Hypercoagulable state in idiopathic ulcerative colitis: role of hyperhomocysteinemia and hyperfibrinogenemia.

Background: Previous reports on hypercoagulable factors in inflammatory bowel diseases involve heterogeneous populations and patients on various medications.

Aims: To determine the frequency of thrombotic complications in ulcerative colitis (UC); to evaluate for hyperhomocysteinemia and its relationship to vitamin B12 and folate levels and methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) mutation; and to evaluate for hyperfibrinogenemia and factor V Leiden mutation.

Methods: Eighty-six adult patients with UC were seen during the study period; 28 of them underwent blood tests and constituted the study population.

Outcome of acute liver failure due to acute hepatitis E in pregnant women.

Introduction: Acute liver failure due to acute hepatitis E carries a high mortality.

Methods: Clinical and laboratory parameters of 42 pregnant women (median age 25.5 years) with acute liver failure due to acute hepatitis E were retrospectively analyzed.

Spontaneous esophageal perforation in a patient with achalasia cardia and rheumatoid arthritis.

Perforation of stasis ulcers in achalasia cardia has not been reported in literature. We report a 45-year-old lady with achalasia and rheumatoid arthritis who developed perforation and esophago-mediastinal sinus at the site of stasis ulcers. She succumbed to respiratory infection after resection of the sinus tract, Heller's cardiomyotomy, cervical esophagostomy and feeding jejunostomy.

Endoscopic biliary drainage in patients with amebic liver abscess and biliary communication.

Background: Percutaneous drainage or surgery is required when amebic liver abscess (ALA) fails to respond to medical management. In some of these patients, non-response may be due to communication of ALA with the biliary tree. This report describes our experience with the use of endoscopic biliary draining in such patients.