Chronic hepatitis E: A brief review

Hepatitis E viral infection has traditionally been considered an acute, self-limited, water borne disease similar to hepatitis A, endemic to developing countries. However, over the past decade, zoonotic transmission and progression to chronicity in human patients has been identified, resulting in persistently elevated transaminase levels, progressive liver injury and cirrhosis. In addition to liver injury, neurological, renal and rheumatological manifestations have also been reported. Chronic hepatitis E occurs mainly in immunosuppressed individuals such as transplant recipients, human immunodeficiency virus patients with low CD4 counts and in patients with hematological malignancies receiving chemotherapy. Diagnosis is established by persistent elevation of hepatitis E virus RNA in the stool or serum. This population often requires treatment with antiviral agents, particularly ribavirin, as spontaneous clearance with reduction in immunosuppression occurs only in about a third of the patients. The purpose of this review, is to further discuss the clinical presentation, and recent advances in diagnosis, treatment and prophylaxis of chronic hepatitis E.

Portal hypertensive enteropathy

Portal hypertensive enteropathy(PHE) is a condition that describes the pathologic changes and mucosal abnormalities observed in the small intestine of patients with portal hypertension. This entity is being increasingly recognized and better understood over the past decade due to increased accessibility of the small intestine made possible by the introduction of video capsule endoscopy and deep enteroscopy. Though challenged by its diverse endoscopic appearance, multiple scoring systems have been proposed to classify the endoscopic presentationand grade its severity. Endoscopic findings can be broadly categorized into vascular and non-vascular lesions with many subtypes of both categories. Clinical manifestations of PHE can range from asymptomatic incidental findings to fatal gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Classic endoscopic findings in the setting of portal hypertension may lead to a prompt diagnosis. Occasionally histopathology and cross sectional imaging like computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging may be helpful in establishing a diagnosis. Management of overt bleeding requires multidisciplinary approach involving hepatologists, endoscopists, surgeons, and interventional radiologists. Adequate resuscitation, reduction of portal pressure, and endoscopic therapeutic intervention remain the main principles of the initial treatment. This article reviews the existing evidence on PHE with emphasis on its classification, diagnosis, clinical manifestations, endoscopic appearance, pathological findings, and clinical management. A new schematic management of ectopic variceal bleed is also proposed.

Role of pancreatoscopy in management of pancreatic disease:A systematic review

BACKGROUND Per-oral pancreatoscopy(POP) plays a role in the diagnosis and therapy of pancreatic diseases. With recent technological advances, there has been renewed interest in this modality.AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of POP in management of pancreatic stone disease and pancreatic ductal neoplasia.METHODS To determine the safety and efficacy of POP in the management of pancreatic diseases, a systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE and Ovid.Articles in languages other than English and case reports were excluded. All published case series were eligible. Data specific to POP were extracted from studies, which combined cholangiopancreatoscopy. Ten studies were included in the analysis of POP therapy for pancreatic stone disease, and 15 case series satisfied the criteria for inclusion for the role of POP in the management of pancreatic ductal neoplasia. The examined data were subcategorized according to adjunctive modalities, such as direct tissue sampling, cytology, the role of intraoperative POP, intraductal ultrasound(IDUS) and POP combined with image-enhancing technology.RESULTS The success rate for complete ductal stone clearance ranged from 37.5%-100%.Factors associated with failure included the presence of strictures, multiple stonesand the inability to visualize the target area. Although direct visualization can identify malignant and premalignant conditions, there is significant overlap with benign diseases. Visually-directed biopsies provide a high degree of accuracy,and represent a unique approach for tissue acquisition in patients with ductal abnormalities. Addition of pancreatic fluid cytology increases diagnostic yield for indeterminate lesions. Protrusions larger than 3 mm noted on IDUS are significantly more likely to be associated with malignancy. The rate of adverse events associated with POP ranged from 0%-35%.CONCLUSION Current evidence supports wider adoption of pancreatoscopy, as it is safe and effective. Improved patient selection and utilization of novel technologies may further enhance its role in managing pancreatic disease.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography under moderate sedation and factors predicting need for anesthesiologist directed sedation: A county hospital experience

AIM: To evaluate variables associated with failure of gastroenterologist directed moderate sedation (GDS) during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and derive a predictive model for use of anesthesiologist directed sedation (ADS) in selected patients. METHODS: With institutional review board approval, we retrospectively analyzed consecutive records of all patients who underwent ERCPs between July 1, 2009 to October 1, 2011 to identify patient related and procedure related factors which could predict failure of GDS. For patient related factors, we abstracted and analyzeddata regarding the age, gender, ethnicity, alcohol and illicit drug use habits. For procedure related factors, we abstracted data regarding initial or repeat procedures, indication for performing ERCP, the interventions performed during ERCP, and the grade d difficulty of cannulation as defined in the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy guidelines. Our outcome of interest was procedural success. If the procedure was not successful, the reasons for failure of procedures were recorded along with immediate post procedure complications. Multivariate analysis was then performed to define factors associated with failure of GDS and a model constructed to predict requirement of ADS. RESULTS: Fourteen percent of patients undergoing GDS could not complete the procedure due to intolerance and 2% due to cardiovascular complications. Substance abuse, male gender, black race and alcohol use were significant predictors of failure of GDS on univariate analysis and substance abuse and higher grade of procedure remained significant on multivariate analysis. Using our predictive model where the presence of substance abuse was given 1 point and planned grade of intervention was scored from 1-3, only 12% patients with a score of 1 would require ADS due to failure of GDS, compared to 50% with a score of 3 or higher. CONCLUSION: We conclude that ERCP under GDS is safe and effective for low grade procedures, and ADS should be judiciously reserved for procedures which have a higher risk of failure with moderate sedation.

Hepatic Kaposi sarcoma: A case report and review of the literature

Kaposi sarcoma(KS) is an aggressive cancer caused by human herpesvirus-8, primarily seen in immunocompromised patients. As opposed to the well-described cutaneous manifestations and pulmonary complications of KS, hepatic KS is rarely reported before death as most patients with hepatic KS do not manifest symptoms or evidence of liver injury. In patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome, hepatic involvement of KS is present in 12%-24% of the population on incidental imaging and in approximately 35% of patients with cutaneous KS if an autopsy was completed after their death. Patients with clinically significant hepatic injury due to hepatic KS usually have an aggressive course of disease with hepatic failure often progressing to multi-organ failure and death. Here we report an unusual presentation of acute liver injury due to hepatic KS and briefly review the published literature on hepatic KS.

Extreme hyperbilirubinemia: An indicator of morbidity and mortality in sickle cell disease

BACKGROUND Sickle cell disease(SCD) is a disorder that results in increased hospitalizations and higher mortality. Advances in management have resulted in increases in life expectancy and led to increasing awareness of sickle cell hepatopathy(SCH).However, its impact in patients on the natural history and outcomes of SCD is not known. Our study aims to describe the prevalence of extreme hyperbilirubinemia(EH), one form of SCH, its effect on morbidity and mortality,and correlations between sickle cell genotype and SCH type. We hypothesize that EH is associated with higher morbidity and mortality.AIM To investigate the effects of EH on morbidity and mortality among patients with SCD.METHODS This retrospective cohort study was performed using a database of patients with SCD treated at Grady Memorial Hospital between May 2004 and January 2017.Patients with EH(defined as total bilirubin above 13.0 mg/dL) were identified. A control group was identified from the same database with patients with total serum bilirubin ≤ 5.0 mg/dL. Electronic medical records were used to extract demographic information, laboratory values, radiology results, current medications, need for transfusions and mortality data. Two samples T-test, chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test were then used to compare the parameters between the two groups.RESULTS Out of the database, fifty-seven charts were found of patients with bilirubin > 13 mg/dL. Prevalence of severe SCH as defined by EH was 4.8%(57/1172). There were no demographic differences between patients with and without EH.Significant genotypic differences existed between the two groups, with hemoglobin SS SCD being much higher in the EH group(P < 0.001). Patients with severe EH had a significant elevations in alanine aminotransferase(157.0 ± 266.2 IU/L vs 19.8 ± 21.3 IU/L, P < 0.001), aspartate aminotransferase(256.5 ± 485.9 U/L vs 28.2 ± 14.7 U/L, P < 0.001) and alkaline phosphatase(218.0 ± 176.2 IU/L vs 85.9 ± 68.4 IU/L, P < 0.001). Patients with EH had significantly higher degree of end organ failure measured with quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores(0.42 ± 0.68 vs 0.01 ± 0.12, P < 0.001), increased need for blood products(63% vs 5%, P < 0.001), and exchange transfusions(10.5% vs 1.3%, P = 0.022).CONCLUSION Among patients with SCD, elevated levels of total bilirubin are rare, but indicative of elevated morbidity, mortality, and need for blood transfusions.Large differences in sickle cell genotype also exist, but the significance of this is unknown.

Acute and chronic hepatobiliary manifestations of sickle cell disease: A review

Sickle cell disease(SCD) is a common hemoglobinopathy which can affect multiple organ systems in the body. Within the digestive tract, the hepatobiliary system is most commonly affected in SCD. The manifestations range from benign hyperbilirubinemia to overt liver failure, with the spectrum of acute clinical presentations often referred to as "sickle cell hepatopathy". This is an umbrella term referring to liver dysfunction and hyperbilirubinemia due to intrahepatic sickling process during SCD crisis leading to ischemia, sequestration and cholestasis. In this review, we detail the pathophysiology, clinical presentation and biochemical features of various acute and chronic hepatobiliary manifestations of SCD and present and evaluate existing evidence with regards to management of this disease process. We also discuss recent advances and controversies such as the role of liver transplantation in sickle cell hepatopathy and highlight important questions in this field which would require further research. Our aim with this review is to help increase the understanding, aid in early diagnosis and improve management of this important disease process.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with ampullary biopsy vs ERCP alone:a matched-pairs controlled evaluation of outcomes and complications

Background and aims:Biopsy of the ampulla of Vatermay be performed to evaluate for ampullary adenomas,suspected ampullary tumors and immunohistological staining for autoimmune pancreatitis.Ampullary biopsies are commonly performed at the time of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP).Due to the well-established complication rate following ERCP,the contribution of ampullary biopsy as a potential independent risk factor would require a controlled comparison.Methods:A matched-pairs,case-control analysis was performed for patients undergoing ERCP with or without ampullary biopsy.The analysis involved a retrospective review of adult patients at a tertiary-care center who underwent ampullary biopsies during ERCP compared(via procedural complexity)with a matched control group who underwent ERCP without ampullary biopsies.Results:Of 159 procedures involving ampullary biopsy,54 ERCPs that met the inclusion criteria were performed with ampullary biopsy and included in the analysis cohort.This cohort was compared with 54 patients undergoing ERCP without ampullary biopsy,matched by American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy(ASGE)grade of procedural complexity.There were no patients with sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.Ampullary biopsies suggested a diagnosis in 75.9% of the procedures including 12 adenomas,5 adenocarcinomas and 1 intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm.Including major and minor complications,the overall complication rate with biopsy(9.3%)was equivalent to the complication rate in the control group without ampullary biopsy(9.3%,P>0.99).The incidence of post-procedure pancreatitis was not significantly different between the two groups(5.6% vs 3.7%,P=0.6).Age and pancreatic duct manipulation,but not ampullary biopsy,were associated with complications on multivariate analysis in the study population.Conclusions:Ampullary biopsy performed during ERCP had a high diagnostic yield and was not associated with an increased rate of post-procedure complications or pancreatitis when compared with ERCP alone.