The incidence and aetiology of acute pancreatitis across Europe.

BACKGROUND: Acute pancreatitis is increasingly one of the most important acute gastrointestinal conditions throughout much of the world, although incidence and aetiology varies across countries and regions. This study investigated regional and national patterns in the incidence and aetiology of acute pancreatitis, demographic patterns in incidence and trends over time in incidence across Europe. METHODS: A structured review of acute pancreatitis incidence and aetiology from studies of hospitalised patient case series, cohort studies or other population based studies from 1989 to 2015 and a review of trends in incidence from 1970 to 2015 across all 51 European states. RESULTS: The incidence of acute pancreatitis was reported from 17 countries across Europe and ranged from 4.6 to 100 per 100 000 population. Incidence was usually highest in eastern or northern Europe, although reported rates often varied according to case ascertainment criteria. Of 20 studies that reported on trends in incidence, all but three show percentage increases over time (overall median increase = 3.4% per annum; range = -0.4%-73%). The highest ratios of gallstone to alcohol aetiologies were identified in southern Europe (Greece, Turkey, Italy and Croatia) with lowest ratios mainly in eastern Europe (Latvia, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Russia and Lithuania). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of acute pancreatitis varies across Europe. Gallstone is the dominant aetiology in southern Europe and alcohol in eastern Europe with intermediate ratios in northern and western Europe. Acute pancreatitis continues to increase throughout most of Europe.

Colectomy rates in patients with ulcerative colitis following treatment with infliximab or ciclosporin: a systematic literature review.

This review aimed to compile all available published data on colectomy rates following treatment using infliximab or ciclosporin in adult ulcerative colitis patients and to analyse colectomy rates, timing to colectomy and postcolectomy mortality for each treatment. We systematically reviewed the literature after 1990 reporting colectomy rates in ulcerative colitis patients treated with infliximab or ciclosporin, excluding articles on paediatric patients, patients with indeterminate colitis or Crohn's disease and bowel surgery not related to ulcerative colitis. We presented weighted mean colectomy rates and mortality rates. Cox's regression was used to assess time to colectomy adjusting for colitis severity, patient age and sex. We tabulated 78 studies reporting on ciclosporin and/or infliximab and colectomy rates or postcolectomy mortality rates. Not all studies reported data in a standardized manner. Infliximab had a significantly lower colectomy rate than ciclosporin at 36 months when analysing all studies, studies directly comparing infliximab and ciclosporin and studies using severe colitis patients, but not at 3, 12 or 24 months. Severity and age were key indicators in the likelihood of undergoing colectomy after treatment. Postcolectomy mortality rates were less than 1.5% for both drugs. This review indicates that long-term colectomy rates following infliximab are significantly lower than ciclosporin in the longer term, and that postcolectomy mortality following infliximab and ciclosporin is very low. However, many key data items were missing from research articles, reducing our ability to establish with more confidence the actual impact of these two drugs on colectomy rates and postcolectomy mortality rates.

Mortality following Stroke, the Weekend Effect and Related Factors: Record Linkage Study.

BACKGROUND: Increased mortality following hospitalisation for stroke has been reported from many but not all studies that have investigated a 'weekend effect' for stroke. However, it is not known whether the weekend effect is affected by factors including hospital size, season and patient distance from hospital. OBJECTIVE: To assess changes over time in mortality following hospitalisation for stroke and how any increased mortality for admissions on weekends is related to factors including the size of the hospital, seasonal factors and distance from hospital. METHODS: A population study using person linked inpatient, mortality and primary care data for stroke from 2004 to 2012. The outcome measures were, firstly, mortality at seven days and secondly, mortality at 30 days and one year. RESULTS: Overall mortality for 37 888 people hospitalised following stroke was 11.6% at seven days, 21.4% at 30 days and 37.7% at one year. Mortality at seven and 30 days fell significantly by 1.7% and 3.1% per annum respectively from 2004 to 2012. When compared with week days, mortality at seven days was increased significantly by 19% for admissions on weekends, although the admission rate was 21% lower on weekends. Although not significant, there were indications of increased mortality at seven days for weekend admissions during winter months (31%), in community (81%) rather than large hospitals (8%) and for patients resident furthest from hospital (32% for distances of >20 kilometres). The weekend effect was significantly increased (by 39%) for strokes of 'unspecified' subtype. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality following stroke has fallen over time. Mortality was increased for admissions at weekends, when compared with normal week days, but may be influenced by a higher stroke severity threshold for admission on weekends. Other than for unspecified strokes, we found no significant variation in the weekend effect for hospital size, season and distance from hospital.

Mortality following acute pancreatitis: social deprivation, hospital size and time of admission: record linkage study.

BACKGROUND: Very little is known about whether mortality following acute pancreatitis may be influenced by the following five factors: social deprivation, week day of admission, recruitment of junior doctors in August each year, European Working Time Directives (EWTDs) for junior doctors' working hours and hospital size. The aim of this study was to establish how mortality following acute pancreatitis may be influenced by these five factors in a large cohort study. METHODS: Systematic record linkage of inpatient, mortality and primary care data for 10 589 cases of acute pancreatitis in Wales, UK (population 3.0 million), from 1999 to 2010. The main study outcome measure was mortality at 60 days following the date of admission. RESULTS: Mortality was 6.4% at 60 days. There was no significant variation in mortality according to social deprivation or the week day of admission. There was also no significant variation according to calendar month for acute pancreatitis overall or for gallstone aetiology, but for alcoholic acute pancreatitis, mortality was increased significantly by 93% for admissions during the months of August and September and 102% from August to October when compared with all other calendar months. Mortality was increased significantly for alcoholic aetiology in August 2004, the official month that the first EWTD was implemented, but there were no other increases following the first or second EWTDs. There were also indications of increased mortality in large hospitals when compared with small hospitals, for acute pancreatitis overall and for gallstone aetiology but not for alcoholic acute pancreatitis, although these increases in mortality were of quite marginal significance. CONCLUSIONS: Although we found some evidence of increased mortality for patients admitted with alcoholic acute pancreatitis during August to October, in August 2004, and in large hospitals for acute pancreatitis overall and for gallstone aetiology, the study factors had limited impact on mortality following acute pancreatitis and no significant impact when adjusted for multiple comparisons.

Extrahepatic manifestations of hepatitis C virus (HCV).

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an infectious disease that often remains asymptotic and unrecognised until complications of the virus arise. These often include extrahepatic manifestations of the virus, which first bring patients into contact with the medical profession. First recognised in the 1990s several syndromes and conditions have now been linked to hepatitis C, while others are still emerging. In some patients, extrahepatic manifestations can be the dominant feature, while hepatic disease is mild. Some conditions have an established association with the virus with a proven pathophysiological and epidemiology, such as cryoglobulinaemia. Others have consistently been found to be seen in patients with HCV, but the underlying cause of these conditions is not clearly understood. These include porphyria cutanea tarda. Many other autoimmune conditions are commonly seen in the patients with HCV as well as nephropathies, but the exact interplay between virus and resulting clinical condition is not clear. Clinicians have to have a high index of suspicion and a knowledge of the extrahepatic manifestations of HCV in order to not only treat the manifestation but also in initiated timely therapies for the underlying HCV.

The prognostic value of tumor mitotic rate and other clinicopathologic factors in patients with locoregional recurrences of melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Tumor mitotic rate (MRP) is an independent prognostic factor in clinically localized primary cutaneous melanoma, but the prognostic importance of mitotic rate in melanoma recurrences (MRR) is not known. In this study, we sought to determine the prognostic value of MRR and other clinicopathologic factors in recurrent melanoma. METHODS: Patients with primary cutaneous melanoma diagnosed between 1979 and 2006, who subsequently developed recurrence(s), were studied. Histologic sections of primary and first locoregional recurrences of melanoma were examined, and MRP and MRR were measured. Relationships between MRR, known prognostic parameters in melanoma, time to first recurrence (TTR), and postrecurrence survival were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 279 patients (172 men, 107 women) had AJCC stage I (n = 97) or stage II (n = 182) melanoma. Median MRP and MRR were 4/mm(2) (0-34) and 4/mm(2) (0-51), respectively. There was weak association between MRP and MRR (R (2) = 0.02, p = 0.02). Independent predictors of poorer postrecurrence survival were shorter TTR (hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.61-0.90, p = 0.003) and recurrence type (10-year postrecurrence survival for local, lymph node, and in-transit recurrences: 70%, 21.5%, and 11.1%, respectively; p = 0.04). MRR >0 was associated with poorer 10-year postrecurrence survival (39.1%) than if MRR = 0 (51.2%), but the difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.15). However, the difference in survival between patients with MRR >0 and those with MRR = 0 increased with time. CONCLUSIONS: TTR is an independent predictor of postrecurrence survival. Because survival in patients with MRR >0 decreases with time (relative to those with MRR = 0), MRR should be routinely measured so that future studies can determine whether MRR has any independent predictive value.

Bianchi high scrotal approach revisited.

Cryptorchidism is a common paediatric complaint and is traditionally managed surgically by orchidopexy. We aimed to prospectively review the success of the Bianchi high scrotal incision technique for performing orchidopexy in boys with palpable non-descended testis. A total of 206 orchidopexies were performed in 85 patients during a 5-year period. Testicular position was assessed at follow-up clinics at 6 weeks, 6 months and 2 years. Patients were also asked if they were pain free at each subsequent visit. A total of 206 Bianchi orchidopexies were performed successfully in 156 patients; one patient required an additional inguinal incision. The only post-operative complications were infections in two patients. Testes were palpable and remained in the scrotal sac after 6 weeks, 6 months and 2 years in 122 patients. Scarring was minimal and all patients and their parents were happy with the cosmetic appearance of the testes at follow-up. Our results led us to conclude that the high scrotal single incision Bianchi technique should be recommended to replace the traditional inguinal approach, which requires an additional incision in the management of undescended testis within the inguinal canal.