Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy in a patient with Crohn's disease and aberrant MTHFR and GPIIIa gene variants.

Large spectrums of ophthalmic manifestations from the anterior to the posterior segment have been so far reported in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Anterior ischemic optic neuropathy is caused by acute ischemic infarction of the optic nerve head and is distinguished in two different types, non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuroparhy (NAION) which is the most frequent type and arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuroparhy may result in severe visual field loss. We present the case of a 69 year-old man with known history of Crohn's disease that was referred to the Department of Ophthalmology after noticing sudden blurred vision of his left eye. Ophthalmologic examination revealed a corrected visual acuity of 8/10 OS and 10/10 OD. Pupil examination showed a relative afferent pupillary defect of the left pupil and fluoroangiography revealed hyperfluorescence of the left optic disc, indicating edema and NAION attack on his left eye. Genetic analysis showed that the patient was homozygous for MTHFR C677T genetic polymorphism and A1/A2 heterozygous for GPIIIa polymorphism.

Systematic review: hepatic fibrosis - regression with therapy.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic fibrosis occurs in response to chronic liver injury, regardless of the cause. An impressive amount of knowledge concerning the pathogenesis and treatment of liver fibrosis has emerged over the past few years. The hallmark of this event is the activation of the hepatic stellate cell. The latter event causes accumulation of extracellular matrix and formation of scar, leading to deterioration in hepatic function. AIM: To assess chronic liver injury, many invasive and non-invasive methods have been suggested. METHODS: Although transient elastography, image analysis of fractal geometry and fibrotest with actitest have been used in clinical practice, liver biopsy remains the recommended choice, especially when histological staging of fibrosis or response to treatment is needed. CONCLUSIONS: The recent advances in anti-viral therapy have resulted in many reports on fibrosis and even on cirrhosis regression, especially early and in young people. A number of new agents have been suggested for the treatment of fibrosis, with promising results in animals; however, their efficacy in humans remains to be elucidated. The investigation of heterogeneity and plasticity of hepatic stellate cells is a topic of scientific interest and may result in improvements in patient management.