BACKGROUND: The success of balloon dilatation treatment of benign biliary strictures (BBS) is usually evaluated by 'clinical test'. For objective evaluation of treatment success, measurement of the pressure inside the biliary tree after treatment has been proposed. AIM: The aim of this article is to assess the role of biliary ...

We studied histological features and long-term outcomes in patients with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type 1 (PFIC1) after liver transplantation (LT). Histological findings were correlated with the post-LT course and treatment in 11 recipients with PFIC1. Ages at LT varied from 1 to 18 years (median, 4 years). Macrovesicular steatosis ...

Liver resection is an accepted treatment modality for malignant disease of the liver. However, because of its potential morbidity and mortality, the practice of liver resection in benign disease is more controversial. This study was designed to assess the early outcomes of 79 consecutive liver resections for benign disease over ...

INTRODUCTION: Portal vein embolization is an accepted method to increase the future remnant liver preoperatively. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of preoperative portal vein embolization on liver volume and function 3 months after major liver resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective case-control study. ...

Twenty patients with primary hepatic alveolar echinococcosis were treated with continuous long-term albendazole at a dose of 20 mg/kg/d for an average of 5.7 years (1.5-13.5 years) and were followed up for an average of 12.7 years (4.1-13.5 years). The therapeutic effects were evaluated by clinical, laboratory (haemogram, liver function ...

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: No definitive treatment strategy has been established for patients with an antenatal diagnosed congenital diaphragmatic hernia (AD-CDH). From 1997 to 2003 in this department fetal stabilization (FS) was administered using both morphine and diazepam via the placenta just before delivery of the fetus by cesarean section. In contrast, from ...

PURPOSE: This study retrospectively compared different therapy modalities in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) complicated by bile duct thrombi (BDT). METHODS: A total of 184 patients with BDT were selected from a pool of 12,114 patients with HCC, and their cases were reviewed in this study. RESULTS: The occurrence rate ...

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant cancers in the world. The effect of preoperative transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for resectable HCC is still controversial and cost-associated treatments are unknown. METHODS: We retrospectively compared clinical outcomes and resource utilization after liver resection between patients who underwent preoperative TACE ...

The system that controls the waiting list (WL) and organ allocation for liver transplantation (OLT) seeks to achieve 3 main goals: objectivity, low dropout risks and good post-OLT results. We sought to prospectively validate a priority allocation model that is believed to achieve objectivity without penalizing dropout risk and post-OLT ...

A 2(1/2)-year-old boy presented with pruritus and jaundice of 2 weeks duration. On investigation, serum total bilirubin was 23.4 mg/dL and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase was normal. Liver biopsy was consistent with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC). A partial external biliary diversion (PEBD) was done. Pruritus disappeared, growth improved and serum ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) and percutaneous needle aspiration (PNA) in the management of large (>10 cm diameter) liver abscesses. METHODS: Seventy-two patients with liver abscess (amebic 48, pyogenic 24) were randomly allocated to PCD or PNA (36 each), which were done within 24 hours ...

Although adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (ALDLT) has shown comparable outcomes to deceased donor liver transplantation, the outcome of patients with a high MELD score (>25) and a small-for-size graft (SFSG<0.8% of graft-to-recipient weight ratio) is not known. For 7 years, 167 consecutive hepatitis B virus-infected recipients underwent ALDLT at ...

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a systemic inflammatory reaction, which is characterized by a predominantly proinflammatory cytokine profile, causing the transition from stable cirrhosis to ACLF. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the changes in several cytokines associated with inflammatory liver disease and liver regeneration among 15 ...

BACKGROUND: This prospective study evaluated the effect of bevacizumab on the hypertrophy of the future liver remnant (FLR) after portal vein occlusion (PVO) before major hepatectomy for colorectal liver metastases. METHODS: Twenty-seven patients with colorectal liver metastases treated with preoperative FOLFOX/FOLFIRI chemotherapy regimen since 2002 were evaluated for the degree ...

Corticosteroid therapy is effective in type 1 autoimmune hepatitis. This study determines if the rapidity of response affects outcome. The duration of treatment to improve clinical and laboratory indices was determined retrospectively in 146 patients and correlated with outcome. Sixteen patients (11%) responded after < or =6 months, and 20 ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the protective effects of Verapamil on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in cirrhotic patients with HCC. METHOD: A controlled study was performed on 86 consecutive patients with cirrhosis who underwent liver resection for suffering HCC. Thirty-nine patients were injected with Verapamil through the ...

The clinical importance of congestion of the remnant right lobe has not yet been fully elucidated in donors who donate their left lobe with the middle hepatic vein. The impact of congestion on clinical course and liver regeneration in 52 donor remnant livers were evaluated. The donors were divided into ...

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a well known therapeutic modality in the curative treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this work was to assess the efficacy of percutaneous RFA in patients with tumors < or = 3.5 cm regarding the ability to achieve full tumor necrosis and local recurrence ...

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of Argon Plasma Coagulation (APC) in terms of improvement in hemoglobin level and disappearance of telangiectasia as endoscopic treatment for Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia (GAVE) and Diffuse Antral Vascular Ectasia (DAVE) syndrome in liver cirrhosis. STUDY DESIGN: Quasi experimental study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: ...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of mild macrovesicular steatosis on the outcome of living liver donors following right hepatectomy. METHODS: The medical records of 46 living liver donors who underwent right hepatectomy were studied. Ten donors had mild macrovesicular steatosis (5-10 per cent in ...

PURPOSE: A case of probable enoxaparin-induced hepatotoxicity is described. SUMMARY: A 29-year-old woman sought treatment from a pulmonologist for a dry, hacking, constant cough not relieved by fast-acting inhalers or narcotic cough medications that had lasted for three weeks. Her primary care physician had earlier made a preliminary diagnosis of ...

OBJECTIVE: To report the occurrence of fatal acute liver failure following addition of levothyroxine to a regimen of sunitinib and acetaminophen. CASE SUMMARY: A 57-year-old woman who started sunitinib treatment for relapsed metastatic gastrointestinal stromal tumor after imatinib failure had disease stabilization and normal liver function through 8 cycles of ...

PURPOSE: To study the value of postoperative transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) to improve the efficacy of hepatectomy and tumor thrombus removal for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: From January 1996 to December 2004, 126 patients with HCC and PVTT were randomly assigned ...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate the hemihepatic vascular occlusion with hanging maneuver in hepatectomy. METHODOLOGY: Ninety-four cases of hepatectomy were analyzed retrospectively. All patients were randomized into 3 groups: Pringle maneuver was applied in Group 1 (n=40), hemihepatic inflow control was Group 2 (n=30) and complete hemihepatic vascular occlusion with hanging maneuver ...

PURPOSE: To assess the role of combined preoperative and postoperative chemoembolization in patients with resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Outcomes were retrospectively analyzed in 281 consecutive patients who underwent hepatectomy for HCC between January 1995 and December 2006. Of the 281 patients, 118 patients did not undergo chemoembolization ...

INTRODUCTION: A non-invasive liver function monitoring system, the LiMON, has been developed that measures indocyanine green (ICG) elimination by pulse spectrophotometry. The aim was to assess the relationship between pre and post-operative ICG plasma disappearance rate (ICG PDR %/min) values and the onset of post-hepatectomy liver dysfunction. METHODS: 37 patients ...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To study the morphology of residual abscess in successfully treated pyogenic liver abscess by ultrasound. METHODS: 116 consecutive patients of liver abscess diagnosed from April 2004 to March 2007 were included in this study. Patients with amebic liver abscess were excluded. Patients were treated with antibiotics for 6 weeks ...

AIM: The objective of this study was to evaluate liver fibrosis using non-invasive methods in elderly patients. METHODS: In a prospective two-day study, all consecutive patients of geriatric units were examined using transient elastography (FibroScan) and biochemical markers (Hepascore, Aspartate Transaminase (AST) to platelet ratio index [APRI], Forns score, FibroTest). ...

BACKGROUND: Subclinical hepatic dysfunction after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has been described in the literature. However, this alteration is not encountered in all patients. In order to address this situation, a prospective study was conducted to investigate the effect of abdominal perfusion pressure (APP) on liver function tests after LC performed ...

Nutritional support may play an important role in management of liver cirrhosis (LC) associated with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Total protein and albumin deteriorate in patients with LC undergoing trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Therefore, in this study, we examined the hypothesis that short-term administration of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) will prevent ...

OBJECTIVES: Few data are available from prospective trials to define the hepatotoxicity of diclofenac, the most widely prescribed non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in the world. We determined the rate of laboratory and clinical adverse hepatic effects in a large double-blind trial of diclofenac. METHODS: Patients > or = 50 years ...

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Simvastatin improves liver generation of nitric oxide and hepatic endothelial dysfunction in patients with cirrhosis, so it could be an effective therapy for portal hypertension. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of continuous simvastatin administration on the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) and its safety in ...

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: "&gt;This experiment had the objective of evaluating the influence of homeopathic remedies on the performance and health of broilers in a semi-intensive alternative system of production. Two groups of 90 Cobb strain broilers were randomly allocated, at 21 days of life, to three treatments: Control, &lt;em&gt;Calcarea ...

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Regression of hepatic fibrosis in patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) has been described in response to immunosuppressive therapy. These studies, however, besides being few in number, were conducted on adult populations. Our aim was to assess the regression of hepatic fibrosis, using morphometric assessment of fibrosis versus semi-quantitative ...

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized neuronal disorders of the biliary tract as the cause of congenital biliary dilation (CBD). METHODS: Gallbladders were removed from a total of 15 patients who were categorized into two study groups: a CBD group (eight patients) and in a control group (neuroblastoma, acute myelogenous leukemia, wandering gallbladder, ...

Superficial basal cell carcinoma comprise up to 25% of all histological sub-types. They are more likely to occur on younger persons and females and although generally more common on the trunk, also occur frequently on the exposed areas of the head and neck especially in areas of high sun exposure. ...

Abstract Objective. To assess retrospectively whether continuously high serum alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) levels (<80 IU) in the first three successive years after the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis (LC) are predictive of a subsequent high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with Child Stage A hepatitis C virus (HCV)-LC. Material ...

PURPOSE: To identify changes of liver function after single-fraction irradiation or yttrium-90 radioembolization ((90)Y-RE) of hepatocellular carcinoma associated with liver cirrhosis on the basis of laboratory data. METHODS AND MATERIALS: 24 patients with primary liver carcinoma and liver cirrhosis classified Child-Pugh A or B were treated either by image-guided high-dose-rate ...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Liver failure after right hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with an indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min (ICGR(15)) of 10% or higher remains a controversial issue. METHODS: Between 1995 and 2004, 98 patients with an ICGR(15) of 10% or higher were scheduled to undergo right hepatectomy ...

Vocal cord dysfunction is an asthma mimic. Diagnosis of this condition requires a high index of suspicion if unnecessary treatments are to be avoided. We describe the findings from our case series of 62 patients (age range 18 to 90 years) in whom the diagnosis was confirmed. Our findings show ...

Liver retransplantation (LRT) is the only therapeutic option for the irreversible failure of a hepatic graft. The aim of this study was to evaluate our rate, indications, postoperative morbidity and mortality and patient survival at one and 5 years after LRT. 1,260 liver transplants (LT) were performed between 1991 and ...

This retrospective study compared the liver function test results and outcomes between children with acute liver failure (ALF) due to dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and due to other causes. We retrospectively reviewed patients less than 15 years old with a diagnosis of ALF admitted to 13 participating centers from different ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the aetiology, prognosis and prevalence of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP) in patients hospitalized for ascites. The validity of an elevated (>11 g/l) serum-ascites albumin gradient (SAAG) in the diagnostic work-up was evaluated. Mortality trends were observed over two periods of time. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of ...

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common, chronic, relapsing, severely pruritic, eczematous skin disease. The mainstays of treatment for AD are topical tacrolimus and topical steroids. Tacrolimus, a calcineurin inhibitor, not only complements existing treatment options but also overcomes some of the drawbacks of topical steroid therapy when given topically and ...

BACKGROUND: Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults and the liver is the predominant site of metastases (LM). If metastases appear, none of the systemic treatments established for cutaneous melanoma so far have any significant impact. Several authors have adopted transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) as palliation. ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of using 25-gauge needles to biopsy abdominal masses. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 6-month period of using 25-gauge needles (study group) as the only needle (n = 98) or the initial needle (n = 24) to biopsy abdominal masses was analyzed retrospectively. Diagnostic rate, ...

To analyze the risk factors in the development of hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) and assess the impact of our perioperative management for HAT on the long-term outcome after pediatric living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), we reviewed 382 patients under 12 yr of age who underwent 403 LDLT from January 1996 ...

To re-evaluate the impact of recipient age on the outcome of LDLT for BA in an era in which LDLT is the established treatment for BA in Japan. Thirty-one patients with BA who underwent LDLT were divided into four groups regarding the age at LDLT: infants <1 yr old (group ...

The purpose was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of preoperative portal vein embolization (PVE) using an Amplatzer vascular plug (AVP). Forty-one patients who underwent PVE using gelatin sponge particles and the AVP were enrolled. The right portal branches were embolized using gelatin sponges (1-8 mm(3)) through a 5-F catheter, ...

BACKGROUND: Favorable outcomes of marginal liver grafts depends on optimal perioperative control and good recipient parameters. The aim of this study was to assess the results of marginal liver grafts associated with prolonged ischemic times and high-risk recipients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed data from patients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation ...