Tackling the Unyielding Challenge of Necrotic Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Liver Necrosectomy Approach for Intratumoral Hemorrhage and Abscess Resolution.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary cancer worldwide. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis persist as the most common risk factors, typically linked to instances of alcohol abuse or viral infections, notably hepatitis B and hepatitis C infection. Diagnosis can be made using patient history and image studies as there is no need for pathological confirmation. The only curative treatment is surgical resection, and in cases where the tumor is unresectable, as the one presented in this case, and when there are no contraindications, the only option is an orthotopic liver transplantation. This malignancy is not only associated with high mortality but also high morbidity associated with severe complications, such as hemorrhage, necrosis, and infection of the tumor. The significant relevance of this case lies in its capacity to illustrate that despite remaining in non-surgical management for months when an acute complication presented, it was timely identified and surgically treated. The emergence of complications, such as necrosis accompanied by abscess formation and intratumoral hemorrhage, represents an indication for prompt surgical management.

Eosinophilic Cholecystitis as an Atypical Etiology of Biliary Colic: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Eosinophilic cholecystitis (EC) is an uncommon cause of acute cholecystitis; the clinical presentation is indistinguishable from other types of cholecystitis, and the diagnosis is made by histopathology study. We present the case of a 73-year-old male patient with right hypochondrial abdominal pain suggestive of symptomatic cholelithiasis. There were no significant findings at the blood workup or physical examination; he underwent a cholecystectomy and was later diagnosed with eosinophilic cholecystitis by histopathology. EC may be associated with some other systemic conditions, such as eosinophilic granulomatosis, eosinophilic ascites, or parasitosis, which will require specific management.

An Unusual Presentation of Valentino Syndrome With a Perforated Gastric Ulcer as a Cause of Abdominal Pain: A Case Report.

Numerous pathologies can cause abdominal pain; thus, the surgeon's job is to precisely identify any pathologies that may require surgery and endanger the patient's life. Perforation of a gastric or duodenal ulcer associated with a clinical picture of acute appendicitis is known as Valentino syndrome (VS). To our knowledge, there are 22 cases of VS reported in the literature. We describe the clinical case of a 53-year-old female patient with abdominal pain in the right iliac fossa who came to the emergency room. A plain tomography was performed, which found free intraperitoneal fluid and free subdiaphragmatic air. Therefore, a laparotomy was performed, revealing a gastric perforation. VS is a rare pathology and when not recognized and managed properly, it can increase patients' mortality.

Trasplante hepático en hepatitis alcohólica aguda: ¿debemos decir que no?

Alcohol liver disease is one of the main indications for liver transplantation (LT). Currently, an abstinence period <6 months is required to include a patient with alcohol liver disease on the waiting list, a period that has not been shown to reduce the risk of relapse. Alcoholic hepatitis is characterized by hepatic decompensation secondary to recent, excessive consumption of alcohol, and LT may be the option in a well-selected group of patients who do not respond to medical treatment, but due to established sobriety intervals are excluded, this requires a change in the criteria established by the committees. We propose an evaluation algorithm to consider alcoholic hepatitis unresponsive to medical treatment for LT.

La enfermedad hepática por alcohol es una de las principales indicaciones de trasplante hepático (TH). Actualmente se requiere un período de abstinencia > 6 meses para incluir a un paciente con enfermedad hepática por alcohol en lista de espera de TH, periodo que no ha demostrado disminuir el riesgo de recaída. La hepatitis aguda por alcohol se caracteriza por una descompensación hepática secundaria a un consumo de alcohol excesivo reciente, y el TH puede ser la única opción en un grupo bien seleccionado de pacientes que no responden al tratamiento médico, pero debido a los intervalos de sobriedad establecidos son excluidos, y esto requiere un cambio en los criterios establecidos por los comités. Proponemos un algoritmo de evaluación para considerar para TH la hepatitis aguda por alcohol no respondedora a tratamiento médico.

Hepatic transplant during SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. A literature review.

ANTECEDENTES: En diciembre de 2019 se identificó en la ciudad de Wuhan, China, un nuevo beta coronavirus, el SARS-CoV-2, como agente causal de neumonía grave, conocida como COVID-19, lo cual ha provocado medidas estrictas de aislamiento, cierre de programas de trasplante hepático y la necesidad de modificar los protocolos de tratamiento. OBJETIVO: Documentar la información publicada sobre el impacto de la COVID-19 en la población con antecedente de trasplante hepático y establecer un protocolo de tratamiento. MÉTODO: Se buscaron en PubMed los términos MeSH "SARS-CoV-2", "COVID-19", "trasplante hepático" y "tratamiento". RESULTADOS: Hasta el momento se ha demostrado en la población con trasplante hepático una mayor facilidad para adquirir el virus, sin una diferencia en la mortalidad al compararla con la población general. La inmunosupresión debe continuar, sin suspender los inhibidores de la calcineurina. Del tratamiento específico, los esteroides son los que han demostrado el mayor beneficio clínico y una disminución de la mortalidad. CONCLUSIÓN: El trasplante hepático no se asocia de manera independiente a una mayor mortalidad. Otros factores, además del trasplante, deben tomarse en cuenta al momento de establecer la gravedad. BACKGROUND: In December 2019, a new beta coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, was identified in the city of Wuhan, China, as a causative agent of severe pneumonia, known as COVID-19, which has led to strict isolation measures, closure of liver transplantation programs and the need to modify treatment protocols. OBJECTIVE: Document the information published so far on the impact of COVID-19 in the population with a history of liver transplantation and establish a treatment protocol. METHOD: MeSH terms were searched for "SARS-CoV-2", "COVID-19", "liver transplantation" and "treatment". RESULTS: Up to now, a greater ease in acquiring the virus has been shown in the liver transplant population, without a difference in mortality when compared to the general population. Immunosuppression should continue at the minimum tolerated levels, without suspending calcineurin inhibitors. Of the specific treatment, steroids are those that have shown the greatest clinical benefit and decreased mortality. CONCLUSION: Liver transplantation is not independently associated with higher mortality. Factors other than transplantation must be taken into account when considering the risk of severity.

Sarcopenia in chronic liver diseases: a translational overview.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcopenia refers to a progressive and generalized muscle mass and strength loss. In liver diseases, it has been related to worse outcomes and high risk of decompensations. AREAS COVERED: Sarcopenia is caused by a set of cellular processes in the muscle such as denervation, mitochondrial dysfunction, endotoxemia and inflammation; which are manifested through the alteration of several proteolytic pathways such as lysosomal, proteasomal and caspase systems. In autophagy, myostatin and oxidative stress; such as hyperammonemia, contributes importantly to liver sarcopenia through loss of muscle mass already demonstrated in in vitro and in vivo models. In addition, hormones and the regulation of the intestinal microbiota, influence in a not less important magnitude. In the clinical setting, early identification of sarcopenia has been established as a mandatory item to prevent progression of muscle mass loss; however, diagnostic methods have extreme variation according to methodology, population, etiology and severity of liver disease. Reversing sarcopenia should be an integral therapeutic strategy. EXPERT OPINION: Clinical and nutritional interventions should be adapted to liver injury etiology and stage of disease, each of them shares a similar sarcopenia development pathway. There are specific biomarkers that condition or exacerbate loss of skeletal muscle.

An unusual type of biliar cyst: A case report.

 We present the case of a 56-yr-old woman with vague abdominal pain of approximately 5 months duration. An ultrasound study showed moderate dilation of the common bile duct. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography confirmed a cystic dilatation of the right hepatic duct with intra and extra hepatic component. The patient underwent right hepatectomy and complete excision of the cyst. Microscopically, the cyst wall was formed by fibrous tissue with mild acute and chronic inflammatory infiltrate, the inner surface showed a single layer of columnar epithelium and extensive squamous metaplasia without atypia, wich expressed p63 and high molecular weight cytoqueratin (34BE12).

Spontaneous uterine rupture: report of two cases.

BACKGROUND: Uterine rupture is a rare entity with an incidence of 0.07% and is a cause of perinatal mortality. Dehiscence of previous uterine scar is the most important cause, but other causes have been reported such as placenta percreta. Almost 80% of uterine ruptures are spontaneous and its complications lead to an elevated mortality rate for the mother and the fetus. CLINICAL CASES: Case 1. We present the case of a 28-year-old female with no previous relevant medical history. The patient was 20 weeks pregnant with a diagnosis of uterus didelphys (double uterus) with lower placental implantation with normal pregnancy evolution at the time. Evolution of her illness was with intense abdominal pain and transvaginal bleeding. Case 2. We present the case of a 20-year-old female with a history of spontaneous abortion 1 year prior. The patient denied pregnancy and even reported her last menstruation date on 3/23/09. She began with sudden abdominal pain associated with two episodes of diarrhea, dizziness and fainting. CONCLUSION: Uterine rupture is a rare clinical entity with an elevated perinatal mortality. Clinical suspicion is of vital important for early diagnosis and timely treatment.

Apendicitis xantogranulomatosa: reporte de caso y revisión de literatura / Xanthogranulomatous appendicitis: report of a case and literature review

Objetivo: Reportar un caso clínico de apendicitis xantogranulomatosa y realizar una revisión de la literatura. Sede: Hospital Médica Sur (tercer nivel de atención). Diseño: Reporte de caso. Caso clínico: Mujer de 30 años de edad con dolor abdominal compatible clínicamente con apendicitis aguda, se realiza apendicectomía por vía laparoscópica sin complicaciones, reporte de patología de apendicitis xantogranulomatosa. La inflamación xantogranulomatosa del apéndice cecal es una entidad crónica inusual, se desconoce la patogénesis que la desencadena, sin embargo, se ha evidenciado que la isquemia, obstrucción crónica y la ulceración mucosa juegan un papel importante en el desarrollo de este tipo de inflamación. Dentro de los hallazgos histológicos se encuentran células espumosas y zonas de fibrosis fusocelular. Se han descrito seis casos similares en el mundo. Conclusión: Es una entidad poco usual cuyo diagnóstico se realiza por histopatología. Existen varias hipótesis con respecto a su etiología, desde alteración en el transporte de lípidos hasta infecciosas. La importancia de su diagnóstico radica en que puede estar asociado con enfermedades inflamatorias intestinales.

Objective: To report a clinical case of xanthoganulomatous appendicitis, and to perform a literature review. Setting: Hospital Médica Sur (third level health care hospital). Design: Case report. Description of the case: Woman, 30-year-old, coursing with abdominal pain clinically compatible with acute apendicitis. Laparoscopic appendicectomy without complications was performed, pathology reports xanthogranulomatous apendicitis. Xanthogranulomatous inflammation of the cecal appendix is an unusual chronic entity, its pathogenesis is unknown, however, it has been evidenced that ischemia, chronic obstructions, and mucosal ulceration play an important role in the development of this type of inflammation. Within histological findings are spongy cells and fusocellular fibrosis zones. Six similar cases have been described worldwide. Conclusion: This is an uncommon disease, its diagnosis is reached through histopathology. There are several hypotheses with respect to its etiology, from lipids transport alterations to infectious causes. The relevance of its diagnosis is because it might be associated to intestinal inflammatory diseases.

Apendicitis del muñón apendicular: Reporte de caso y revisión de literatura / Appendicitis of the appendicular stump: Case report and review of the literature

Objetivo: Describir el caso de un paciente con apendicitis del muñón apendicular y realizar una revisión de la literatura. Sede: Hospital Médica Sur. Diseño: Caso clínico. Descripción del caso: Masculino de 38 años de edad con antecedente de apendicitis complicada manejada quirúrgicamente hace 15 años. Cursa 48 horas con dolor abdominal tipo cólico, mal localizado, orientado hacia la mitad inferior del abdomen, durante las primeras 24 horas afebril, no náusea ni vómito; durante las siguientes 12 horas, el dolor se intensifica hasta llegar a ser 10 de 10, en hemiabdomen inferior, con fiebre de 38.5°C, con náusea sin vómito. Se encuentran datos de irritación peritoneal, leucocitosis con neutrofilia, estudios paraclínicos de imagen sugerentes de apendicitis aguda, por lo que se decide laparotomía exploradora. Durante la misma se evidencia, a nivel de ciego, remanente apendicular de aproximadamente 1 cm, con cambios isquémicos y perforación a nivel de la base del ciego. Se realiza hemicolectomía derecha con ileo-transverso anastomosis latero-lateral. El estudio histopatológico confirma apendicitis del muñón. Conclusión: Una complicación rara de la apendicectomía es la apendicitis del muñón apendicular, que se presenta cuando no se realiza una resección apendicular adecuada. Esto se debe a mala identificación de la base apendicular, por diversos motivos, lo que condiciona a dejar un muñón apendicular de más de 5 mm.

Objective: To describe a case of appendiceal stump appendicitis and to perform a literature review. Setting: Hospital Médica Sur (Third level health care private hospital). Design: Case report. Description of the case: Man of 28 years of age, with an antecedent of complicated appendicitis managed surgically 15 years ago. The patient had coursed for the last 48 h with colic-type abdominal pain, not well localized, oriented towards the lower half of the abdomen, he was without fever the first 24 h, he presented no nausea nor vomiting; 12 h later the pain intensified until reaching 10 of 10, in the lower hemiabdomen, with fever of 38.5°C and nausea but no vomiting. Peritoneal irritation data were found, leukocytosis with neutrophilia, imaging studies were suggestive of acute appendicitis; hence, it was decided to perform an exploratory laparotomy. During this, an appendicular remnant of approximately 1 cm was evidenced at the base of the cecum. Right hemicolectomy was performed with ileo-transverse latero-lateral anastomosis. The histopathological study confirmed appendicitis of the stump. Conclusion: Appendicitis of the appendiceal stump is a rare complication of appendicectomy, which occurs when the appendicular resection is not performed adequately. This is due to a wrong identification of the appendicular base, for diverse reasons, which leads to leave an appendiceal stump of more than 5 mm.