Prevalence and prognosis of Computed-Tomography defined sarcopenia in Tunisian cirrhotic patients.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcopenia is an underdiagnosed and understudied complication of cirrhosis, especially in patients not undergoing liver transplantation. AIM: To evaluate the prevalence and prognostic impact of radiological sarcopenia in non-transplanted cirrhotic patients. METHODS: Longitudinal retrospective study including cirrhotic patients explored by an abdominal CT scan, over a period of 6 years, in a single gastroenterology department in Tunisia. Sarcopenia was defined according to transversal psoas muscle thickness normalized to height (TPMT/h) in the sagittal CT slice. Two groups were defined: Group 1 with sarcopenia (TPMT/h <16.8mm/m); and Group 2 without sarcopenia (TPMT/h ≥16.8mm/m). RESULTS: Seventy patients were included (mean age=62 years). The mean MELD score was 12.81 and the mean TPMT/h of 13.56 mm/m. Forty-four patients were sarcopenic (63%). When included, the 2 groups' baseline characteristics were comparable except for women predominance and refractory ascites in group 1. After an average of 21-month follow-up, sarcopenia was associated with a higher number of complications per patient (p=0.013) and a longer average hospital stay duration per patient (p=0.001). Overall survival was significantly decreased in sarcopenic patients (p=0.035). Survival rates at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years were respectively 42%, 30%, and 24% in Group 1 versus 67%, 40%, and 27% in Group 2. Sarcopenia was an independent factor of mortality in multivariate analysis (OR=2.5; 95% IC [1.02-6.16]; p=0.045). CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia is frequent and an independent poor prognostic factor in cirrhosis. TPMT/h is an easy and often available method for sarcopenia diagnosis.

Prevalence and risk factors for vitamin D deficiency in Crohn disease patients: A Tunisian study.

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin D plays a role in regulating the immune response through an immunomodulatory effect, and is probably involved in the pathophysiology of Crohn's disease (CD). AIM: to assess vitamin D status in patients with CD as well as in healthy controls and to determine associated factors of vitamin D deficiency in patients with CD. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study over 18 months, including CD patients with age and sex matched with healthy controls. Suboptimal vitamin D status was defined by vitamin D serum level < 30 ng/ml, vitamin insufficiency by vitamin D serum level between 10 and 30 ng/ml and vitamin deficiency serum level < 10 ng/ml. RESULTS: We included 77 subjects (52 patients with CD and 25 controls) with mean age of 38 years± 11. Most patients and controls had suboptimal levels of vitamin D (98% and 96% respectively) including vitamin D deficiency in 75% and 67%, respectively and vitamin D insufficiency in 25% and 33%, respectively. In univariate analysis, vitamin D deficiency was associated with disease flare-up (p=0.001), anemia (p=0.002), hypo-albuminemia (p=0.002), elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) (p=0.003), Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) (p<0.001), ileal location (p=0.04) and immunosuppressive therapy (p=0.01). In multivariate analysis, only CDAI was significantly associated with vitamin D deficiency (p=0.003, OR=9.33). CONCLUSION: Vitamin D deficiency is common in Tunisian CD patients as well as in controls and is associated with disease activity.

Unexpected isolated hepatic tuberculosis discovered during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A case report.

Isolated hepatic tuberculosis is a rare form of extrapulmonary tuberculosis. We report an exceptional case of a 51-year-old female patient complaining from right upper abdominal quadrant pain, who underwent laparoscopic surgery for millimetric gallbladder polyps. Preoperative ultrasound hepatic morphology and biochemical hepatic tests revealed no abnormalities. There were no clinical patterns for an active tuberculosis. During surgery time, scattered sub-centimeter whitish nodular lesions were discovered on the upper surface of the liver. Although gallbladder pathological examination did not reveal any significant abnormalities, per surgery hepatic biopsy indicated the presence of a giant cell granuloma with caseous necrosis highly suggestive of hepatic tuberculosis. Treatment by anti-bacillary drugs according to local standard protocol was conducted with favorable outcomes. Therefore, diagnosis of hepatic tuberculosis may be considered in endemic countries in totally asymptomatic patients or complaining from unexplained and isolated abdominal pain, in absence of any morphologic or biochemical hepatic abnormalities.

Omphalolith: An underdiagnosed entity.

Omphalolith is a rare and underdiagnosed entity due to the accumulation of sebum and keratin in the umbilicus. It usually occurs in the elderly with deep and narrow umbilicus. Early recognition of omphalolith is important to prevent complications, unnecessary investigations, and anxiety. We report herein two new cases of omphalolith.

EncephalApp Stroop Test for covert hepatic encephalopathy screening in Tunisian cirrhotic patients.

Background: Covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE) is underdiagnosed and is difficult to detect. The EncephalApp Stroop test is validated for its screening. The aim of the study was to define Tunisian norms for the test based on healthy controls norms and to estimate the prevalence of CHE in cirrhotic Tunisian patients. Methods: A prospective, multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted. Ambulatory or hospitalized cirrhotic patients aged 40 years and over were recruited at 11 centers. Healthy subjects aged 40 years and over were recruited at 8 centers. We used a translated Arabic version of the streamlined EncephalApp Stroop test. The task has two components: "Off" and "On" state depending on the discordance or concordance of the stimuli. Results: 142 patients were included. The mean age was 57.26 years [40-86]. 40 (28.17%) of cirrhotic patients who were included were diagnosed as having a minimal hepatic encephalopathy or CHE. Among the ineligible patients, 22 had overt hepatic encephalopathy. If we consider these patients, the overall prevalence rate of CHE was around 24.39% in cirrhotic patients. It was more frequent in women (34.21% vs 25.96%), and in patients whose level of school education is between 6 and 13 years. Its prevalence does not appear to be affected by gender, MELD score, etiology of cirrhosis and age group of patients, as these variables were independent with respective p according to the chi-square test 0.413; 0.736; 0.663 and 0.1. The stroop times (On / Off and On + Off) correlated significantly with each other, are associated significantly and positively with age (respective Pearson coefficients: 0.578; 0.567 and 0.6). The more the age increases, the more the stroop response times increases (p > 10 -3). Conclusions: EncephalApp Stroop test was an efficient screening tool for CHE in Tunisian cirrhotic patients.

Anemia-induced liver injury: A rare case revealing glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency.

Hypoxic hepatitis may occur due to hemodynamic mechanisms of hypoxia secondary to anemia without any context of reduced blood flow, respiratory failure, or shock state. Etiology of anemia should be investigated in order to avoid recurrence.

Pseudo-Meigs' Syndrome in Tunisian H Syndrome Female Patient: First Case Reported.

H syndrome is an extremely rare autosomal recessive affection caused by biallelic mutations in the SLC29A3 gene encoding the human equilibrative nucleoside transporter hENT3. The hallmark signs are cutaneous consisting of hyperpigmentation and hypertrichosis patches. Besides, associated systemic manifestations are highly various reflecting phenotypic pleiotropism. Herein, we report a first case of pseudo-Meigs' syndrome occurring in a young Tunisian H syndrome diagnosed patient with a novel homozygous frameshift mutation in exon 2 of the SLC29A3 gene: p.S15Pfs*86 inducing a premature stop codon. The patient developed ascites associated with left ovarian mass and she underwent surgery. After tumor resection, ascites disappeared rapidly. Histological examination showed serous cystadenoma of the ovary orienting the diagnosis towards pseudo-Meigs' syndrome.

[Epidemiology of hepatitis C in Tunisia]. / Epidemiologie de l'hepatite C en Tunisie.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the main causes of chronic liver disease worldwide. AIM: To describe epidemiological patterns of hepatitis C in Tunisia. METHODS: Literature review. RESULTS: In Tunisia, the prevalence of HCV infection is about 0, 7 % in the general population with an increased transmission in the north of the country. Genotype 1b is the most frequent (76 % - 88 %).

[Factors predicting mortality in infected hospitalized cirrhotics patients: about 97 cases]. / Facteurs prédictifs de mortalité hospitalière chez les patients cirrhotiques infectes : À propos de 97 cas.

BACKGROUND: Infections are frequent in cirrhotic patients. They are potentially severe, modifying pejoratively the natural history of the cirrhosis and are suppliers of a heavy mortality. AIM: To determine the predictive factors of hospital mortality in cirrhotic infected patients. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study including 97 cirrhotic patients hospitalized in the department of gastroenterology of Charles Nicolle's hospital, for a first infectious episode and not having received antibiotics in the previous 15 days. Clinico-biological, bacteriological, therapeutic and evolutionary data were collected. Scores were adopted and calculated such as the score of Child-Pugh, the score MELD (The Model for End-Stage Liver Disease) and the score SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment). These data allowed a descriptive study and an uni and multi-varied analysis. RESULTS: The median age of the studied population was of 59 ± 12 years with a sex ratio of 0.83. The diabetes was the comorbidity most frequently associated with the cirrhosis (26.8 % of the cases) Viral aetiology of the cirrhosis was dominant (3/4 of the cases) especially the virus C (62.5 % of the cases). The clinical presentation of the infection was polymorphic with presence of symptoms connected to the infection and the other connected to the progression of the liver disease. The fever was absent in 3/4 of the cases. The identified infections were, in order of frequency, urinary, infection of ascite, bronchopulmonary, cutaneous and gynecological. The responsible germs were especially bacilli gram negative of intestinal origin. The estimated scores of gravity were: a score of Child-Pugh C in 60 % of the cases, an average score MELD in 18±8 points and a score average SOFA in 8 ± 4 points. Multivariate study found that only encephalopathy, bilirubin level more than 40 µmol/l and creatinin level more than 120 µmol/l was independent factors predicting mortality. CONCLUSION: Infection in cirrhotic patients was a severe and mortal complication. The hepatic encephalopathy, the hyper bilirubinemia and the renal failure are predictive of the hospital mortality. The use of the scores of gravity: Child-Pugh, MELD and SOFA would an important help for the decision to admit in intensive care unit any infected cirrhotic patient.

[Prevalence and risk factors of thromboembolic complications in inflammatory bowel disease]. / Prévalence et facteurs de risque des complications thromboemboliques au cours des maladies inflammatoires chroniques de l'intestin.

BACKGROUND: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at increased risk of thromboembolic complications (TEC), which represent an important cause of morbidity and mortality. AIM: To assess the prevalence and risk factors of TEC in patients with IBD. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study including all the IBD patients in the gastroenterological department of Charles Nicolle hospital between 2000 and 2010. Only thromboembolic events that had been diagnosed by an imaging procedure were counted. RESULTS: A total of 266 patients with IBD were consecutively included. TE events occurred in nine patients (3.4%); six men and three women. Their mean age was 31 years [15-64 years]. Five patients had Crohn's disease and four had ulcerative colitis. The types of TEC were deep venous thrombosis of the leg in five cases with pulmonary embolism in one of them, cerebral venous thrombosis in two cases, portal thrombosis in one case and jugular vein thrombosis in one case. Active disease was present in all cases at the time TEC occurred. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the prevalence of TEC is 3.4% in patients with IBD. Deep venous thromboses of the leg are the most common TEC and all our cases occurs during the active phase of IBD.

Colonoscopy in elderly: feasibility, tolerance and indications: about 901 cases.

BACKGROUND: Colonoscopy is the standard investigation for colonic disease, but clinicians often are reluctant to refer elderly patients for colonoscopy because of a perception of higher risk and a high rate of incomplete examinations. AIMS: To evaluate feasibility and tolerance of this investigation in elderly and to review the most frequent indications of colonoscopy in these patients. METHODS: A pilot retrospective study including 901 patients from January 2005 to December 2009; divided into two groups. Group (I) included patients 75 years old and more, group (II) included patients 45 years old or less. All those patients underwent colonoscopy at the gastroenterology department of Charles Nicole hospital. RESULTS: The 1st group included 231 patients, and the 2nd group included 670 one. A past history of colorectal cancer was more frequent in the group I (33.3% versus 9.90%; p<0.05) however history of chronic inflammatory bowel disease was more frequent in group II (0 versus 40.6%; p<0.05). The main indication of colonoscopy was constipation in group II (6.1% versus 27%; p<0.05) and chronic diarrhoea in group I (42.9% versus 16.4%; p<0.05). Bowel preparation was poor in 30.4% cases of the group I and 12.9% of group II (p<0.05). The tolerance was similar in the two groups. The incomplete colonoscopy rate was higher in the group I (38.3% versus 23.4%; p<0.05). The most frequent cause of colonoscopy interruption was the poor preparation in group I and the bad tolerance in group II. Diverticular disease, polyps and colorectal cancers prevailed in group I, whereas inflammatory bowel disease was current in group II. CONCLUSION: In elderly patients, colonoscopy is safe, well tolerated and offers a good diagnostic yield. Its non completion was essentially due to the poor preparation. Sedation did not seem essential. The optimisation of results of colonoscopy requires an improvement of quality preparation.

Cerebral thrombosis in inflammatory bowel disease: a report of four cases.

The risk of thromboembolism is increased in inflammatory bowel disease and its symptoms may be overlooked. The commonest are deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary emboli. Cerebral thrombosis, in a particular stroke, is rare. Furthermore, its treatment can be complex. We present the cases of 4 patients with cerebral vascular involvement.