Gastric Cancer Revealed by a Perforated Ulcer: A Case Report and Review

Introduction: Gastric cancer is not typically a surgical emergency. However, it can evolve into urgent complications such as a perforation. We report a case of a perforated gastric ulcer that turned out to be a cancer. Observation: A 52-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department of Hubert-Koutoukou-Maga National University Medical Center in Cotonou for generalized abdominal pain. He was diagnosed with acute generalized peritonitis with perforated gastric ulcer, establishing a surgical indication. An antral perforation was found and a simple closure was performed. Anatomopathological examination of the surgical piece revealed a gastric adenocarcinoma within the granulation tissue. Following the impact assessment, he underwent a second surgery where a distal gastrectomy was performed with D2 lymphadenectomy followed by gastrojejunostomy. He developed an anastomotic gastrointestinal fistula during the postoperative period but was successfully medically treated. The patient received adjuvant chemotherapy with Epirubicin, Cisplatin and 5-Fluorouracil. The patient is still alive, 3 years after the gastrectomy. Conclusion: When faced with a perforated gastric ulcer, one must also consider a neoplastic cause. The emergency surgical treatment depends on the general condition of the patient and the pre-existing co-morbidities, the choice being made between a one-stage versus two-stage gastrectomy.

Diagnosis of cirrhosis and portal hypertension:imaging,non-invasive markers of fibrosis and liver biopsy

The concept of‘cirrhosis’is evolving and it is now clear that compensated and decompensated cirrhosis are completely different in terms of prognosis.Furthermore,the term‘advanced chronic liver disease(ACLD)’better reflects the continuum of histological changes occurring in the liver,which continue to progress even after cirrhosis has developed,and might regress after removing the etiological factor causing the liver disease.In compensated ACLD,portal hypertension marks the progression to a stage with higher risk of clinical complication and requires an appropriate evaluation and treatment.Invasive tests to diagnose cirrhosis(liver biopsy)and portal hypertension(hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement and endoscopy)remain of crucial importance in several difficult clinical scenarios,but their need can be reduced by using different non-invasive tests in standard cases.Among non-invasive tests,the accepted use,major limitations and major benefits of serum markers of fibrosis,elastography and imaging methods are summarized in the present review.

Hepatocyte apoptosis fragment product cytokeratin-18 M30 level and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis risk diagnosis:an international registry study

Background:Liver biopsy for the diagnosis of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH)is limited by its inherent invasiveness and possible sampling errors.Some studies have shown that cytokeratin-18(CK-18)concentrations may be useful in diagnosing NASH,but results across studies have been inconsistent.We aimed to identify the utility of CK-18 M30 concentrations as an alternative to liver biopsy for non-invasive identification of NASH.Methods:Individual data were collected from 14 registry centers on patients with biopsy-proven non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD),and in all patients,circulating CK-18 M30 levels were measured.Individuals with a NAFLD activity score(NAS)≥5 with a score of≥1 for each of steatosis,ballooning,and lobular inflammation were diagnosed as having definite NASH;individuals with a NAS≤2 and no fibrosis were diagnosed as having non-alcoholic fatty liver(NAFL).Results:A total of 2571 participants were screened,and 1008(153 with NAFL and 855 with NASH)were finally enrolled.Median CK-18 M30 levels were higher in patients with NASH than in those with NAFL(mean difference 177 U/L;standardized mean difference[SMD]:0.87[0.69–1.04]).There was an interaction between CK-18 M30 levels and serum alanine aminotransferase,body mass index(BMI),and hypertension(P<0.001,P=0.026 and P=0.049,respectively).CK-18 M30 levels were positively associated with histological NAS in most centers.The area under the receiver operating characteristics(AUROC)for NASH was 0.750(95%confidence intervals:0.714–0.787),and CK-18 M30 at Youden’s index maximum was 275.7 U/L.Both sensitivity(55%[52%–59%])and positive predictive value(59%)were not ideal.Conclusion:This large multicenter registry study shows that CK-18 M30 measurement in isolation is of limited value for non-invasively diagnosing NASH.