Jorge Contreras B

Obesidad: factor de riesgo para esteatohepatitis y fibrosis hepática

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) has been recognized as a cause of chronic liver disease. Its main risk factor is obesity. Aim: To describe the clinical and liver pathological findings in a group of patients who underwent surgery as obesity treatment. Patients and Methods: Sixty eight patients with severe or morbid obesity were subjected to surgery as obesity treatment. Each patient was evaluated with a complete clinical and laboratory medical assessment. A wedge of liver was excised during surgery. Liver biopsies were analyzed without knowledge of clinical and laboratory findings. The presence of steatosis, inflammation (portal or lobular), fibrosis and cirrhosis were recorded in the pathological analysis. Age and body mass index (BMI) were correlated with pathological data. Significance was set at a p value of less than 0.05. Results: Ninety one percent of patients had steatosis, 45% inflammation and 47% fibrosis. One patient had cirrhosis (1,4%). There was a statistically significant association between BMI and moderate or severe steatosis (p <0.03). There was also an association between BMI and portal (p=0.017) and lobular inflammation (p=0.034). A BMI over 40 kg/m2 (morbid obesity) was significantly associated with the presence of fibrosis (p=0.032). Moreover, the presence of moderate or severe steatosis was a risk factor for the development of hepatic fibrosis (p=0.026). Conclusions: Obesity is a major and independent risk factor for steatohepatitis and fibrosis. The degree of steatosis in the liver biopsy, is a risk factor for the development of fibrosis (Rev Med Chile 2002; 130: 731-6)

Alteraciones de la tolerancia a la glucosa y frecuencia de síndrome metabólico en pacientes con enfermedad por hígado graso no alcohólico

Dr. Jaime Poniachik. Centro de Gastroenterologia, Hospital ClinicoUniversidad de Chile. Santos Dumont 999, Santiago-Chile. Fax: (56-2) 978 8353.E-mail: jponiach@redclinicauchile.clDra. Veronica Araya. Seccion Endocrinologia. Hospital Clinico U. de Chile. SantosDumont 999. Santiago de Chile. Fax: (56-2) 777 6891. E-mail: varaya@redclinicauchile.cl

Daño hepático por fármacos: características clínicas e histológicas en 33 casos

Background: Drug induced liver disease (DILD) is common and of difficult diagnosis. Aim: To report the clinical, laboratory and pathological findings in 33 patients with DILD. Patients and methods: We revised 1,164 liver biopsies and 57 were selected as suspicious of DILD. In these, the scale proposed by Maria et al was applied to assess the possibility of hepatotoxicity reactions and 33 were selected. Results: The 33 cases had a mean age of 48±18 years and 14 were male. Forty eight medications were involved, with an average of 1.4 drugs per patient. The main drugs were antimicrobials, antineoplastics-immunosuppresives and non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs. The clinical presentations in order of frequency were cholestasis, hepatitis, asymptomatic, fulminant hepatitis and cirrhosis. The laboratory alterations observed in cases with hepatitis were 20 fold transaminase and bilirubin elevation. In cholestasis, moderate elevations of alkaline phosphatases and gamma glytamyl transferase were observed. Pathology showed hepatocellular damage, cholestasis and mixed damage, but also submassive necrosis and cirrhosis in one case. Conclusions: The present study confirms that DILD is frequently unpredictable and that it can cause a wide variety of clinical and pathological presentations, that can even evolve to chronicity (Rev Med Chile 2003; 131: 1128-34). (Key Words: Drug hypersensitivity; Drug toxicity)

Tumores neuroendocrinos gástricos: presentación clínica, endoscópica y alternativas de tratamiento

Background: Gastric neuroendocrine tumors correspond to less than 1% of all gastric tumors. These tumors can be of three types. Seventy five percent are type I and are associated to chronic atrophic gastritis type A (CAG- A). Half of them are associated with pernicious anemia. Type II tumors are associated with Zollinger Ellison syndrome and type I multiple endocrine neoplasia. Type III are sporadic tumors. Aim: To report the clinical, endoscopical features and response to the treatment of gastric neuroendocrine tumors. Patients and methods: A retrospective study of eleven patients (seven male, aged 38 to 72 years old) with a pathological diagnosis of gastric neuroendocrine tumor. Their clinical presentation, associated diseases, treatment and follow up were reviewed. Results: Epigastric pain was present in eight patients, weight loss in three, epigastric pain and weight loss in one and post prandial abdominal pain in two. At endoscopy, multiple polyps in the fundus were observed in six, verrucose gastritis in one, polyps in the antrum in one, two subcardial polyps in 1, a fundus ulcer in one and a Bormann III type lesion in one. Chronic atrophic gastritis was diagnosed in seven patients and pernicious anemia in five. Serum gastrin levels were determined in 4 patients and were high in all. Four subjects were treated with endoscopic polipectomy only. A partial or total gastrectomy was done in seven patients. No complications or mortality occurred during the follow up. Conclusions: Abdominal pain is a common presentation of patients with gastric neuroendocrine neoplasia. Polyps predominantly in the fundus are the most common endoscopic finding. Surgical treatment or endoscopical polypectomy, depending of the extension of the disease, yield satisfactory results (Rev Med Chile 2002; 130: 985-92).

Diálisis con albúmina MARS (Molecular Adsorbent Recirculating System) como puente para el trasplante hepático en insuficiencia hepática fulminante: presentación de 3 casos

The most successful therapy for acute liver failure is liver transplantation. However, due to the low number of donors, organ support therapies need to be used as a bridge to liver transplantation. Molecular Adsorbents Recirculating System (MARS) is a dialysis treatment that uses a recirculating dialysate containing albumin. This allows the removal of both hydrosoluble and albumin-related substances. This system improves hepatic encephalopathy, renal dysfunction and some clinical parameters in acute liver failure, but there is no clear decrease in mortality. We report three women aged 23, 21 and 61 years, that were subjected to liver transplantation, in whom this therapy was successfully used.The most successful therapy for acute liver failure is livertransplantation. However, due to the low number of donors, organ support therapies need to be usedas a bridge to liver transplantation. Molecular Adsorbents Recirculating System (MARS) is a dialysistreatment that uses a recirculating dialysate containing albumin. This allows the removal of bothhydrosoluble and albumin-related substances. This system improves hepatic encephalopathy, renaldysfunction and some clinical parameters in acute liver failure, but there is no clear decrease inmortality. We report three women aged 23, 21 and 61 years, that were subjected to livertransplantation, in whom this therapy was successfully used (Rev Med Chile 2004; 132: 601-7).(