Alcoholic Liver Disease Among Patients with Wernicke Encephalopathy: A Multicenter Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: data regarding the association between Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) are scarce in spite of alcohol consumption being the main risk factor for WE. AIMS: to describe the frequency of ALD in a cohort of patients diagnosed with WE and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and to compare the characteristics of WE patients with and without ALD. METHODS: we conducted an observational study in 21 centers through a nationwide registry of the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine. WE Caine criteria were applied and demographic, clinical, and outcome variables were analyzed. RESULTS: 434 patients were included in the study, of which 372 were men (85.7%), and the mean age was 55 ± 11.8 years. ALD was present in 162 (37.3%) patients and we found a higher percentage of cases with tremor, flapping and hallucinations in the ALD group. A total of 22 patients (5.0%) died during admission (7.4% with ALD vs 3.7% without ALD; P = 0.087). Among the ALD patients, a relationship between mortality and the presence of anemia (Odds ratio [OR]=4.6 Confidence interval [CI]95% 1.1-18.8; P = 0.034), low level of consciousness (OR=4.9 CI95% 1.1-21.2; P = 0.031) and previous diagnosis of cancer (OR=10.3 CI95% 1.8-59.5; P = 0.009) was detected. Complete recovery was achieved by 27 patients with ALD (17.8%) and 71 (27.8%) without ALD (P = 0.030). CONCLUSION: the association of WE and ALD in patients with AUDs is frequent and potentially linked to differences in clinical presentation and to poorer prognosis, as compared to alcoholic patients with WE without ALD.

Cardiac Involvement In Multiorgan Sarcoidosis: Prognostic and Therapeutic Implications.

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease with a highly variable clinical impact. Accurate prognostic evaluation is fundamental to establish the best therapeutic approach. Multiorgan disease and especially the involvement of vital organs, such as the heart, are associated with worse outcomes and often require more aggressive therapy. Here, we describe the case of a young adult with sarcoidosis with lymph node, pulmonary, hepatosplenic, and cardiac involvement. This clinical scenario emphasizes the importance of a thorough prognostic assessment and highlights some of the main unmet clinical needs for the risk stratification and management of these patients.

Spanish scleroderma risk score (RESCLESCORE) to predict 15-year all-cause mortality in scleroderma patients at the time of diagnosis based on the RESCLE cohort: Derivation and internal validation.

A few scores predicting the short-term risk of mortality in Systemic sclerosis (SSc) have been reported to date. Our study aimed to create a predictive 15-year all-cause mortality score at the time of the diagnosis of SSc. The study was based on the Spanish Scleroderma Registry (RESCLE). The cohort was split up in derivation (DC) and validation cohort (VC). A multivariate analysis to detect variables related to all-cause mortality within the first 15 years from SSc diagnosis was performed, assigning points to the rounded beta values to create the score (RESCLESCORE). 1935 SSc patients were included. The variables in the final model were as follows: age at diagnosis (+2 points > 65 years-old), male gender (+1 point), lcSSc subset (-1 point), mode of onset other than Raynaud's (+1 point), cancer (+1 point) and visceral involvement, such as ILD (+1 point), PAH (+1 point), heart (+1 point) and renal involvement (+2 points). Autoantibodies did not achieve statistical significance in the multivariate analysis. The 3 categories of risk to predict 15-year all-cause mortality at the time of diagnosis were as follows: low risk (5% vs. 7%, p = .189), intermediate risk (26.5% vs. 25.5%, p = .911) and high risk (47.8% vs. 59%, p = .316). The AUC was 0.799 (DC) vs. 0.778 (VC) (p = .530). In conclusion, the RESCLESCORE demonstrated an excellent ability to categorize SSc patients at the time of diagnosis in separate 15-year all-cause mortality risk strata at the time of diagnosis.

Severe, life-threatening phenotype of primary Sjögren's syndrome: clinical characterisation and outcomes in 1580 patients (GEAS-SS Registry).

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the clinical features and outcomes of patients presenting with life-threatening systemic disease in a large cohort of Spanish patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS). METHODS: The GEAS-SS multicentre registry was formed in 2005 with the aim of collecting a large series of Spanish patients with primary SS, and included more than 20 Spanish reference centres with substantial experience in the management of SS patients. By January 2018, the database included 1580 consecutive patients fulfilling the 2002 classification criteria for primary SS. Severe, life-threatening systemic disease was defined as an activity level scored as "high" in at least one ESSDAI domain. RESULTS: Among 1580 patients, 208 (13%) were classified as presenting a severe, potentially life-threatening systemic disease: 193 presented one ESSDAI domain classified as high, 14 presented two high scored domains and only one presented three high activity domains. The ESSDAI domains involved consisted of lymphadenopathy in 78 (37%) cases, CNS in 28 (13%), PNS in 25 (12%), pulmonary in 25 (12%), renal in 21 (10%), cutaneous in 19 (9%), articular in 18 (9%), haematological in 7 (3%) and muscular in 4 (2%). Patients with severe systemic disease were more frequently men (p=0.001) and had a higher frequency of anaemia (p<0.001), lymphopenia (p<0.001), rheumatoid factor (p=0.021), low C3 levels (p=0.015), low C4 levels (p<0.001) and cryoglobulins (p<0.001). From a therapeutic point of view, systemic patients received more frequently glucocorticoids (p<0.001), immunosuppressants (p<0.001), intravenous immunoglobulins (p=0.008) and rituximab (p<0.001). We found an overall mortality rate of 20% in severe systemic patients, a rate that reached to 33% in patients presenting two or more high systemic involvements; these patients had a higher frequency of low C4 levels (p=0.012) and cryoglobulins (p=0.001) in comparison with those with a single severe organ involved. CONCLUSIONS: 13% of patients with primary SS develop a potentially life-threatening systemic disease (mainly lymphoma, but also severe internal organ involvements including nervous system, the lungs and the kidneys). This subset of patients requires intensive therapeutic management with a mortality rate of nearly 20% of cases.

Characterization and risk estimate of cancer in patients with primary Sjögren syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to characterize the risk of cancer in a large cohort of patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (SjS). METHODS: We had analyzed the development of cancer in 1300 consecutive patients fulfilling the 2002 SjS classification criteria. The baseline clinical and immunological characteristics and systemic activity (ESSDAI scores) were assessed at diagnosis as predictors of cancer using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis adjusted for age at diagnosis and gender. The sex-and age-specific standardized incidence ratios (SIR) of cancer were estimated from 2012 Spanish mortality data. RESULTS: After a mean follow-up of 91 months, 127 (9.8%) patients developed 133 cancers. The most frequent type of cancer was B-cell lymphoma (including 27 MALT and 19 non-MALT B-cell lymphomas). Systemic activity at diagnosis of primary SjS correlated with the risk of hematological neoplasia and cryoglobulins with a high risk of either B-cell or non-B-cell lymphoma subtypes. Patients with cytopenias had a high risk of non-MALT B-cell and non-B-cell cancer, while those with low C3 levels had a high risk of MALT lymphomas and those with monoclonal gammopathy and low C4 levels had a high risk of non-MALT lymphomas. The estimated SIR for solid cancer was 1.13 and 11.02 for hematological cancer. SIRs for specific cancers were 36.17 for multiple myeloma and immunoproliferative diseases, 19.41 for Hodgkin lymphoma, 6.04 for other non-Hodgkin lymphomas, 5.17 for thyroid cancer, 4.81 for cancers of the lip and oral cavity, and 2.53 for stomach cancer. CONCLUSIONS: One third of cancers developed by patients with primary SjS are B-cell lymphomas. The prognostic factors identified at SjS diagnosis differed according to the subtype of B-cell lymphoma developed. Primary SjS is also associated with the development of some non-hematological cancers (thyroid, oral cavity, and stomach).

Long-Term Mortality of Patients with an Alcohol-Related Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome.

AIMS: To characterize a series of contemporary patients with alcohol-related Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) or Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) and to update the current prognosis of disease. METHODS: Retrospective and prospective study of patients diagnosed with an alcohol-related WE or KS between 2002 and 2011 in a tertiary hospital. Socio-demographic, alcohol use characteristics, signs and symptoms, co-morbidity and blood parameters were obtained at admission. Patients were followed up until 2013 and causes of death were ascertained through the review of charts. RESULTS: Sixty-one patients were included (51 with WE and 10 with KS). Among patients with WE, 78% were men and age at diagnosis was 57 years (interquartile range (IQR): 49-66). Twenty-three percent fulfilled the classic WE triad. Regarding Caine's criteria for WE, 70.6% presented with at least two out of four signs or symptoms. Median follow-up of patients with WE syndrome was 5.3 years (IQR: 2.6-8.8), the cumulated mortality was 45% and death rate of 7.4 × 100 person-years (95% confidence interval (CI): 4.8-10.9). Overall, 50% of patients would be expected to die within 8 years of WE episode and main causes of death included serious bacterial infections (44.5%) and cancer (33.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Survival of patients with an alcohol-related Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is poor; pursuing treatment of alcohol use disorder and early diagnosis of thiamine deficiency is a priority for improving clinical outcomes.

Sirolimus on Gorham-Stout disease. Case report / Sirolimus en la enfermedad de Gorham-Stout. Caso clínico

Abstract Background: Gorham-Stout disease (GSD) is a rare disease of unknown etiology characterized by vascular proliferation that produces destruction of bone matrix. Case description: This case is about 43 year old woman who begins with pain in sternum, dyspnea, abdominal mass and, serous-hematic pleural effusion. Imaging tests were performed showing lesions on 6th and 10th left ribs archs. Later, a thoracotomy was performed observed absence of the end of the 6th and lung, pleural and costal biopsy was token. The histologic features described lymphatic vascular proliferation in bone tissue of chest wall. Other pathologies were excluded and in view of the findings, GSD diagnosis was made. Treatment and outcome: treatment was initiated with sirolimus achieving remission of the disease after the first month; however, because the presence of metrorrhagia the treatment was discontinued, reappearing symptoms afterwards. For that reason the treatment was restarted getting disappearance of the symptoms again, 4 weeks later. Clinical relevance: we present the first clinical cases of EGS with pleural effusion with response to sirolimus treatment that could be an alternative to the current therapy.

Resumen Antecedentes: La enfermedad de Gorham-Stout (EGS), es una enfermedad poco común, de etiología desconocida, caracterizada por la proliferación vascular que produce destrucción de la matriz ósea. Caso clínico: Se presenta el caso de mujer de 43 años que comienza con dolor en el esternón, disnea y tumoración abdominal junto con derrame pleural izquierdo de características serohemáticas como forma de presentación de una EGS. En pruebas de imagen que mostraron lesiones líticas en el 6º y 10º arcos costales izquierdos. Posteriormente se realizó toracotomía con biopsia pulmonar, pleural y costal observándose ausencia del extremo de la 6ª costilla. En el estudio histopatológico se describe proliferación vascular linfática en tejido óseo de pared costal. Se excluyeron otras patologías y se diagnosticó EGS. Tratamiento y resultado: Se inició tratamiento con sirolimus consiguiendo remisión completa desde el primer mes. Sin embargo, tras la suspensión del tratamiento por metrorragias, presentó reaparición de los síntomas. Se decide entonces reiniciar el tratamiento, consiguiendo nuevamente desaparición de los síntomas, tras 4 semanas de tratamiento. Relevancia clínica: Se presenta el primer caso clínico de EGS en edad adulta con derrame pleural asociado y con respuesta clínica a sirolimus, fármaco que podría ser una alternativa a la terapéutica actual.

Sirolimus on Gorham-Stout disease. Case report.

BACKGROUND: Gorham-Stout disease (GSD) is a rare disease of unknown etiology characterized by vascular proliferation that produces destruction of bone matrix. CASE DESCRIPTION: This case is about 43 year old woman who begins with pain in sternum, dyspnea, abdominal mass and, serous-hematic pleural effusion. Imaging tests were performed showing lesions on 6th and 10th left ribs archs. Later, a thoracotomy was performed observed absence of the end of the 6th and lung, pleural and costal biopsy was token. The histologic features described lymphatic vascular proliferation in bone tissue of chest wall. Other pathologies were excluded and in view of the findings, GSD diagnosis was made. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: treatment was initiated with sirolimus achieving remission of the disease after the first month; however, because the presence of metrorrhagia the treatment was discontinued, reappearing symptoms afterwards. For that reason the treatment was restarted getting disappearance of the symptoms again, 4 weeks later. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: we present the first clinical cases of EGS with pleural effusion with response to sirolimus treatment that could be an alternative to the current therapy.

ANTECEDENTES: La enfermedad de Gorham-Stout (EGS), es una enfermedad poco común, de etiología desconocida, caracterizada por la proliferación vascular que produce destrucción de la matriz ósea. CASO CLÍNICO: Se presenta el caso de mujer de 43 años que comienza con dolor en el esternón, disnea y tumoración abdominal junto con derrame pleural izquierdo de características serohemáticas como forma de presentación de una EGS. En pruebas de imagen que mostraron lesiones líticas en el 6º y 10º arcos costales izquierdos. Posteriormente se realizó toracotomía con biopsia pulmonar, pleural y costal observándose ausencia del extremo de la 6ª costilla. En el estudio histopatológico se describe proliferación vascular linfática en tejido óseo de pared costal. Se excluyeron otras patologías y se diagnosticó EGS. TRATAMIENTO Y RESULTADO: Se inició tratamiento con sirolimus consiguiendo remisión completa desde el primer mes. Sin embargo, tras la suspensión del tratamiento por metrorragias, presentó reaparición de los síntomas. Se decide entonces reiniciar el tratamiento, consiguiendo nuevamente desaparición de los síntomas, tras 4 semanas de tratamiento. RELEVANCIA CLÍNICA: Se presenta el primer caso clínico de EGS en edad adulta con derrame pleural asociado y con respuesta clínica a sirolimus, fármaco que podría ser una alternativa a la terapéutica actual.

Association between Occupational Exposure to Wood Dust and Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a systematic review to analyze the association between occupational exposure to wood dust and cancer. METHODS: A systematic literature search of entries made in the MEDLINE-PubMed database between 1957 and 2013 was conducted to identify studies that had assessed the relationship between occupational exposure to wood dust and different types of cancer. A meta-analysis of selected case-control and cohort studies was subsequently performed. RESULTS: A total of 114 studies were identified and 70 were selected for review. Of these, 42 studies focused on the relationship between wood dust and nasal cancer (n = 22), lung cancer (n = 11), and other types of cancer (n = 9). Low-to-moderate quality evidence that wood dust acts as a carcinogen was obtained, and a stronger association between wood dust and nasal adenocarcinoma was observed. A lesser association between wood dust exposure and lung cancer was also observed. Several studies suggested that there is a relationship between wood dust and the onset of other cancers, although there was no evidence to establish an association. A meta-analysis that included four case-controls studies showed that workers exposed to wood dust exhibited higher rates of nasal adenocarcinoma than other workers (odds ratio = 10.28; 95% confidence interval: 5.92 and 17.85; P<0,0001), although a large degree of heterogeneity was found. CONCLUSIONS: Low-to-moderate quality evidence supports a causal association between cancer and occupational exposure to wood dust, and this association was stronger for nasal adenocarcinoma than for lung cancer. There was no evidence of an association between wood dust exposure and the other cancers examined.