Serous Cystadenomas Follow a Benign and Asymptomatic Course and Do Not Present a Significant Size Change During Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND: Serous cystadenoma is a benign pancreatic cystic neoplasm. Conservative management is favored. We studied the clinical characteristics and course of serous cystadenoma in patients undergoing surgery or conservative management only at an academic referral center. METHODS: Patients presenting with serous cystadenoma in the years 2000-2013 were selected. Hospital records were evaluated for patient and serous cystadenoma characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 22 patients with serous cystadenoma were identified. Mean age at diagnosis was 63 years and 82% were women. Diagnosis was incidental in 59%, and 18% presented with unspecific abdominal pain, 14% unexplained weight loss, 4.5% gastrointestinal obstructive symptoms, and 4.5% cholangitis. Location was pancreas body 36%, head 32%, tail 23%, and uncinate 9%. Mean serous cystadenoma diameter at diagnosis was 37 ± 23 mm. After diagnosis five patients underwent surgery. Initial size was similar between surgical and follow-up groups (p = 0.9). Four cases were lost to follow-up; 13 continued conservative management with a mean follow-up time of 54 ± 27 months. The initial and last serous cystadenoma size in the follow-up group remained similar (p = 0.9). Six cases presented significant tumor growth during follow-up (p > 0.05). All patients remained asymptomatic throughout follow-up. No malignancy or serous cystadenoma-related death occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Size change of serous cystadenoma was minimal and patients remained asymptomatic during follow-up. Surgery should be limited to symptomatic and selected cases.

Decrease in the Prevalence of Pancreatitis Associated with Primary Hyperparathyroidism: Experience at a Tertiary Referral Center.

BACKGROUND: Hypercalcemia is a rare but well recognized cause of acute and chronic pancreatitis. Hypercalcemia-related pancreatitis is mainly caused by primary hyperparathyroidism. The prevalence of pancreatitis in hyperparathyroidism varies worldwide and additional disease-modifying factors may play a role in its development. In 1988 the prevalence of pancreatitis secondary to primary hyperparathyroidism at the Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán (INCMNSZ), a referral center in Mexico City, was 12.1% (95% CI: 6.7-21). OBJECTIVE: To describe the current prevalence of pancreatitis secondary to primary hyperparathyroidism at the INCMNSZ. METHODS: We reviewed 385 cases of primary hyperparathyroidism seen at the hospital between 1987 and 2012. RESULTS: 26 cases with acute or chronic pancreatitis associated with primary hyperparathyroidism were documented, with a prevalence of 6.7% (95% CI: 4.6-9.7), which was lower than the 12.1% previously reported. In the present study, 20% had a history of alcohol consumption, 10% of gallstones, and 20% of ureteral calculi, compared with the previously reported 32.0, 34.6, and 40.0%, respectively. The average calcium levels were 13.1 and 13.8 mg/dl in the previous and current series, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: We found a decrease in the prevalence of pancreatitis associated with primary hyperparathyroidism from 12.1% (95% CI: 6.7-21) to 6.7% (95% CI: 4.6-9.7).

Celiac disease prevalence in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, a cross-sectional study.

Up to 30% of patients with celiac disease (CD) suffer from concurrent autoimmune disease, compared to 3% of the general population. The association between CD and the current clinical phenotypes of inflammatory myopathies (IIM) patients has not been thoroughly addressed. Assess the CD features among patients with IIM and their relationship with the clinical phenotype and the myositis specific (MSA) and associated antibodies (MAA). For this cross-sectional study, we recruited 99 adult patients classified as IIM from a tertiary center in Mexico. We assessed serum MSA, MAA, and CD-associated autoantibodies (IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTG) and both IgA and IgG anti-deaminated gliadin peptide (DGP)). Patients with highly suggestive serology for CD were then tested for IgG anti-endomysium antibodies, and a duodenal biopsy was performed. 70.7% of patients were positive for at least one antibody. Nine duodenal biopsies were taken, revealing findings compatible with celiac disease in two cases. Subjects with anti-MDA5 antibodies were more likely to have positive anti-tTG IgA antibodies (OR 6.76, 95% CI 1.85-24.62, P = 0.013) and suggestive CD serology (OR 6.41, 95% CI 1.62-25.29, P = 0.009). Patients with anti-Mi2 antibodies were more likely to have positive anti-DGP IgG antibodies (OR 3.35, 95% CI 1.12-9.96, P = 0.039), while positivity for these autoantibodies was less frequent in patients with anti-NXP2 antibodies (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.06-0.80, P = 0.035). There is a higher prevalence of serologic and definite CD in patients with IIM compared to the general population. Identifying this subgroup of patients may have prognostic and therapeutic implications. Key points • The study estimated a serological celiac disease (CD) prevalence of 70.7% in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) and a biopsy-confirmed prevalence of 2%, suggesting that IIM patients should be considered a high-risk population for CD. • We identified a significant association between serological CD and the presence of anti-MDA5 and anti-Mi2 antibodies, suggesting a potential justification for celiac disease screening in this specific subgroup of patients. • The impact of gluten-free diets on IIM patients with serological markers of CD remains untested and warrants further investigation through prospective, randomized studies.

Translation of gastric disease progression at gene level expression.

Helicobacter pylori is associated with the development of several lesions in the human stomach. This chronic infection produces gastritis, which can progress to intestinal metaplasia and gastric cancer. To date, there is very little information regarding gene-expression in the different phases of progression caused by chronic H. pylori infection. In this study, we performed a genome-wide gene-expression analysis in gastric biopsies of patients chronically infected with H. pylori, using the potential of high-throughput technologies that have not been fully exploited in this area. Here we illustrate the potential correlation of H. pylori infection with the gene expression changes in follicular gastritis, chronic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia. We also suggest its potential as biomarkers of each condition. An exploratory set of 21 biopsies from patients with follicular gastritis, chronic gastritis, and intestinal metaplasia were analyzed by gene-expression microarrays in order to identify the biological processes altered in each lesion. The microarray data was corroborated by real-time PCR, while 79 Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embeded samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Follicular gastritis exhibited significant enrichment in genes associated with glutamate signaling, while chronic gastritis showed a down-regulation in metallothionein 1 and 2 and in oxidative phosphorylation-related genes, which could be associated with the chronic infecton of H. pylori. Intestinal metaplasia exhibited an over-expression of gastrointestinal stem cell markers, such as LGR5 and PROM1, as well as messenger RNA and nucleic acid metabolism-related genes. The gene-expression patterns found in this study provide new comparative information about chronic gastritis, follicular gastritis and intestinal metaplasia that may play an important role in the development of gastric cancer.

Análisis descriptivo de 41 pacientes con absceso hepático piógeno / Descriptive analysis of 41 patients with pyogenic abscess of the liver

Objetivo: Describir las características clínicas, de laboratorio y gabinete de 41 pacientes con absceso hepático piógeno. Tipo de estudio: Retrospectivo, descriptivo. Lugar: Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán. Unidades de estudio: 41 pacientes con absceso hepático piógeno. Mediciones principales: Se realizó la medición de las siguientes variables: antecedentes, tiempo de evolución, síntomas, signos, exámenes de laboratorio, estudios de gabinete, tratamiento, complicaciones y evolución. Resultados: La edad promedio del grupo fue de 52 + 14 años y 30 (73 por ciento) fueron hombres. La enfermedad asociada con mayor frecuencia fue la diabetes mellitus en 15 pacientes (37 por ciento). Los datos clínicos más frecuentes fueron fiebre (93 por ciento), escalofríos (63 por ciento) y dolor en cuadrante superior derecho (61 por ciento). La fuente para la formación de absceso más común, fue biliar en 10 casos (24 por ciento) y la prueba de seroameba fue positiva en el 13 por ciento de los enfermos. 33 casos (81 por ciento) se localizaron el lóbulo derecho, cinco (12 por ciento) en el izquierdo y tres (7 por ciento) de ambos. El 87 por ciento de los abscesos fueron únicos. El germen encontrado con mayor frecuencia fue E. coli en cinco pacientes (15 por ciento). Se realizó punción por tomografía computada en 25 pacientes (61 por ciento), cuatro fueron intervenidos quirúrgicamente y el resto fue tratado solo con antibióticos. Solo un paciente falleció (2 por ciento) por choque séptico. Conclusiones: Se identificó una asociación con diabetes mellitus y el origen más frecuente fue la vía biliar, datos que ya han sido informados en otras series. La mortalidad y morbilidad en esta serie fue baja.

La identificación del enfermo con pancreatitis aguda grave. Un estudio prospectivo, comparativo entre los criterios de Ranson y los del Instituto nacional de la Nutrición "Salvador Zubirán" / Identification of the patient with severe actue pancreatitis. A prospective, comparative study between ranson's criteria and the criteria of the Salvador Zubirán national Nutrition Institute

La identificación oportuna del enfermo con pancreatitis aguda grave (PAG= puede representar un problema para el médico, que limitado en recursos debe aplicar instrumentos que requieren exámenes de laboratorio difíciles de obtener. Antes hemos propuesto una serie de parámetros que agrupados como alteraciones (criterios INNSZ) pueden identificar con razonable certeza a los enfermos con PAG. Con el fin de validar nuestro instrumento, diseñamos un estudio prospectivo comparativo entre los criterios del INNSZ y los criterios de Ranson en 78 enfermos con pancreatitis aguda. La sensibilidad , especificidad, valor predictivo positivo, valor predictivo negativo y exactitud en la identificación de PAG, fue similara entre ambos criterios con una adecuada correlación (r=0.65, p<0.001) y concordancia (z = 5.0, Kappa 0.69, p<0.001). Estos resultados validan nuestras observaciones y permiten proponer a los criterios del INN SZ como una alternativa útil, fácil de aplicar y de bajo costo en la evaluación de los enfermos con pancreatitis aguda