Cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall associated with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis. Clinical features, diagnostic procedures and therapeutic management in a retrospective multicenter series of 23 patients.

Aim Of The Study: The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to collect data from patients with chronic alcoholic pancreatitis and cystic dystrophy of the duodenal wall in order to better understand the outcome after medical, endoscopic and/or surgical treatment.

Patients And Methods: The data from medical records of 23 patients consecutively seen in ten primary referral centers from January 1990 to July 2004 were studied. Clinical, biological, and endoscopic features as well as imaging findings were recorded.

Remission with ursodeoxycholic acid of type 1 autoimmune hepatitis resistant to azathioprine and steroids.

Combination therapy with steroids and azathioprine is the reference treatment for autoimmune hepatitis, but potential adverse effects are numerous and intolerance can occur. We report a patient with a well-documented type 1 autoimmune hepatitis intolerant to corticosteroids and azathioprine therapy, in whom eight years of ursodeoxycholic acid monotherapy was associated with biochemical and histological remission.

Azathioprine induced nodular regenerative hyperplasia in IBD patients.

Purine analogues are major drugs in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). We present four cases of nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver (NRH) developed in patients with IBD treated with azathioprine. All patients had either abnormal liver tests and/or low platelet count.

[Hepatitis C epidemiology at a general hospital center. Management and natural history as a function of the manner of identification].

Objectives: To study the epidemiological characteristics of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus followed in a primary referral hospital and the clinical influence of "systematic screening" defined as the screening of patients without symptoms and with known risk factors of hepatitis C (past transfusion, past or present intravenous drug use, haemodialysis) on the natural history and treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus.

Methods: The files of 311 consecutive patients who screened positive for anti-hepatitis C virus and were seen at the primary referral hospital, Creil, from January 1992 to February 1996, were analyzed.

Results: Patients who underwent "systematic screening" were younger with a shorter duration of infection.

[Acute pancreatitis and pancreatic reactions due to Salmonella. A study of 6 cases].

Numerous infectious agents may induce acute pancreatitis. We report 6 cases of Salmonella-associated acute pancreatitis. Pathogenesis of this type of pancreatitis is related to multiple factors that may coexist in the same patient.