Infection after endoscopic ultrasound-guided aspiration of mediastinal cysts.

Foregut duplication cysts are rare congenital anomalies of enteric origin that arise during early embryonic development. They are usually incidentally found on routine imaging studies. The diagnosis can usually be made by computed tomography (CT) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) appearance.

Infections in Patients With End-stage Liver Disease.

Infections in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients. Abnormalities in their natural defense mechanisms, alterations in the enteric flora and the growing utilization of invasive procedures increase the risk of infections in these patients. Common bacterial infections in ESLD patients include spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, urinary tract infections, community-acquired pneumonia, dermatologic infections, and bacteremia.

Pegylated interferon and ribavirin failures: is retreatment an option?

Currently, there are limited therapeutic options available for chronic hepatitis C (HCV) patients who fail treatment with peginterferon alpha (PEG IFN) + ribavirin (RBV). An option is retreatment with a second course PEG-IFN + RBV. However, the virologic clearance with this option is unknown.

Vitamin A toxicity: when one a day doesn't keep the doctor away.

Vitamin A toxicity has been reported to cause severe liver disease and, occasionally, liver failure. Herein we present the case of a 60-year-old male with symptoms of muscle soreness, alopecia, nail dystrophy, and ascites. He continued to deteriorate with the development of refractory ascites, renal insufficiency, encephalopathy, and failure to thrive.

Recurrence of autoimmune liver disease after liver transplantation: a systematic review.

Recurrence of autoimmune liver disease in allografts has long been a topic of debate. We conducted a systematic review of the literature to examine the reported incidence of recurrence after liver transplantation of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). The MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane electronic databases were used to identify articles.

Diagnostic yield and clinical implications of push enteroscopy: results from a nonspecialized center.

BACKGROUND Push enteroscopy is increasingly used as an investigative tool for the evaluation of gastrointestinal bleeding, and studies from specialized centers have shown an overall diagnostic yield of push enteroscopy in such patients ranging from 38% to 75%. The aim of our study was to characterize the yield and clinical effect of push enteroscopy to determine the applicability of prior observations to other academic centers. STUDY We retrospectively studied patients who underwent push enteroscopy between January 1995 and December 2000 at our institution.