Combined therapy: rifaximin-α and arabinogalactan with lactoferrin combination effectively prevents recurrences of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease.

INTRODUCTION: Background: Diverticulosis is the most common finding in the GI tract. Nearly half of the people with diverticula experience symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD). AIMS: The primary endpoints of our study were to assess the effectiveness of combined therapy with rifaximin-α and arabinogalactan-lactoferrin in symptom reduction and normalization of bowel movements. The secondary endpoints were an assessment of efficacy in SUDD recurrence prevention and patients' compliance to the combined therapy. METHODS: A retrospective observational survey study was performed in 2019 among physicians experienced in diverticular disease (DD) treatment in Poland. Patients with previous episodes of recurrences treated with combined therapy (cyclic rifaximin-α at least 400 mg b.i.d/7 days/every month and continuous arabinogalactan-lactoferrin supplementation 1 sachet daily) were assessed after 3 and 6 months regarding symptoms' resolution in the three-point scale. The patients' SUDD history, diagnostic methods, treatment, and results, as well as patients' compliance were evaluated. RESULTS: 281 patients met inclusion criteria, and were further evaluated (67.6% women, median age 65 years). After 6 months of combined treatment, there was a statistically significant reduction in the total severity score (median from 1.7 [max 3 points] to 0.26; P < 0.0001; sum from 8.5 [max 15 points] to 1.28; P < 0.0001) and improvement in each symptom score. Stool frequency statistically normalized in every group. As many as 31.7% had complete symptom resolution. Patients' compliance with the therapy was very good and good in 92.9% of cases. C onclusions and discussion: Combination therapy with cyclic rifaximin-α and continuous arabinogalactan combined with lactoferrin are effective in SUDD treatment in terms of symptom resolution, bowel movement normalization, prevention of recurrences with very good patient's compliance.

Ultrasound imaging of the liver and bile ducts - expectations of a clinician.

Since diseases of the liver and bile ducts are common, a clinician is faced by the need to implement an appropriate diagnostic process. It is necessary to apply diagnostic methods that enable appropriate assessment of the most common pathologies of the liver, i.e. fibrosis, steatosis and focal lesions, as well as initial assessment of the bile ducts. These goals can be achieved using ultrasound methods based on conventional sonography, contrast-enhanced sonography and elastography. The assessment of fatty liver and bile duct dilatation using ultrasound reaches satisfactory levels of sensitivity and specificity. The usage of contrast agents enables unambiguous differentiation between benign and malignant focal lesions, frequently allowing them to be identified accurately without the assistance of other imaging modalities. Elastography has enabled reliable assessment of liver fibrosis. Its results are comparable to those of the standard method, i.e. liver biopsy.

Errors and mistakes in the ultrasound diagnostics of the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts.

Ultrasonography is the most widespread imaging technique used in the diagnostics of the pathologies concerning the organs in the abdominal cavity. Similarly to other diagnostic tools, errors may occur in ultrasound examinations. They generally result from inappropriate techniques, which do not conform to current standards, or erroneous interpretation of obtained images. A significant portion of mistakes is caused by inappropriate quality of the apparatus, the presence of sonographic imaging artifacts, unfavorable anatomic variants or improper preparation of the patient for the examination. This article focuses on the examiner-related errors. They concern the evaluation of the liver size, echostructure and arterial and venous vascularization as well as inappropriate interpretation of the liver anatomic variants and the vascular and ductal structures localized inside of it. Furthermore, the article presents typical mistakes made during the diagnosis of the most common gallbladder and bile duct diseases. It also includes helpful data concerning differential diagnostics of the described pathologies of the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts. The article indicates the most frequent sources of mistakes as well as false negative and false positive examples which result from these errors. What is more, the norms used in the liver, gallbladder and bile duct evaluations are presented as well as some helpful guidelines referring to the exam techniques and image interpretation, which allows for reducing the error-making risk. The article has been prepared on the basis of the report published in 2005 by the Polish experts in the field of ultrasonography and extended with the latest findings obtained from the pertinent literature.

Standards of the Polish Ultrasound Society - update. The liver, gallbladder and bile ducts examinations.

Ultrasonography, which usually constitutes an initial imaging method of the gallbladder, liver and bile ducts diseases, allows for final diagnosis or determines another diagnostic step. The continuously progressing technological advancement forces to broaden the indications for ultrasound diagnostics and enables easier and more precise imaging of the tested structures. Performing the examination in accordance with current standards allows for the optimization of the sensitivity and specificity parameters of ultrasound examinations in the diagnosis of the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts pathologies as well as minimizes the probability of error-making. This article presents a recommended liver, gallbladder and bile ducts ultrasound technique which indicates an optimal positioning of the patient for the exam as well as the sites of the ultrasound transducer application. Minimum technical parameters of the apparatus have been specified with respect to the requirements of modern ultrasound techniques which enable imaging with the use of contrast agents and elastography. Furthermore, the article proposes a standard exam description containing essential patient-related data and provides required ultrasound evaluation parameters for the tested organs. Attention has been drawn to the appropriate manner of preparing the patient for the examination and the features of the tested structures have been presented. The article also contains a brief description of the liver, gallbladder and bile ducts diseases which are most often diagnosed by ultrasound examinations. Moreover, the use of elastography as well as contrast-enhanced examinations in the diagnostics of fibrosis and focal changes in the liver have been discussed. This article has been prepared on the basis of the Ultrasound Examination Standards of the Polish Ultrasound Society (2011) and updated with reference to the latest findings in pertinent literature.