Publications by authors named "Spahr L"

Article Synopsis
  • Foodborne illnesses can lead to serious conditions like liver failure, especially in vulnerable populations such as children and young adults, but they often go unreported due to their self-limiting nature.
  • In a specific case, a 48-year-old woman experienced severe symptoms after eating contaminated rice salad, resulting in metabolic acidosis and liver dysfunction.
  • After treatment in the emergency department, including the use of N-acetylcysteine, her condition improved, and she was discharged nine days later with recovering liver function.
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  • Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) affects about 30% of heavy drinkers, characterized by liver damage including steatosis, fibrosis, and steatohepatitis.
  • The study investigated the connection between genetic variants of keratins 8 and 18 (KRT8/18) and histological features of ALD in 106 severe cases, finding significant links to specific genetic variants.
  • Elevated levels of KRT18 fragments were associated with certain KRT18 variants and alcoholic hepatitis, indicating that these genetic factors may influence the severity and prognosis of ALD.
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Transplantation oncology represents a specificity of liver transplantation. Hepatocellular carcinoma is now an accepted indication with very good long-term results. Cholangiocarcinoma, hepatic -metastases from colorectal cancer and neuroendocrine tumors are emerging indications with outcome superior to those that can be achieved with systemic treatments in very selected patients.

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  • - Liver fibrosis develops due to changes in the liver tissue caused by chronic inflammation or cell death, leading to changes in the extracellular matrix that can progress to more severe liver diseases like cirrhosis and cancer.
  • - Screening for liver fibrosis is becoming increasingly important, as early detection can help address the root causes of liver disease before serious complications arise.
  • - Identifying individuals at risk for liver fibrosis is crucial, and initial screening can start with a primary care physician before being referred to a specialist for further evaluation.
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Liver transplantation is the best treatment option for patients with end-stage liver failure, as well as for various oncological (hepatic or extrahepatic), metabolic and genetic indications. Cirrhosis and its complications represent the most frequent indication for transplantation. This treatment option should be considered for cirrhotic patients with significant liver failure, the development of hepatocellular carcinoma or when complications linked to portal hypertension appear.

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A close collaboration between the general practitioner and the gastroenterologist is necessary to optimize the management of a patient with cirrhosis, a frequent and serious complication of chronic liver diseases. Both the treatment of the etiological factor of liver disease and the surveillance of potential complications of cirrhosis are key issues in the proper management of cirrhosis. Preventive measures aim at keeping the patient in a compensated form of cirrhosis which is associated with a better survival.

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Background And Aim: Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) may present with autoimmune features and require immunosuppressive therapy (IST) to reach biochemical response. Discontinuation of IST without hepatitis relapse may be more frequent in these patients as compared to patients with classical autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). We aimed to determine baseline characteristics and outcome of patients with immune-mediated drug induced liver injury (IMDILI) with particular emphasis on IST during follow-up.

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Objective: Despite international guidelines recommendations to use mortality as a quality criterion for gastrointestinal (GI) procedures, recent studies reporting these data are lacking. Our objective was to report death causes and rate following GI endoscopies in a tertiary university hospital.

Design: We retrospectively reviewed all GI procedures made between January 2017 and December 2019 in our tertiary hospital in Switzerland.

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Polycystic liver disease (PLD) includes three entities in adults : biliary hamartomas which develop as a result of ductal plate malformation, autosomal dominant polycystic liver disease (ADPLD) and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) which occur in the setting of genetic disorders. Hamartomas are asymptomatic and benign. PLD are marked by a steady growth of cysts over time, clinically silent in the majority of cases.

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Background And Aims: Patients with cirrhotic refractory ascites ineligible for transjugular intrahepatic shunt (TIPSS) have limited treatment options apart from repeated large volume paracentesis. The alfapump® is an implantable device mobilizing ascites from the peritoneal cavity to the bladder, from where it can be excreted. The aim of this observational cohort study was to prospectively investigate safety and efficacy of the device in a real-world cohort with cirrhotic refractory ascites and contraindications for TIPSS.

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Background: PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) is a well established endoscopic procedure for enteral feeding. However, patients with a shorter life expectancy will not benefit from PEG tube placement. Furthermore, some specific evolving diseases will never benefit from PEG.

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Article Synopsis
  • Recent developments in gastroenterology include improving colonoscopy quality through artificial intelligence.
  • Ozanimod is being explored as a potential treatment for refractory ulcerative colitis, pending validation from Swissmedic.
  • New insights into gastro-related issues include Rivaroxaban's higher risk of GI bleeding, revised classifications for esophageal disorders, and promising results from Semaglutide for metabolic steatosis.
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  • The study investigates the effects of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery on patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) compared to those with simple nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL).
  • Researchers analyzed data from 515 patients and found that, while liver injury markers significantly improved in NASH patients post-surgery, both groups had similar excess weight loss and changes in BMI after 12 months.
  • The conclusion suggests that RYGB surgery is beneficial for reducing liver injury in NASH patients, while still achieving comparable weight loss to those with simple NAFL.
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Hepatic cystic echinococcosis (HCE), is a cosmopolitan parasitic zoonosis. Autochtonous HCE cases are rare and the majority of cases are imported from endemic areas. It induces the development in the liver of Echinococcus granulosus larvae.

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Hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (HAE) is a rare but severe zoonosis caused by the pseudotumoral intrahepatic development of the larval stage of the tapeworm HAE is present only in the Northern Hemisphere, predominantly in China. Currently, there is a significant resurgence of cases in historically endemic areas associated with emergence of HAE in countries not previously concerned. Today, in European countries, HAE is often discovered by chance; however, clinicians should be made aware of opportunistic infections that progressively emerged recently as a result of therapeutic or pathological immunosuppression.

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Wilson's disease is a rare hereditary disorder of copper metabolism leading to progressive accumulation of copper in several organs including the brain and the liver. Acute liver failure is a relatively rare hepatic manifestation of WD which may require urgent liver transplantation if medical treatment fails. We report here the case of a young woman who presented with classic acute Wilsonian hepatitis complicated by liver and renal failure and a severe hemolysis related to massive nonceruloplasmin bound copper accumulation requiring repeated blood transfusions.

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Acute alcoholic microvesicular steatosis (MIC) may complicate heavy alcohol intake and present as alcoholic hepatitis (AH) syndrome. However, detailed clinical, biological, and histologic data associated with MIC are scarce. We compared the clinical presentation, histologic features, and hepatic transcriptomic of patients presenting with AH due to either MIC or severe alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH).

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Article Synopsis
  • - This study analyzed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases in Geneva from 1990 to 2014 to understand the rise of HCC caused by non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) while considering gender differences.
  • - From the findings, 8.3% of HCC patients were linked to NAFLD, and the incidence of HCC notably increased in women during the 1990s, unlike men, highlighting a growing concern for cases attributed to NAFLD and MAFLD, particularly among females.
  • - Overall, the study concluded that over 25 years, cases of HCC related to NAFLD and MA
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  • Player-to-player contact is the leading cause of head impacts in collegiate ice hockey, and 3D-MOT training was tested to see if it could help players better anticipate these impacts.
  • The study involved 33 NCAA Division III ice hockey players split into a 3D-MOT training group and a control group, with the training occurring twice a week over a 12-week season while monitoring head impacts during games and practices.
  • Results showed that 3D-MOT forwards experienced higher mean peak head impact intensity compared to control forwards, while 3D-MOT defensemen had lower head impact intensity than their control counterparts, suggesting that player position could influence the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing head impacts.
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Disulfiram is a drug used to treat alcohol dependence since many years. It interferes with the metabolism of alcohol, may be associated with neurological and dermatological symptoms, and can be hepatotoxic. Due to the frequent coexistent liver test alterations due to alcohol, the true incidence of disulfiram-associated liver injury is unclear and severity of injury may vary from mildly elevated liver enzymes to fulminant hepatitis leading to death.

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Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) includes a spectrum of hepatic pathology ranging from non-alcoholic fatty liver, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) occasionally complicated with hepatic fibrosis or even cirrhosis. In order to propose a diagnosis with positive criteria, a panel of experts recently proposed the use of an alternative nomenclature, metabolic-dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) whose use remains debated. In addition, in Switzerland and elsewhere, there is strong epidemiological growth of NAFLD.

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Hepatitis D virus causes chronic hepatitis D. The virus is defective, meaning it requires simultaneous presence of hepatitis B virus within the hepatocytes to complete its viral cycle. Globally, 15 to 20 millions people are estimated to be chronically co-infected by hepatitis B and D viruses.

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