Interferon and ursodeoxycholic acid combined therapy in chronic viral C hepatitis: controlled randomized trial in 203 patients.

AIMS: This prospective randomized trial was carried out in order to determine whether the long-term administration of ursodeoxycholic acid after discontinuation of interferon had any beneficial effect on the clinical course of hepatitis C virus infection. METHODS: Enrolled in the study were 203 patients with chronic active hepatitis C. They were all given: interferon alpha-2a (3 MU subcutaneously thrice a week) and ursodeoxycholic acid (10 mg/kg/day) for 9 months. At month 9, biochemical responders only were randomized into ursodeoxycholic acid treatment or placebo for 12 additional months (double blind study). RESULTS: At the end of interferon therapy, 71 patients (37%) were virological responders and 107 (56%) patients were biochemical responders and were randomized: 54 into the ursodeoxycholic acid group and 53 into the placebo group. Sustained response was evaluated 12 months after withdrawal of interferon. Sustained biochemical and virological responses were, respectively, 30% and 22% in the ursodeoxycholic acid group and 46% and 32% in the placebo group, which did not significantly differ. Histological evolution of fibrosis and necrotic inflammatory activity were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSION: Continuation of ursodeoxycholic acid therapy after withdrawal of interferon in patients with end-of-treatment response did not result in any significant improvement either in the maintenance of response to interferon or in liver histology.

[Massive hepatic necrosis secondary to treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma by percutaneous alcoholization]. / Nécrose hépatique massive secondaire au traitement d'un carcinome hépatocellulaire par alcoolisation percutanée.

Fatal complications of percutaneous ethanol injection for the treatment of hepatic tumors are rare events. We report a case of massive hepatic necrosis after treatment by percutaneous ethanol injection of a 4 cm diameter hepatocellular carcinoma, which resulted in the death of the patient. The mechanism of this complication was probably an intratumoral aterioportal shunt, which allowed ethanol to spread through the blood vessels.

[Antral vascular ectasia and scleroderma. Endoscopic, radiologic and anatomopathologic aspects of an uncommon association]. / Ectasie vasculaire antrale et sclérodermie. Aspects endoscopiques, radiologiques et anatomopathologiques d'une association originale.

Diffuse gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE) is a new disease entity corresponding to peculiar acquired vascular malformations. In 1984 Jabbari et al. coined the term "Watermelon Stomach" for this lesion. We report here in a new case particular by its association with systemic sclerosis in a 66 year-old female. The diagnosis of GAVE was suggested upon endoscopic and angiographic findings. Atrophic fundic gastritis associated with achlorhydria and hypergastrinemia was also noted. Antrectomy was performed with success. Pathologic examination and morphometric analysis of the antrum specimen revealed the characteristic features of GAVE: 1) increase of the mean cross sectional area of mucosal vessel lumen and increase of the mean percentage of specimen area occupied by vessels; 2) presence of intravascular fibrin thrombi and 3) fibromuscular hyperplasia of the lamina propria.

[Intravascular coagulation in cirrhotic patients. 6 cases]. / Coagulation intravasculaire chez le cirrhotique 6 observations

Authors relate six cases of Disseminated Intra-Vascular Coagulation (D.I.V.C.) which occured among cirrhotic patients. They discovered it during and at the end of a systematic study of blood coagulation among hepatic deficient people. On the occasion of this series, authors consider mechanism of D.I.V.C. among cirrhotics. They defined a group of six coagulation tests which seem to them necessary an adequate to fix up diagnosis.

[Massive ascites in pancreatitis. Review apropos of 10 personal cases]. / Les ascites massives des pancréatites. Revue à propos de 10 cas personnels

Massive ascites is are complication, but not exceptional, in pancreatitis. In a series of ten personal cases and a review of one hundred cases in the world literature, the authors attempt to define the main pathological and clinical characteristics of this disease and the best treatment. Ascites may follow abdominal trauma, involving the pancreas, sometimes it occurs during known chronic pancreatitis, often it is the first sign of pancreatic disease, whether acute or chronic. High levels of pancreatic enzymes in the ascitic fluid are the main factor in diagnosis of pancreatic ascites. The mechanism of formation of the ascites is loss of pancreatic fluid into the peritoneal cavity owing to a breach in the pancreas, the presence of enzyme-rich fluid, causing secondarily "chemical" peritonitis. Paracentesis abdominis or drainage of the fluid during exploratory laparotomy, permits one to obtain in certain cases, a cure of the ascites, but surgical drainage by an anastomosis between the pancreatic cyst and the digestive tract (pancreatico-digestive anastomosis), has the advantage of ensuring treatment of the ascites and of the responsible pancreatic disease.