopic stitch cutters.