Fibrillary Glomerulonephritis in Primary Sjogren's Syndrome: A Rare Cause of Renal Failure.

Renal involvement in primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) varies in severity and prevalence. Although previously felt to be uncommon, kidneys can be involved in 25% to 30% of pSS patients. Fibrillary glomerulonephritis (FGN) is a rare primary glomerular disease that can occur in association with another autoimmune condition or malignancy. The diagnosis relies on renal biopsy findings of haphazardly arranged fibrils in all glomerular compartments and distinction from other forms of fibrillary glomerulopathies such as renal amyloidosis and immunotactoid glomerulopathy. FGN responds poorly to immunosuppressive therapy and has a poor prognosis. Here, we describe a case of FGN in a patient with asymptomatic pSS. We describe the diagnostic work-up, clinical course, treatment utilized, and 1-year follow-up. There is one other case in the literature of FGN in a patient with pSS. The rarity of this association and distinction of FGN from other forms of renal involvement in pSS is important as it impacts therapy and prognosis. The case highlights electron microscopy findings in FGN and poor prognosis.

Endoscopic Detection and Management of Esophagogastric Varices.

Introduction Gastrointestinal (GI) varices are abnormally dilated submucosal veins in the digestive tract caused due to portal hypertension. Esophagus and stomach are common locations of varices induced by portal hypertension. Their presence correlates with the severity of the liver disease. Endoscopic variceal band ligation is one of the preferred methods for bleeding and nonbleeding large varices to decrease bleeding risk. Tissue adhesives such as N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate have been used for gastric variceal obturation. Methods This descriptive study was conducted in the Department of Gastroenterology, National Academy of Medical Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal, from March 2014 to January 2020. The endoscopic detection of esophageal and gastric varices was observed. Endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) was done for esophageal varices and injection of N-butyl 2-cyanoacrylate for gastric varices. Results Esopahageal varices were detected in 1266 patients (8%) and gastric varices were in 36 patients (0.2%) among 15,657 patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal (UGI) endoscopy. Nine hundred seven (71.6%) were male. Large esophageal varices were endoscopically detected in 54.8% patients, small varices in 31.4% and both (large and small varices) in 13.4%. EVL was done in 30.7% and EVL with cyanoacrylate glue injection in 35 patients (2.7%). Conclusion Esophageal and gastric varices are seen commonly in patients with chronic liver disease. This study was conducted to describe the different types of GI varices in patients undergoing UGI endoscopy. Variceal band ligation for esophageal varices and glue injection for gastric varices are viable options of management.

Successful Endoscopic Management of Suspected Foreign Bodies in Upper Gastrointestinal Tract among Patients Undergoing Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Most ingested foreign bodies pass through the gastrointestinal tract spontaneously. However, some foreign bodies may get impacted in the upper gastrointestinal tract. A variety of endoscopic techniques and instruments are indicated for the removal of such impacted foreign bodies. This study was conducted to find out the prevalence of successful endoscopic removal of foreign bodies. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among patients who presented at the Department of Gastroenterology with complaints of upper gastrointestinal foreign body ingestion from 2/11/2008 to 23/07/2020 after taking ethical approval of the research proposal was taken from Institutional Review Board (Reference no 13). Convenient sampling was done. The data were entered into Microsoft Excel and analyzed in Statistical Package of Social Sciences version 22. RESULTS: A total of 119 cases were identified with foreign bodies ingestion. In hundred patients, foreign bodies 100 (84 %) (77.41-90.58 at 95% Confidence Interval) were extracted completely. Complete extraction failed in 19 (16%) patients. Six (5%) patients were treated by push technique and 10 (8.4%) patients with failed retrieval, received surgical intervention for foreign body removal. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic removal technique of foreign bodies in the upper gastrointestinal tract was successful in most of the cases and is associated with few complications.

Epidemiology of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases in Nepal.

Introduction Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) comprise ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). These are diseases of the gastrointestinal tract without a clear etiology but have strong relationships with underlying factors like genetic susceptibility, environmental factors, and intestinal bacteria. In the east, inflammatory bowel diseases predominantly affect the younger population and have an almost equal gender distribution. With urbanization and the adoption of the western lifestyle, the incidence and prevalence of IBD are increasing in Asia. In this study, we describe the epidemiology of IBD in Nepal. Methods This was an observational study conducted in nine endoscopy centers within Nepal. Two years of data of colonoscopies in these centers were collected retrospectively. IBD was diagnosed by endoscopic examination. The incidence of IBD was calculated as the number of patients with IBD per 1000 colonoscopies per year. The demographic profiles of the patients were also collected. Results A total of 7526 colonoscopies were done in nine centers within the two years study period. IBD was seen in 479 patients (6.3%). The incidence of UC was 23.7 per 1000 colonoscopies per year and the incidence of CD was 1.6 per 1000 colonoscopies per year. UC (87%) was more common than CD (13%). Both UC and CD were mostly seen in the 30 to 40 years age group. In patients with UC, the rectum was the most commonly affected site. Discussion IBD in Nepal affects young males in their thirties. Younger age of affliction with a chronic disease and lack of awareness regarding the symptoms and diagnostic modalities of IBD may result in a delayed diagnosis. The target population must be made aware of the presenting symptoms of IBD and a need for colonoscopic examination for diagnosis. There is also a need for creating a national IBD registry for Nepal.