The Impact of Gastroesophageal Reflux on the Quality of Life: About a Series of 100 Patients at Fez University Hospital

The gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) represents a major problem for public health because of its high prevalence. The chronic character of the symptoms can have a very important impact on the quality of life (QoL). The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of the GERD on the quality of life of our patients and to determine the main aggravating factors. Patients and Methods: This is a cross-sectional, observational study of 100 patients presenting signs of GERD in the gastroenterology department of the university medical center Hassan II-Fez, for a period of 3 months (October to December 2014). We used the Reflux-Qual short form (RQS&#174) to evaluate the QoL of our patients. Results: Over the study period, 100 patients were included. The average age of our patients was 47 years [20 - 75 years] with a sex-ratio F/M in 2.12. Among our patients, 20% (n = 20) were chronic cigarette smokers. The diagnosis of GERD was clinical in 75% of the cases (n = 75) and based on 24-hour pH monitoring in the remaining 25% (n = 25). Approximately 2/3 of the patients were receiving proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) treatment at the time of the questionnaire. The impairment of QoL was moderated to severe (RQS&#174 p = 0.01), female sex (p = 0.03) and the frequency of symptoms (p = 0.001). Moreover, patients having a GERD that requiring a daily and continuous administration of PPIs had a lower index of RQS&#174 (p = 0.001). The quality of life impairment was not associated with chronic cigarette smoking (p = 0.3). Conclusion: The impairment of the QoL was moderated to severe (RQS&#174 < 16) for 2/3 of the patients (n = 62). This impairment was associated with elderly, female sex, frequency and in case of GERD requiring continuous administration of PPIs.

Predictors of early rebleeding and mortality after acute variceal haemorrhage in patients with cirrhosis

The upper gastrointestinal bleeding from esophageal or gastric varices is the most dangerous complication of portal hypertension. The purpose of this study was to identify the predictors of early rebleeding and mortality after a bleeding episode. Patients and Methods: It was a retrospective study including 215 patients admitted in our department of hepatology and gastroenterology at the Hassan II University Hospital of Fez, from January 2001 to January 2010. Results: The mean age of our patients was 51 years. Thirty percent of patients had cirrhosis due to virus (B or C). The majority of patients (79%) had only esophageal varices. Fifty patients (23%) had a bleeding recurrence. Twenty-five patients (11.5%) died during the first ten days, of which 52% had presented rebleeding (p = 0.01). In 30% of cases, the rebleeding was secondary to a fall of pressure ulcers. Univariate analysis showed that early mortality of patients was significantly associated with advanced age (p = 0.018), low prothrombin time (PT) (p = 0.022), low serum sodium (p = 0.03), low platelet count (p = 0.05), and elevated transaminases (p = 0.02). Conclusion: The survival of cirrhotic patients after a bleeding episode was influenced by advanced age, a low rate of PT, of serum sodium, and of the platelet count, and elevated transaminases.

Acute pancreatitis revealing ulcerative colitis—A case report

The association of acute pancreatitis with ulcerative colitis [UC] has been described in the literature. It is usually induced by drugs, but sometimes it may be idiopathic. This association remains rare. We report the case of a patient who was treated in our department. Medical observation: Mr. KA, a 60-year-old man, was admitted in our unit for management of acute epigastric. The clinical examination at the admission was normal. After eliminating a cardiac or surgical cause, the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis was made on the basis of the presence of a serum lipase up to 5 times the normal level and pain intensity. An abdominal scanner tomography was performed for the assessment of the pancreatitis. It has shown a pancreatitis stage C associated with a thick rectosigmoidien that was discovered incidentally. Symptomatology was enriched 10 days after by the occurrence of rectal bleeding. A lower endoscopy was performed after the improvement of the pancreatitis and had shown an ulcerative colitis on pancolitis which was confirmed by biopsy. In order to search other causes of this pancreatitis, other tests were made [a biliary IRM, endoscopic ultrasonography, autoimmune tests] and the results were negative. We concluded an idiopathic pancreatitis. The ulcerative colitis was classified as moderate and the patient was put on oral corticosteroids with degression. The evolution was marked by a clinical and biological improvement of pancreatitis and colitis. Conclusion: The association of idiopathic pancreatitis with ulcerative colitis is rare. The case of our patient is the first case reported in our series with 400 cases of ulcerative colitis diagnosed in our service.

Pregnancy with Gastric Stromal Tumor

Background: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. GIST are rare during pregnancy. We report here the case of a patient who was admitted in our university hospital for GIST discovered during the second trimester of pregnancy. She was 42 years old, in the fifth months of pregnancy. She was admitted for biliary colic pain with vomiting. On abdominal examination, we objectified a distended abdomen with uterine height of 18 cm and epigastric mass of 10 cm. Abdominal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a hepatic, tissue and cystic mass, developing at the expense of the left liver. Endoscopy objectified an aspect of extrinsic compression at the front of the stomach. A cesarean was scheduled at the 35th month of pregnancy for fetal extraction and rescue. Exploration of the peritoneal cavity during surgery has objectified a hepatic highly vascularised mass reaching up to the umbilicus. This mass was unresectable. A postoperative CT scan revealed a large bilobed epigastric mass adhering to the stomach and the left liver. Histological and immunohistochemical study of hepatic process showed a gastrointestinal stromal tumor of high risk of malignancy. Conclusion: few cases have been reported in the literature on GIST during pregnancy showing the rarity of the condition that requires multidisciplinary care.