Clinical course and longterm prognosis of Japanese patients with Crohn's disease: predictive factors, rates of operation, and mortality.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to clarify the long-term course of Crohn's disease (CD) and predictors of its prognosis in Japan. METHODS: This was a historical cohort study of 276 patients with CD who had been diagnosed between 1965 and 1998. The clinical course was evaluated by the course of the CD score (CCDS) according to the required treatments. The predictive factors were examined by stepwise regression test. The cumulative rates of operation and survival were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Patients with colitis-type CD had significantly lower annual and cumulative operation rates than those with other types, and showed significantly better progress, estimated by the CCDS, than patients with ileocolitis type. Reliable predictors for the 2- to 5-year clinical course after starting treatment were the CCDS, the presence of laparotomy during the initial year, and onset at age 30 years or more. The predictors for the 6- to 10-year clinical course were the duration of symptoms at diagnosis and onset at age 16 years or less. The predictors for the 11- to 15-year clinical course were the CCDS, the maximum International Organization of the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD) assessment score during the first year after starting treatment, and the effectiveness of the initial treatment. Relative survival rates at 5, 10, 15, and 20 years after the onset were 98.9%, 98.1%, 97.7%, and 94.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: CD patients with colitis type showed a better clinical course and had significantly different clinical features compared with the patients with ileitis and ileocolitis type. Prediction of the longterm course of CD is possible by using clinical factors during the first year after starting treatment. The relative survival rates in Japanese patients with CD are not different from those seen in Western countries. The purpose of this study was to clarify the long-term course of Crohn's disease (CD) and predictors of its prognosis in Japan.

Dietary fat attenuates the benefits of an elemental diet in active Crohn's disease: a randomized, controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: Although an elemental diet has been established as the primary treatment for patients with Crohn's disease, the influence of dietary fat on the elemental diet remains unclear. We have designed the first randomized, controlled trial for elemental diets containing different fat percentages in patients with active Crohn's disease. METHODS: Each patient was randomized to receive one of three dose levels of fat in an elemental diet (Elental) for 4 weeks: 10 patients received low fat (3.06 g/day), 10 patients received medium fat (16.56 g/day) and eight patients received high fat (30.06 g/day). The additional fat was composed of long-chain fatty acids. All patients were evaluated using the International Organization of Inflammatory Bowel Disease rating, plus C-reactive protein level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate, which were measured at weekly intervals. RESULTS: Although the International Organization of Inflammatory Bowel Disease rating, C-reactive protein level and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the low-fat group decreased, the values in the medium- and high-fat groups fluctuated during the study. The remission rate after 4 weeks in each group was 80%, 40% and 25% for patients in the low-, medium- and high-fat groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: When the fat consisted of long-chain triglycerides, a high amount of this fat in the elemental diet formula decreased its therapeutic effect against active Crohn's disease.

[A case of spontaneous complete necrosis of hepatocellular carcinoma sized 10cm in diameter demonstrated by the resected specimen].

A 68-year-old man with chronic hepatitis C and of a heavy drinker was admitted to our hospital because of a huge liver tumor (10cm in diameter) in segment-5 detected on CT in July 2009. One month later, the size of liver tumor was reduced to 5cm in diameter and another liver tumor of 1cm in segment-3 was detected on CT. AFP and AFP-L3 spontaneously decreased to normal range. In October, a partial hepatectomy was performed. The resected specimen demonstrated complete necrosis with thick capsule. The tumor in segment-3 became equivocal without resection. We considered this is a case of spontaneous complete necrosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.