[Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy-associated acute cardiac failure in a patient with decompensated alcoholic cirrhosis with massive hepatic hydrothorax].

Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM) is a chronic cardiac dysfunction in patients with cirrhosis and is characterized by altered diastolic relaxation, blunted contractile response to stress, and electrophysiological abnormalities;however, causes of CCM are unknown. Moreover, reduced cardiac afterload due to cirrhosis-related vasodilatation often masks cardiac insufficiency, whereas rapid hemodynamic overload reveals the presence of cirrhotic cardiomyopathy. Herein, we present the case of previously unrecognized cirrhotic cardiomyopathy that became overt with the development of severe acute cardiac failure.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Patient with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia.

A 76-year-old woman with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) showed elevated serum hepatobiliary enzyme levels, and abdominal imaging studies revealed a hepatic tumor. Her serum alpha-fetoprotein level was 759.5 ng/mL.

Infectious Hepatic Cyst: An Underestimated Complication.

Objective An infectious hepatic cyst (IHC) is a hepatic cyst complicated with secondary infection and is generally assumed to be rare. However, we have experienced no small number of patients with IHC in recent clinical practice. We therefore examined the incidence and clinical characteristics of IHC.

Increasing incidence of elderly-onset autoimmune hepatitis.

Aim: Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) commonly shows bimodal distribution of onset age: at young adulthood and at 50-60 years-of-age. However, in recent times, the incidence of elderly-onset AIH seems to be increasing. This study aimed to investigate whether the incidence of elderly-onset AIH is increasing, and whether these patients show any clinical features different from those observed in younger patients.

Indices of initial hepatitis C virus RNA reduction rate to predict efficacy of interferon-beta followed by peginterferon plus ribavirin for genotype 1b high viral load.

Aim: Initial hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA reduction was investigated as a potential index for sustained virological response (SVR) in the treatment of interferon (IFN)-β followed by peginterferon plus ribavirin (PEG IFN/RBV).

Methods: The treatment course was retrospectively analyzed in 64 genotype 1b patients with a HCV RNA level of 5.0 logIU/mL or higher.