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BACKGROUND: The natural history and incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) arising from indeterminate liver lesions are not well described. We aimed to define the incidence of HCC in a cohort of patients undergoing surveillance by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and estimate any associations with incident HCC. METHODS: We performed a retrospective follow-up study, identifying MRI scans in which indeterminate lesions had been reported between January 2006 and January 2017. Subsequent MRI scan reports were reviewed for incident HCC arising from indeterminate lesions, data were extracted from electronic patient records and survival analysis performed to estimate associations with baseline factors. RESULTS: One hundred and nine patients with indeterminate lesions on MRI were identified. HCC developed in 19 (17%) patients over mean follow up of 4.6 years. Univariate Cox proportional hazards analysis found incident HCC to be significantly associated with baseline low platelet count (hazard ratio (HR) = 7.3 (95% confidence intervals (CI) 2.1-24.9), high serum alpha-fetoprotein level (HR = 2.7 (95% CI 1.0-7.1)) and alcohol consumption above fourteen units weekly (HR = 3.1 (95% CI 1.1-8.7)). Multivariate analysis, however, found that only low platelet count was independently associated with HCC (HR = 5.5 (95% CI 0.6-5.1)). CONCLUSIONS: HCC arises in approximately one fifth of indeterminate liver lesions over 4.6 years and is associated with a low platelet count at the time of first diagnosis of an indeterminate lesion. Incidence of HCC was more common in people with viral hepatitis and in those consuming > 14 units of alcohol per week. Our data may be used to support a strategy of enhanced surveillance in patients with indeterminate lesions.
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Carcinoma Hepatocelular , Neoplasias Hepáticas , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/complicações , Seguimentos , Humanos , Neoplasias Hepáticas/complicações , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is commonly diagnosed using non-invasive radiological criteria (NIRC) defined by the European Association for the Study of the Liver or the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. In 2017, The National Institute for Clinical Excellence mandated histological confirmation of disease to authorise the use of sorafenib in the UK. METHODS: This was a prospective multicentre audit in which patients suitable for sorafenib were identified at multidisciplinary meetings. The primary analysis cohort (PAC) was defined by the presence of Child-Pugh class A liver disease and performance status 0-2. Clinical, radiological and histological data were reported locally and collected on a standardised case report form. RESULTS: Eleven centres reported 418 cases, of which 361 comprised the PAC. Overall, 76% had chronic liver disease and 66% were cirrhotic. The diagnostic imaging was computed tomography in 71%, magnetic resonance imaging in 27% and 2% had both. Pre-existing histology was available in 45 patients and 270 underwent a new biopsy, which confirmed HCC in 93.4%. Alternative histological diagnoses included cholangiocarcinoma (CC) and combined HCC-CC. In cirrhotic patients, NIRC criteria had a sensitivity of 65.4% and a positive predictive value of 91.4% to detect HCC. Two patients (0.7%) experienced mild post-biopsy bleeding. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic biopsy is safe and feasible for most patients eligible for systemic therapy.
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Carcinoma Hepatocelular/diagnóstico por imagem , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/patologia , Neoplasias Hepáticas/diagnóstico por imagem , Neoplasias Hepáticas/patologia , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Biópsia/estatística & dados numéricos , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/tratamento farmacológico , Colangiocarcinoma , Humanos , Neoplasias Hepáticas/tratamento farmacológico , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/estatística & dados numéricos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Estudos Prospectivos , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X/estatística & dados numéricos , Reino Unido , Adulto JovemRESUMO
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Failure to control oesophago-gastric variceal bleeding (OGVB) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) are both important prognostic factors in cirrhosis. The aims of this study were to determine whether ACLF and its severity define the risk of death in OGVB and whether insertion of rescue transjugular intrahepatic shunt (TIPS) improves survival in patients with failure to control OGVB and ACLF. METHODS: Data on 174 consecutive eligible patients, with failure to control OGVB between 2005 and 2015, were collected from a prospectively maintained intensive care unit registry. Rescue TIPS was defined as technically successful TIPS within 72 hours of presentation with failure to control OGVB. Cox-proportional hazards regression analyses were applied to explore the impact of ACLF and TIPS on survival in patients with failure to control OGVB. RESULTS: Patients with ACLF (n = 119) were significantly older, had organ failures and higher white cell count than patients with acute decompensation (AD, n = 55). Mortality at 42-days and 1-year was significantly higher in patients with ACLF (47.9% and 61.3%) than in those with AD (9.1% and 12.7%, p <0.001), whereas there was no difference in the number of endoscopies and transfusion requirements between these groups. TIPS was inserted in 78 patients (AD 21 [38.2%]; ACLF 57 [47.8%]; p = 0.41). In ACLF, rescue TIPS insertion was an independent favourable prognostic factor for 42-day mortality. In contrast, rescue TIPS did not impact on the outcome of patients with AD. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that in patients with failure to control OGVB, the presence and severity of ACLF determines the risk of 42-day and 1-year mortality. Rescue TIPS is associated with improved survival in patients with ACLF. LAY SUMMARY: Variceal bleeding that is not controlled by initial endoscopy is associated with high risk of death. The results of this study showed that in the occurrence of failure of the liver and other organs defines the risk of death. In these patients, insertion of a shunt inside the liver to drain the portal vein improves survival.
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Insuficiência Hepática Crônica Agudizada , Transfusão de Sangue , Varizes Esofágicas e Gástricas , Hemorragia Gastrointestinal , Hemostasia Cirúrgica , Cirrose Hepática , Derivação Portossistêmica Transjugular Intra-Hepática/métodos , Insuficiência Hepática Crônica Agudizada/sangue , Insuficiência Hepática Crônica Agudizada/diagnóstico , Insuficiência Hepática Crônica Agudizada/etiologia , Insuficiência Hepática Crônica Agudizada/mortalidade , Fatores Etários , Transfusão de Sangue/métodos , Transfusão de Sangue/estatística & dados numéricos , Varizes Esofágicas e Gástricas/complicações , Varizes Esofágicas e Gástricas/diagnóstico , Feminino , Hemorragia Gastrointestinal/etiologia , Hemorragia Gastrointestinal/mortalidade , Hemorragia Gastrointestinal/cirurgia , Hemostasia Cirúrgica/métodos , Hemostasia Cirúrgica/estatística & dados numéricos , Humanos , Unidades de Terapia Intensiva/estatística & dados numéricos , Contagem de Leucócitos/métodos , Cirrose Hepática/complicações , Cirrose Hepática/diagnóstico , Londres/epidemiologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mortalidade , Escores de Disfunção Orgânica , Prognóstico , Medição de Risco , Falha de TratamentoRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: The impact of sarcopenia in patients undergoing transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPSS) insertion for refractory ascites is unknown. METHODS: All adult patients who underwent TIPSS insertion for refractory ascites between 2010 and 2018 were included. Skeletal muscle index at L3 was used to determine sarcopenia status. RESULTS: One hundred seven patients were followed for 14.2 months. Sarcopenia was present in 57% of patients. No patient had history of pre-TIPSS hepatic encephalopathy (HE). De novo HE occurred in 30% of patients. On multivariate analysis, only platelet count and L3-SMI predicted de novo HE. On multivariate analysis, age and model for end-stage liver disease with sodium predicted mortality, whereas L3-SMI and sarcopenia did not. In patients with repeat imaging, L3-SMI improved significantly post-TIPSS compared with baseline. DISCUSSION: Sarcopenia should not be considered as a contraindication to TIPSS insertion in refractory ascites because it is not associated with de novo HE or increased mortality.
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Ascite/cirurgia , Cirrose Hepática/complicações , Derivação Portossistêmica Transjugular Intra-Hepática , Sarcopenia/complicações , Adulto , Idoso , Ascite/etiologia , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Feminino , Encefalopatia Hepática/epidemiologia , Encefalopatia Hepática/etiologia , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Análise Multivariada , Músculo Esquelético/diagnóstico por imagem , Paracentese , Prognóstico , Modelos de Riscos Proporcionais , Músculos Psoas/diagnóstico por imagem , Recidiva , Estudos Retrospectivos , Sarcopenia/diagnóstico por imagem , Taxa de SobrevidaAssuntos
Dor Abdominal/etiologia , Síndrome Antifosfolipídica/complicações , Síndrome Antifosfolipídica/diagnóstico , Febre/etiologia , Hepatopatias/etiologia , Dor Abdominal/diagnóstico por imagem , Adulto , Doença Catastrófica , Febre/diagnóstico por imagem , Humanos , Hepatopatias/diagnóstico por imagem , Hepatopatias/patologia , MasculinoRESUMO
Increased preoperative inflammation scores, such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and inflammation-based index (IBI) have been related to post-transplant HCC recurrence. We evaluated the association between inflammation-based scores (NLR, PLR, IBI) and post-LT HCC recurrence as well as tumor necrosis after transarterial embolization. 150 consecutive patients who underwent transplantation for HCC within the Milan criteria between 1996 and 2010 were included; data regarding inflammatory markers, patient and tumor characteristics were analyzed. NLR, PLR, and IBI were not significantly associated with post-LT HCC recurrence or worse overall survival. Increased NLR and PLR were associated with complete tumor necrosis in the subset of patients who received preoperative transarterial embolization (P < 0.05). Cox regression analysis revealed that absence of neoadjuvant transarterial therapy (OR = 4.33, 95% CI = 1.28-14.64; P = 0.02) and no fulfillment of the Milan criteria in the explanted liver (OR = 3.34, 95% CI = 1.08-10.35; P = 0.04) were independently associated with post-LT HCC recurrence inflammation-based scores did not predict HCC recurrence post-LT in our group of patients. NLR and PLR were associated with better response to TAE, as this was recorded histologically in the explanted liver. Histological fulfillment of the Milan criteria and absence of neoadjuvant transarterial treatment were significantly associated with post-LT HCC recurrence.
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Carcinoma Hepatocelular/imunologia , Neoplasias Hepáticas/imunologia , Transplante de Fígado , Recidiva Local de Neoplasia/imunologia , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/imunologia , Albuminas/metabolismo , Biomarcadores/sangue , Proteína C-Reativa/metabolismo , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/patologia , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/cirurgia , Feminino , Humanos , Fígado/patologia , Neoplasias Hepáticas/patologia , Neoplasias Hepáticas/cirurgia , Contagem de Linfócitos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Contagem de Plaquetas , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Estudos ProspectivosRESUMO
Midgut neuroendocrine tumors (MNETs) are rare, and the primary tumor is usually small and difficult to visualize at imaging. Patients often present late with extensive liver and nodal metastases and may experience symptoms secondary to the release of active substances by the primary tumor, such as serotonin and its metabolites, which have local and systemic effects. Locally, this causes desmoplasia and vascular encasement and may lead to small bowel obstruction and ischemia, with significant morbidity and mortality. Systemically, the release of active substances into the circulation can cause flushing, diarrhea, and abdominal pain (carcinoid syndrome); these substances can be detected in urine and blood serum and used as markers for diagnosis and treatment follow-up. MNETs retain expression of specific peptide receptors such as somatostatin receptors, which will bind to synthetic somatostatin analogs such as octreotide. This feature is useful for functional imaging of patients with MNETs and for peptide receptor radionuclide therapy using somatostatin analogs. Resection of the primary tumor is advocated, even in patients with extensive metastases, because it may prevent development of local complications, can help control systemic symptoms, and has been shown to confer some survival advantage. Computed tomography and functional imaging are used to identify the primary tumor and assess its resectability. The main factors governing resectability are patient comorbidities (eg, carcinoid heart disease), vascular involvement, and desmoplasia.
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Neoplasias do Colo/diagnóstico , Diagnóstico por Imagem , Neoplasias do Íleo/diagnóstico , Neoplasias do Jejuno/diagnóstico , Tumores Neuroendócrinos/diagnóstico , Algoritmos , Neoplasias do Colo/cirurgia , Humanos , Neoplasias do Íleo/cirurgia , Neoplasias do Jejuno/cirurgia , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Tumores Neuroendócrinos/cirurgia , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios XRESUMO
AIMS: Sorafenib is the only standard therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, but has a low response rate. Leucovorin and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) has a superior response rate versus doxorubicin among Asian sorafenib-naive patients. We aimed to retrospectively review the outcome of 20 consecutive patients treated with FOLFOX at a single European center. MATERIALS & METHODS: Patients had symptomatic disease burdens unlikely to regress with sorafenib or had no proven treatment options (sorafenib-refractory or recurrence post liver transplantation). RESULTS: One sorafenib-refractory patient had a complete response and two liver transplant patients experienced partial responses. Median overall survival was 6.3 months. There was one chemotherapy death due to neutropenic sepsis. CONCLUSION: In advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, FOLFOX can induce clinically relevant responses, but needs prospective validation.
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Protocolos de Quimioterapia Combinada Antineoplásica/uso terapêutico , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/tratamento farmacológico , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/patologia , Neoplasias Hepáticas/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Hepáticas/patologia , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/diagnóstico , Criança , Embolização Terapêutica/efeitos adversos , Embolização Terapêutica/métodos , Fluoruracila/administração & dosagem , Humanos , Masculino , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Compostos Organoplatínicos/administração & dosagem , Oxaliplatina , Estudos Retrospectivos , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
CONTEXT: With the more frequent use of cross sectional imaging, the detection of cystic pancreatic incidentalomas has become a relatively common entity. The commonest cystic incidentalomas are neoplastic. Pseudocysts are the most single common pathological entity. Foregut cystic lesions as a pathological entity are rare but mostly observed in the mediastinum. Ciliated foregut cysts of the pancreas are very rare and an extremely uncommon cause of a cystic lesion within the pancreas. CASE REPORT: We present herewith an uncommon case of a large cystic lesion, confirmed as a ciliated foregut cyst on final histology arising from the body and tail of the pancreas. The lesion was very effectively treated with a laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy. CONCLUSION: The rarity of the lesion makes the case worth reporting.
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Selective intra-arterial radiotherapy (SIRT) is a technique which has evolved over the past 30 years. In present this is primarily used to treat primary and secondary tumors in the liver. The technique normally depends on the delivery of a therapeutic radiopharmaceutical or radiolabeled particulate via a radiologically placed intra-arterial catheter in the hepatic artery. This is because most of these tumors have a single arterial blood supply but normal hepatocytes are supplied by both the hepatic artery and portal vein. Initially, this was done with I-131 labelled poppy seed oil but this technique was only used in a few centers. The technique became more popular when Y-90 particulates become widely available. Early results were promising but in phase 3 randomized controlled trials resulted in disappointing results compared to systemic chemotherapy. More recent work however, have shown that increasing the radiation dose to the tumor to at least 60Gy and combining with more effective systemic therapies are starting to produce better clinical results. There have also been advances in the angiographic methods used to make this into a day-case technique and the use of new radionuclides such as Ho-166 and Re-188 provides a wider range of possible SIRT techniques.
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Neoplasias Hepáticas , Humanos , Neoplasias Hepáticas/radioterapia , Neoplasias Hepáticas/diagnóstico por imagemRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: In liver cirrhosis, acute variceal bleeding (AVB) is associated with a 1-year mortality rate of up to 40%. Data on early or pre-emptive transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent-shunt (TIPSS) in AVB is inconclusive and may not reflect current management strategies. Randomised controlled trial of EArly transjugular intrahepatiC porTosystemic stent-shunt in AVB (REACT-AVB) aims to investigate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of early TIPSS in patients with cirrhosis and AVB after initial bleeding control. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: REACT-AVB is a multicentre, randomised controlled, open-label, superiority, two-arm, parallel-group trial with an internal pilot. The two interventions allocated randomly 1:1 are early TIPSS within 4 days of diagnostic endoscopy or secondary prophylaxis with endoscopic therapy in combination with non-selective beta blockers. Patients aged ≥18 years with cirrhosis and Child-Pugh Score 7-13 presenting with AVB with endoscopic haemostasis are eligible for inclusion. The primary outcome is transplant-free survival at 1 year post randomisation. Secondary endpoints include transplant-free survival at 6 weeks, rebleeding, serious adverse events, other complications of cirrhosis, Child-Pugh and Model For End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores at 6 and 12 months, health-related quality of life, use of healthcare resources, cost-effectiveness and use of cross-over therapies. The sample size is 294 patients over a 4-year recruitment period, across 30 hospitals in the UK. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Research ethics committee of National Health Service has approved REACT-AVB (reference number: 23/WM/0085). The results will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. A lay summary will also be emailed or posted to participants before publication. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN85274829; protocol version 3.0, 1 July 2023.
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Doença Hepática Terminal , Varizes Esofágicas e Gástricas , Derivação Portossistêmica Transjugular Intra-Hepática , Humanos , Adolescente , Adulto , Derivação Portossistêmica Transjugular Intra-Hepática/efeitos adversos , Varizes Esofágicas e Gástricas/complicações , Varizes Esofágicas e Gástricas/cirurgia , Qualidade de Vida , Medicina Estatal , Hemorragia Gastrointestinal/cirurgia , Hemorragia Gastrointestinal/etiologia , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Cirrose Hepática/complicações , Cirrose Hepática/cirurgia , Stents/efeitos adversos , Ensaios Clínicos Controlados Aleatórios como Assunto , Estudos Multicêntricos como AssuntoRESUMO
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Neo-adjuvant transarterial therapies are commonly used for patients with HCC in the waiting list for liver transplantation (LT) to delay tumour progression, however, their effectiveness is not well-established. We studied the effect of pre-LT transarterial therapies on post-LT HCC recurrence, using the explanted liver histology to assess therapeutic efficacy and the predictors of response to these therapies. METHODS: We included 150 consecutive patients from our prospectively compiled database, listed for liver transplantation using the Milan criteria. Transarterial embolization without chemotherapeutic agents was the transarterial therapy used as standard of care. PVA particles were the embolizing agent of choice. RESULTS: Sixty-seven (45%) patients had TAE as bridging therapy to liver transplantation, of which 60 were transplanted after 2001. The majority of patients (36, 54%) had partial tumour necrosis after transarterial therapy, whereas 22 (33%) had complete tumour necrosis and 9 (13%) had no necrosis. HCC post-transplant recurrence was independently associated with no neo-adjuvant transarterial therapy (OR 5.395, 95% CI 1.289-22.577; P = 0.021) and the total radiological size of HCC nodules (OR 1.037, 95% CI 1.006-1.069; P = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: Pre-transplant TAE with the more permanently occluding PVA particles significantly reduces post-transplant HCC recurrence in patients within the Milan criteria.
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Carcinoma Hepatocelular/terapia , Embolização Terapêutica , Neoplasias Hepáticas/terapia , Transplante de Fígado , Terapia Neoadjuvante , Álcool de Polivinil/administração & dosagem , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/irrigação sanguínea , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/secundário , Carcinoma Hepatocelular/cirurgia , Feminino , Humanos , Neoplasias Hepáticas/irrigação sanguínea , Neoplasias Hepáticas/patologia , Neoplasias Hepáticas/cirurgia , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Análise Multivariada , Necrose , Recidiva Local de Neoplasia , Razão de Chances , Fatores de Risco , Fatores de Tempo , Resultado do Tratamento , Listas de EsperaRESUMO
Objective: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is the treatment of choice for large renal calculi. The prone position has been considered the preferred position to obtain renal access. However, the supine position has recently gained popularity, which confers several potential advantages. The current study analyses the prognostic factors for successful supine PCNL procedures in a larger tertiary centre. Subjects: Prospective data were collected from all patients undergoing PCNL in the Galdako modified Valdivia position at our institution between February-2007 and September-2020. Surgical outcomes variables collected included: the rate of Endoscopic-combined intra-renal surgery (ECIRS), operative times, surgical effectiveness (no residuals <2 mm stone fragments) and complications. Results: A total of 592 patients underwent PCNL with a median age of 56 years (IQR: 42−67). The median stone size was 17 mm (IQR: 13−23). Of those, 79% of patients had an effective procedure. Stone size (p < 0.001), location (p < 0.001) and Guys-Stone Score (GSS) (p < 0.001) were associated with effectiveness. A Percutaneous nephrostomy tube was sited at the completion of the procedure in 97.3% of patients and a simultaneous double-J stent in 45.3%. Stent insertion was associated with larger stones (p < 0.001), the performance of ECIRS (p < 0.001) and higher GSS (p < 0.001). The overall complication rate was 21.7%. The main type of complication was an infection in 26.2 of the cases followed by the need for repeated nephrostogram in 12.7%. Conclusions: We demonstrate that PCNL in a high-volume centre is safe and efficacious in the Galdalko modified Valdivia position. Patients with smaller stones in the renal pelvis and a low GSS have the highest chance of a successful procedure.
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INTRODUCTION: Chronic liver disease is a growing cause of morbidity and mortality in the UK. Acute presentation with advanced disease is common and prioritisation of resources to those at highest risk at earlier disease stages is essential to improving patient outcomes. Existing prognostic tools are of limited accuracy and to date no imaging-based tools are used in clinical practice, despite multiple anatomical imaging features that worsen with disease severity.In this paper, we outline our scoping review protocol that aims to provide an overview of existing prognostic factors and models that link anatomical imaging features with clinical endpoints in chronic liver disease. This will provide a summary of the number, type and methods used by existing imaging feature-based prognostic studies and indicate if there are sufficient studies to justify future systematic reviews. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The protocol was developed in accordance with existing scoping review guidelines. Searches of MEDLINE and Embase will be conducted using titles, abstracts and Medical Subject Headings restricted to publications after 1980 to ensure imaging method relevance on OvidSP. Initial screening will be undertaken by two independent reviewers. Full-text data extraction will be undertaken by three pretrained reviewers who have participated in a group data extraction session to ensure reviewer consensus and reduce inter-rater variability. Where needed, data extraction queries will be resolved by reviewer team discussion. Reporting of results will be based on grouping of related factors and their cumulative frequencies. Prognostic anatomical imaging features and clinical endpoints will be reported using descriptive statistics to summarise the number of studies, study characteristics and the statistical methods used. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required as this study is based on previously published work. Findings will be disseminated by peer-reviewed publication and/or conference presentations.
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Hepatopatias , Projetos de Pesquisa , Humanos , Hepatopatias/diagnóstico por imagem , Programas de Rastreamento , Literatura de Revisão como AssuntoRESUMO
A 60-year-old male liver transplant recipient presented to his local hospital with left-sided partial seizures following a few days of generalised headache. He had undergone transplantation for primary sclerosing cholangitis 4 years earlier and maintained on tacrolimus monotherapy immunosuppression. He had no other comorbidities of note and worked as an arable farmer. At last follow-up, he had been well with preserved graft function and afternoon trough tacrolimus levels of 2-4 ng/mL. Over the preceding 4 weeks, he had been investigated locally for weight loss and a productive cough, where CT of the chest showed calcified mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy. Bronchoscopy samples were negative for acid-fast bacilli and he had been empirically treated for assumed community acquired pneumonia. Initial seizure management was with intravenous diazepam and phenytoin. On transfer to our centre, he was noted to be dysarthric with persisting 4/5 left upper limb weakness and nystagmus to all extremes of gaze. Blood tests were significant for mild anaemia (haemoglobin 90 g/L) and elevated C reactive protein (134 mg/L). The peripheral white cell count was 6.6×109/L. Biochemical liver graft function was normal and the 8am trough tacrolimus level was low at 2 ng/mL. CT head revealed bilateral ring enhancing cerebral lesions with surrounding vasogenic oedema but no mass effect. On MRI these exhibited restricted diffusion and marked perilesional oedema, suggestive of infection. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis was as follows: white cell count <1/mm3, protein 0.57 g/L (normal range <45 g/L) and glucose 3 mmol/L (paired plasma glucose 4.8 mmol/L). Testing for virological causes via PCR, toxoplasma serology and blood and CSF cultures, including for tuberculosis, were all negative. Whole body positron emission tomography-CT demonstrated uptake in numerous peritoneal and intramuscular lesions as well as right-sided cervical lymphadenopathy, which was sampled with fine needle aspiration. Microscopy revealed a filamentous, beading and branching Gram-positive bacillus that was partially acid-fast, subsequently speciated as Nocardia farcinica.
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UNLABELLED: Histopathological scoring of disease stage uses descriptive categories without measuring the amount of fibrosis. Collagen, the major component of fibrous tissue, can be quantified by computer-assisted digital image analysis (DIA) using histological sections. We determined relationships between DIA, Ishak stage, and hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) reflecting severity of fibrosis. One hundred fifteen patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who had undergone transplantation had 250 consecutive transjugular liver biopsies combined with HVPG (median length, 22 mm; median total portal tracts, 12), evaluated using the Ishak system and stained with Sirus red for DIA. Liver collagen was expressed as collagen proportionate area (CPA). Median CPA was 6% (0.2-45), correlating with Ishak stage (stage 6 range, 13%-45%), and with HVPG (r = 0.62; P < 0.001). Median CPA was 4.1% when HVPG was less than 6 mm Hg and 13.8% when HVPG was 6 mm Hg or more (P < 0.0001) and 6% when HVPG was less than 10 mm Hg and 17.3% when HVPG was 10 mm Hg or higher (P < 0.0001). Only CPA, not Ishak stage/grade, was independently associated by logistic regression, with HVPG of 6 mm Hg or more [odds ratio, 1.206; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.094-1.331; P < 0.001], or HVPG of 10 mm Hg or more (odds ratio, 1.105; 95% CI, 1.026-1.191; P = 0.009). CPA increased by 50% (3.6%) compared with 20% in HVPG (1 mm Hg) in 38 patients with repeated biopsies. CONCLUSION: CPA assessed by DIA correlated with Ishak stage scores and HVPG measured contemporaneously. CPA was a better histological correlate with HVPG than Ishak stage, had a greater numerical change when HVPG was low, and resulted in further quantitation of fibrosis in cirrhosis.
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Colágeno/análise , Veias Hepáticas/fisiopatologia , Processamento de Imagem Assistida por Computador , Cirrose Hepática/diagnóstico , Fígado/patologia , Adulto , Idoso , Biópsia , Feminino , Hepatite C/complicações , Humanos , Cirrose Hepática/fisiopatologia , Cirrose Hepática/virologia , Transplante de Fígado , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Prospectivos , Pressão VenosaRESUMO
Pyogenic liver abscess typically occurs secondary to biliary or haematogenous spread of organisms. In the context of acute appendicitis, abscesses generally occur due to haematogenous spread through the mesenteric vasculature. Historically, few cases of direct intra-abdominal spread have been reported but this has become vanishingly rare since the development of antibiotic therapy with no recorded cases in a search of over 900 cases in the literature.
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In superior vena cava obstruction, one of the signs on computed tomography is an arterially enhancing pseudolesion in segment IV adjacent to the falciform ligament due to collateral flow via the veins of Sappey, sometimes termed the "lightbulb sign." We describe a case where venoplasty was performed to restore flow in superior vena cava with disappearance of the pseudolesion on subsequent computed tomography, thus "switching off the lightbulb."
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Lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition warranting hospital admission. The most frequent causes include diverticular disease, colitis, hemorrhoids, neoplasm, inflammatory bowel disease, and varices. Varices usually occur secondary to liver cirrhosis and are frequently located in the gastroesophageal region. Those occurring elsewhere are known as ectopic varices. The diagnosis and management of ectopic varices is challenging, and guidelines are not currently available. We report the case of recurrent large-volume hematochezia secondary to a cecal varix in a 60-year-old female with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Initial investigation with CT angiography and endoscopy failed to identify the source of bleeding. A second CT angiogram identified a large varix in the cecum, and the patient was successfully managed with radiological embolization and transjugular intra-hepatic porto-systemic shunt (TIPSS).
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The human liver contains specialized subsets of mononuclear phagocytes (MNPs) and T cells, but whether these have definitive features of tissue residence (long-term retention, lack of egress) and/or can be replenished from the circulation remains unclear. Here we addressed these questions using HLA-mismatched liver allografts to discriminate the liver-resident (donor) from the infiltrating (recipient) immune composition. Allografts were rapidly infiltrated by recipient leukocytes, which recapitulated the liver myeloid and lymphoid composition, and underwent partial reprogramming with acquisition of CD68/CD206 on MNPs and CD69/CD103 on T cells. The small residual pool of donor cells persisting in allografts for over a decade contained CX3CR1hi/CD163hi/CD206hi Kupffer cells (KCs) and CXCR3hi tissue-resident memory T cells (TRM). CD8+ TRM were found in the local lymph nodes but were not detected egressing into the hepatic vein. Our findings inform organ transplantation and hepatic immunotherapy, revealing remarkably long-lived populations of KCs and TRM in human liver, which can be additionally supplemented by their circulating counterparts.