Portal Vein Thrombosis in Liver Transplantation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Portal vein thrombosis was considered a contraindication for liver transplantation. This study analyzes the perioperative complications and survival of liver transplant patients with portal vein thrombosis (PVT). A retrospective observational cohort study of liver transplant patients was conducted. The outcomes were early mortality (30 days) and patient survival. A total of 201 liver transplant patients were identified and 34 (17%) patients with PVT were found. The most frequent extension of thrombosis was Yerdel 1 (58.8%), and a portosystemic shunt was identified in 23 (68%) patients. Eleven patients (33%) presented any early vascular complication, PVT being the most frequent (12%). The multivariate regression analysis showed a statistically significant association between PVT and early complications (OR = 3.3, 95% confidence interval 1.4-7.7; p = 0.006). Moreover, early mortality was observed in eight patients (24%), of which two (5.9%) presented Yerdel 2. For Yerdel 1, patient survival according to the extent of thrombosis was 75% at 1 year and 3 years, while for Yerdel 2, it was 65% at 1 year, and 50% at 3 years (p = 0.04). Portal vein thrombosis significantly influenced early vascular complications. Furthermore, portal vein thrombosis Yerdel 2 or higher impacts the survival of liver grafts in the short and long term.

Impact of Public Health Policies on Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease in Latin America: An Ecological Multinational Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is the leading cause of liver-related mortality in Latin America, yet the impact of public health policies (PHP) on liver disease is unknown. We aimed to assess the association between alcohol PHP and deaths due to ALD in Latin American countries. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We performed an ecological multinational study including 20 countries in Latin America (628,466,088 inhabitants). We obtained country-level sociodemographic information from the World Bank Open Data source. Alcohol-related PHP data for countries were obtained from the World Health Organization Global Information System of Alcohol and Health. We constructed generalized linear models to assess the association between the number of PHP (in 2010) and health outcomes (in 2016). In Latin America, the prevalence of obesity was 27% and 26.1% among male and female populations, respectively. The estimated alcohol per capita consumption among the population at 15 years old or older was 6.8 L of pure alcohol (5.6 recorded and 1.2 unrecorded). The overall prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUD) was 4.9%. ALD was the main cause of cirrhosis in 64.7% of male and 40.0% of female populations. A total of 19 (95%) countries have at least one alcohol-related PHP on alcohol. The most frequent PHP were limiting drinking age (95%), tax regulations (90%), drunk-driving policies and countermeasures (90%), and government monitoring systems and community support (90%). A higher number of PHP was associated with a lower ALD mortality (PR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.61-0.93; P = 0.009), lower AUD prevalence (PR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.65-0.99; P = 0.045), and lower alcohol-attributable road traffic deaths (PR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.65-1.00; P = 0.051). CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that in Latin America, countries with higher number of PHP have lower mortality due to ALD, lower prevalence of AUD, and lower alcohol-attributable road traffic mortality.

Enfermedades hepáticas y embarazo / Liver diseases and pregnancy

Resumen La prevalencia de las enfermedades hepáticas en el embarazo no es despreciable, ya que estas se presentan en 3%-5% de todas las gestaciones. Entre las múltiples causas se encuentran cambios fisiológicos del embarazo; enfermedad hepática preexistente, siendo las más comunes las enfermedades colestásicas (colangitis biliar primaria y colangitis esclerosante primaria), hepatitis autoinmune, enfermedad de Wilson, hepatitis virales crónicas, cirrosis establecida de cualquier etiología y paciente con historia de trasplante hepático; enfermedad hepática adquirida durante el embarazo, siendo las principales las hepatitis virales, la toxicidad inducida por medicamentos y la hepatolitiasis; hepatopatía relacionada con el embarazo, en la cual se encuentran 5 entidades principales: hiperémesis gravídica, colestasis intrahepática del embarazo, preeclampsia, síndrome HELLP e hígado graso del embarazo. La severidad de estas entidades tiene una amplia gama de presentaciones, desde la paciente que es completamente asintomática, hasta la falla hepática aguda e incluso la muerte. La gravedad del cuadro se asocia con una morbilidad y mortalidad significativas tanto para la madre como para el feto, lo cual hace que una evaluación rápida, diagnóstico certero y manejo apropiado por un equipo multidisciplinario (incluida obstetricia de alto riesgo, hepatología, gastroenterología y radiología intervencionista), en un servicio que tenga la posibilidad de ofrecer trasplante hepático, sean fundamentales para obtener buenos desenlaces.

Abstract Liver diseases develop in 3% to 5% of all gestations. Among the causes are: 1. Physiological changes of pregnancy. 2. Pre-existing liver diseases and conditions. The most common are cholestatic diseases such as primary biliary cholangitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. Others include autoimmune hepatitis, Wilson's disease, chronic viral hepatitis, cirrhosis of any etiology and histories of liver transplantation. 3. Liver disease acquired during pregnancy, especially viral hepatitis, drug-induced toxicity and hepatolithiasis. 4. Pregnancy-related liver diseases including hyperemesis gravidarum, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome and fatty liver of pregnancy. Severity ranges from absence of symptoms to acute liver failure and even death. Severe cases have significant morbidity and mortality for both mother and fetus. These cases require rapid evaluation, accurate diagnosis and appropriate management by a multidisciplinary team including high-risk obstetrics, hepatology, gastroenterology and interventional radiology. Availability of liver transplantation is also important for obtaining good outcomes.

Necrosis cutánea por warfarina / Warfarin-Induced skin necrosis

La necrosis cutánea por warfarina aparece entre 0.01-0.1% de los pacientes, afecta más a mujeres con obesidad y antecedentes de enfermedad tromboembólica luego del quinto día de su inicio. Se debe a un imbalance transitorio de los sistemas anticoagulante y procoagulante, caracterizado por flictenas hemorrágicas en zonas con tejido graso. Reportamos el caso de una necrosis cutánea por warfarina con un desenlace fatal. (Acta Med Colomb 2012; 37: 138-141).

Warfarin-induced skin necrosis appears between 0.01% to 0.1% of patients. It affects mostly women with obesity and a history of thromboembolic disease after the fifth day of its administration, and is caused by a transient imbalance of procoagulant and anticoagulant systems, characterized by hemorrhagic blisters in areas with fatty tissue. (Acta Med Colomb 2012; 37: 138-141). We report the case of a warfarin-induced skin necrosis with fatal outcome.

Púrpura trombótica trombocitopénica. Presentación de casos y discusión / Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Cases report and review

Se describen dos casos de púrpura trombótica trombocitopénica (PTT), el primero con una respuesta excelente a la terapia y el segundo con desenlace fatal debido a la escasez de plasma del grupo AB a pesar de la sospecha y la institución temprana del manejo. La PTTes una entidad con alta mortalidad si no se sospecha con rapidez y se instaura un tratamiento efectivo. La asociación de anemia y trombocitopenia en ausencia de leucopenia, debe alertar al clínico; si se confirma anemia hemolítica microangiopática más trombocitopenia es un argumento suficiente para iniciar plasmaféresis diaria en presencia o no de síntomas neurológicos, renales o fiebre, ya que en todos los pacientes podría no encontrarse la péntada clásica completa de la PTT. El intercambio plasmático con plasma fresco congelado o plasma sobrenadante de crioprecipitado puede ser salvador de la vida en estos pacientes. En la tercera parte de casos, siguen un curso crónico o refractario y se puede emplear inmunosu-presión con rituximab o ciclosporina. La esplenectomía es otra alternativa para considerar en los pacientes que no responden a la plasmaféresis.

In this paper two thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) are presented; first one had excellent response but second one died because had lack of AB plasma to treatment. TTP is high mortality disorder if it not suspected and do a effective treatment. Anemia associated with thrombocytopenia without leucopenia must alert physicians; if microangiopathic hemolytic anemia plus thrombocytopenia are detected, this is reason to start daily plasmapheresis in presence o nor of neurological or renal symptoms or high temperature because there are patients without all TTP manifestations. Plasma exchange saves TTP patients life; one over three patients follow a chronic or refractive course, and immunosuppressive therapy with rituximab cyclosporine are an option.