Clinical implications of thoracic duct dilatation in patients with chronic liver disease.

This study aimed to investigate the association between the degree of thoracic duct dilatation and the progression of chronic liver disease.In this cross-sectional and retrospective study, 179 patients (mean age, 60.9 years; 114 men) with chronic liver disease who underwent chest CT were enrolled.

How can we improve the performance of Model for End-Stage Liver Disease sodium score in patients with hepatitis B virus-related decompensated liver cirrhosis commencing antiviral treatment?

Background And Aim: We aimed to develop a more efficient prognostic model to predict 1-year mortality in patients with hepatitis B virus-related decompensated cirrhosis beginning antiviral treatment.

Methods: Using Cox regression analysis, survival analyses were performed on 554 patients with decompensated cirrhosis who were followed up from the start of nucleos(t)ide analogue antiviral treatment.

Results: At baseline, ascites and hepatic encephalopathy were found in 78.

Duodenal amyloidosis secondary to ulcerative colitis.

Amyloidosis is defined as the extracellular deposition of non-branching fibrils composed of a variety of serum-protein precursors. Secondary amyloidosis is associated with several chronic inflammatory conditions, such as rheumatologic or intestinal diseases, familial Mediterranean fever, or chronic infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis. Although the association of amyloidosis with inflammatory bowel disease is known, amyloidosis secondary to ulcerative colitis (UC) is rare.

Infective Endocarditis Presenting as Endogenous Endophthalmitis Secondary to Streptococcus agalactiae in a Healthy Adult: Case Reports and Literature Review.

Endogenous endophthalmitis secondary to group B Streptococcus (GBS) is extremely rare, particularly in healthy adults. However, the visual prognosis is poor. We report the first South Korean case of GBS infective endocarditis presenting as endogenous endophthalmitis and skin and soft tissue infection.

Changes in Cardiac Varices and Their Clinical Significance after Eradication of Esophageal Varices by Band Ligation.

. Cardiac varices (CVs) in patients with type 1 gastroesophageal varices (GOV1s) usually disappear with treatment for esophageal varices (EVs) by endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS). However, whether this applies to patients treated with endoscopic band ligation (EBL) for EVs remains unclear.

Cyanoacrylate injection versus band ligation for bleeding from cardiac varices along the lesser curvature of the stomach.

Background/aims: Practice guidelines recommend endoscopic band ligation (EBL) and endoscopic variceal obturation (EVO) for bleeding from esophageal varices and fundal varices, respectively. However, the optimal treatment for bleeding from cardiac varices along the lesser curvature of the stomach (GOV1) remains undefined. This retrospective study compared the efficacy between EBL and EVO for bleeding from GOV1.

Hepatitis B surface antigen titer is a good indicator of durable viral response after entecavir off-treatment for chronic hepatitis B.

Background/aims: Clear indicators for stopping antiviral therapy in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients are not yet available. Since the level of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is correlated with covalently closed circular DNA, the HBsAg titer might be a good indicator of the off-treatment response. This study aimed to determine the relationship between the HBsAg titer and the entecavir (ETV) off-treatment response.

Mycophenolate mofetil as an alternative treatment for autoimmune hepatitis.

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is an immune-mediated chronic liver disease characterized by hepatocellular inflammation, necrosis, and fibrosis, which can progress to cirrhosis and fulminant hepatic failure. The standard treatment for AIH includes corticosteroids alone or in combination with azathioprine. Although most patients achieve remission using the standard regimen, some patients do not respond due to either drug intolerance or refractory disease; in such cases alternative immunosuppressive agents should be explored.