Visceral Medicine最新文献

Background: Advanced liver diseases are characterized by a number of changes in the hemostatic system. Due to the occurrence of bleeding events in patients with liver cirrhosis, there seems to be a hesitance to the administration of anticoagulant medications. This review summarizes challenges, recommendations, and current developments of anticoagulation in the cirrhotic patient.

Summary: The risk of thrombotic events in patients with liver cirrhosis is at least as high as in patients with healthy liver function if not even higher. Standard laboratory markers do not truly reflect the complexity of changes that take place in the coagulative system and therefore cannot be used as a reference for risk of thrombosis or hemorrhage. Potential options for anticoagulant therapy are heparins, vitamin K antagonists, and direct-acting oral anticoagulants which come with differences in safety, application, possible side effects, and data availability for the patient cohort.

Key message: The administration of anticoagulation can be beneficial in patients with liver disease if the indication is present and bleeding prophylaxis has been established. Direct-acting oral anticoagulants appear to be a promising new approach with many improvements compared to conventional substances. Nevertheless, there is a need for further data and prospective trials on the use in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Introduction: Liver (hepatic) fibrosis (LF) is characterized by impaired function and regenerative capacity of the liver and can lead to significantly increased morbidity and mortality in the context of surgical liver resection (LR). For this reason, it is crucial to identify the extent of LF preoperatively. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is known to play a key role in the pathogenesis of LF, but its exact value as a preoperative marker is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between preoperatively determined IL-6 and the presence of LF.

Methods: In this prospective study, IL-6 was determined in 134 consecutive patients undergoing LR. Patients with liver cirrhosis (LC) and patients with clinical or laboratory signs of inflammation were excluded. LF was graded by a blinded pathologist with regard to the degree of LF according to the Desmet classification (0-4). Baseline IL-6 and degree of LF were correlated.

Results: A total of 134 patients were prospectively included prior to LR. For 104 patients, LF was graded and inflammatory parameters were available. Thirty-five of these patients showed LC (Desmet 4), and another 33 patients showed preoperatively elevated inflammatory markers. Two of the remaining patients were liver transplant patients. These patients were excluded from the final analysis. According to Desmet, the remaining 34 patients had LF grade 0 or 1 (none or minimal LF) in 26 cases and LF grade 2 or 3 (moderate-to-severe LF) in 8 cases. Correlation of LF with preoperatively determined IL-6 yielded significantly higher IL-6 levels in the group of patients with moderate-to-severe LF (Desmet 2 or 3) compared to the group with none or minimal LF (Desmet 0 or 1; p = 0.0495).

Conclusion: In the context of LR, our results showed a correlation of preoperatively determined IL-6 with the extent of LF present. Higher serum baseline IL-6 concentrations were associated with a higher degree of LF, whereas no other blood parameter or score was that predictive for LF. Our results suggest that baseline IL-6 might serve as a valuable parameter to assess LF prior to LR. More patients need to be analyzed to further evaluate and confirm the predictive accuracy of IL-6 for LF.

Background: Echinococcosis also known as hydatid disease is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by a tapeworm. It has a worldwide distribution. For long, it was thought to be a problem of the poorly sanitized "third world" and not given the importance it deserved. However, its occurrence in countries like Australia and New Zealand and recently in countries in Central Europe has meant that it is included in a WHO list of neglected diseases, has recently been the subject of extensive epidemiological studies, and has been the recipient of increased research funding.

Summary: The diagnosis is still based on clinical presentation in an endemic area corroborated with typical findings on imaging which routinely include ultrasound and CT scan. Serological tests have been used in some centers to support the diagnosis. Treatment depends on the site of involvement and can vary from wait and watch to extensive radical surgical procedures. The common element of all treatments is the addition of albendazole which forms an essential cornerstone of all treatment protocols. Inspite having been used for a fairly long time, there is still no consensus on the dose, duration, and timing of therapy with albendazole.

Key message: Hydatid disease continues to be a significant global health problem inspite of a good understanding of its life cycle and rising standards of public sanitation. Though diagnosis is straightforward and not expensive, treatment can sometimes be complicated. The addition of albendazole to all treatment protocols is an important advance, but firm guidelines on duration of its use are still awaited.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to introduce a new endoscopic technology, clip-and-snare assisted endoscopic submucosal resection (CS-ESMR), for treatment of rectal neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and then to investigate the therapeutic value of CS-ESMR.

Methods: In this retrospective study, 67 patients who underwent endoscopic treatment of rectal NETs from March 2017 to December 2021 were analyzed. According to the endoscopic resection methods (endoscopic mucosal resection [EMR], CS-ESMR, and endoscopic submucosal dissection [ESD]), the cases were divided into CS-ESMR group (27 cases), ESD group (31 cases), and EMR group (9 cases). The pathological R0 resection rate and the incidence of adverse events (bleeding and perforation) were compared among the three groups.

Results: There was a significant difference about the pathological R0 resection between the CS-ESMR group and the EMR group and between the CS-ESMR group and the ESD group (both p < 0.05). Compared with ESD group, the procedure time, intraoperative bleeding, and the cost of CS-ESMR group are significantly decreased (p < 0.001, p < 0.05, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: CS-ESMR may be a safe and effective treatment for rectal NETs with a diameter of less than 10 mm, without muscularis propria invasion and metastasis.

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a main tool in pancreatology for both diagnosis and therapy. It allows minimally invasive differentiation of various diseases, with a minimal degree of inflammation or anatomic variations. EUS also enables interventional direct access to the pancreatic parenchyma and the retroperitoneal space, the pancreatic duct, the pancreatic masses, cysts, vascular structures for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

Summary: This review aimed to summarize the new developments of EUS in the field of pancreatology, with special interest on inflammation and interventions. EUS enables way to perform pseudocyst drainage, necrosectomy, transenteral drainage and transenteric access of the main pancreatic duct, or the direct visualization or therapy of vascular structures adjacent to the pancreas.

Key messages: EUS has a deep impact on pancreatology, and the development of new diagnostic and interventional approaches to the retroperitoneal space and the pancreas has increased in the last years exponentially, allowing minimal invasive diagnostics and therapy and avoiding surgery and percutaneous therapy.