The health of the nation. HIV/AIDS and sexual health.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Adler.
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A prospective epidemiological study on inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) patients was performed in Brussels' area from April 1st, 1992 to 30th March, 1993. The mean annual incidence for Crohn's diseases (CD) was 4.1/10(5) inhabitants/year among native Belgian people and 6.4/10(5) inhabitants/year for subjects issued from Moroccan families. For ulcerative colitis, the incidence was 3.7/10(5) inhabitants/year for native Belgian people and only 1.2/10(5) inhabitants/year for Moroccan subjects. The male/female sex ratio was 0.4 for CD and 1.9 for UC. At the time of diagnosis, the mean age was 34 years for CD and 38 years for UC. For both diseases, the age peak was between 20 and 29 years. Cigarette smoking was significantly higher in CD (48%) than in UC patients (12%). Family history was about 10% for both diseases.
Alveolar echinococcosis of the liver is an uncommon and fatal disease resulting from hepatic infection by Echinococcus multilocularis. Liver transplantation has been proposed for unresectable cases with chronic complications, but up to now, no long-term follow-up has been reported. We report the case of a 29-year-old female who is disease-free more than six years after liver transplantation for a recurrent alveolar echinococcosis of the liver, confirming the place for liver transplantation in this disorder.
Cyclosporin (CsA) has been proposed in the management of patients with acute ulcerative colitis (UC) in whom standard therapy failed and who were candidates for colectomy. Seven academic hospitals contributed to this retrospective study that included 29 patients (median age: 33 y. (15-74 y.); 12 females and 17 males). The median duration of the disease was 4 y. (0.3 to 33 y.). Before initiating CsA, patients were unresponsive to treatment including i.v. corticosteroids (n = 29), 5-ASA or salazopyrine (n = 19), azathioprine (n = 3), antibiotics (n = 14). The i.v. mean dose was 4 mg/kg/day and was adapted to blood level. Concomitant treatment included corticosteroids (n = 27). The median duration of i.v. CsA administration was 10 days (4 to 41 days). At the end of CsA administration, a global improvement was described in 20 patients while a surgery had to be performed immediately in 8 patients because of exacerbation of symptoms (n = 7) or perforation (n = 1). One other patient (74 y.) died because of Pneumocystis carinii infection. For the responders, maintenance therapy included: tapering dose of steroids (n = 12), azathioprine (n = 12), 5-ASA or salazopyrine (n = 10), methotrexate (n = 1) or oral CsA (n = II). The median duration of follow-up was 12 months (4 to 48 months). Among the 20 responders, 7 were subsequently referred for colectomy either electively (n = 3) or because of recurrence of the disease (n = 4). Among the 12 patients treated by azathioprine as a maintenance therapy, only 3 had to be referred for surgery (25%). Among the 8 patients who did not receive azathioprine, 4 were subsequently referred for a colectomy (50%) (NS). In patients with acute refractory UC who received CsA, the short-term efficacy (avoidance of immediate colectomy) was obtained in 20 out of 29 patients (69%). However, after a median follow-up of 12 months, only 13 patients were colectomy free (45%).
We report the case of a patient admitted to the hospital with psychiatric troubles. Soon after admission, he presented severe hepatitis of unknown origin. Careful review of the charts, transvenous liver biopsy, right heart and hepatic pressure measurements, negative toxicologic and viral screenings were highly suggestive of hypoxic hepatitis. Indeed, the patient had previously been treated for a decompensated cardiomyopathy and medications stopped prior to the current admission. Without clear clinical evidence of heart failure he presented a brief malaise two days before the increase in liver enzymes. Holter heart recording showed afterwards bouts of ventricular tachycardia. Treatment with Dobutamine and antiarrythmics led to a rapid decrease of transaminase levels and recovery in liver function. Unfortunately, he died three weeks later from his cardiomyopathy. This case illustrates the need for cardiovascular work-up in the context of hepatitis from unknown origin.
Hepatorenal syndrome is a rapidly lethal complication of cirrhosis. The present case provides further evidence of the efficacy of terlipressin in this context even with concomitant treatment with propranolol. A 56 year old male with HBV related cirrhosis developed renal failure characteristic of hepatorenal syndrome. He was also taking propranolol for primary prophylaxis of variceal bleeding. Terlipressin 6 mg/day was administered during haemodialysis and after 1 week plasma creatinine dropped from 6.2 to 2.8 mg%. Daily urinary volume, plasma sodium and natriuresis dramatically increased during the treatment. Discontinuation of the treatment led to a rapid relapse of renal failure (plasma creatinine from 1.8 to 2.2 mg%) and the drug was readministered until a successful liver transplantation could be performed 1 month after the beginning of the treatment. The patient has now a near normal renal function 3 months after transplantation.
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