Manal Hamisa

Can Lactobacillus acidophilus improve minimal hepatic encephalopathy? A neurometabolite study using magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is diagnosed when hepatic patients perform worse on psychometric tests compared to healthy controls. This study aimed to evaluate probiotics as alternative therapy in MHE. PATIENTS AND METHODS This is an open-label randomised controlled trial, performed in the Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Tanta University Hospitals, from March 2010 to January 2012. A total of 90 patients with MHE were allocated by simple randomisation to three parallel equal groups. Group A received lactulose, group B a probiotic (Lactobacillus acidophilus) and group C served as the control. After informed consent, patients were tested for gut micrecology, fasting blood ammonia, liver functions and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) examination to study brain metabolites, mainly choline (Cho), myo-inositol (mI), glutamine+glutamate (Glx) and creatinin (Cre). Patients who developed overt encephalopathy were excluded from analysis. The whole battery of investigations was repeated in the same order after 4weeks. RESULTS The probiotic was better tolerated than lactulose. The relative risk reduction (RRR) of developing overt encephalopathy was 60% in the case of lactulose and 80% in the case of probiotic, with a number needed to treat (NNT) of 2.4 and 2.3, respectively. The differential but not total microecology count was significantly shifted towards saccharolytic rather than proteolytic bacteria. The mI/Cre and (Cho+mI)/Glx ratios were significantly increased and the Glx/Cre ratio was significantly reduced after 1month-follow-up in the probiotic group compared to the lactulose group and in both treatment groups compared to the control group. CONCLUSION Both probiotic and lactulose therapy can improve blood ammonia and psychometric tests in MHE and reduce the risk of developing overt encephalopathy. MRS showed more improvement in the levels of brain neurometabolites in the probiotic group.

Prevalence of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic hepatitis C patients in Mid Delta, Egypt: A single center study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has an increasing incidence worldwide. In this study we aimed to assess the prevalence of HCC among HCV patients in our center in Mid Delta, Egypt. PATIENTS AND METHODS During the period between April 2013 and January 2015, we screened sequentially chronic HCV patients attending inpatient wards or outpatient Clinic of Tropical Medicine Department in Tanta University Hospital for HCC. Individuals with focal lesion in Ultrasound (US) and/or serum α-fetoprotein (AFP) level >200ng/ml were examined by triphasic computed tomography scanning (CT), and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RESULTS Among 514 HCV patients interviewed and accepted sharing in this study, 90 (17.5%), 144 (28%), and 280 (54.5%) were Child A, B, and C, respectively. We found that 108/514 patients (21%) had focal lesion detected by US. Also, 89/514 (17.3%) had elevated AFP >200, 13 of them (14.6%) had no focal lesion on US, but further work up showed HCC in 2 of them. Overall HCC diagnosis was confirmed in 103 cases, 94 of them (91.3%) were Child B or C. Occurrence of HCC was significantly higher in smokers, diabetics, patients with decompensated liver and those with positive family history of HCC. Only 20/103 (19.4%) were candidates to curative treatments, 8 of them were Child A asymptomatic and discovered accidentally during screening. CONCLUSION The high prevalence of HCC in our HCV patients (22%) was mainly associated with decompensated cirrhosis. A national surveillance program for the detection of HCC in cirrhotic HCV Egyptian patients by combining ultrasound examination and AFP is highly recommended.

Role of MRI in rectal carcinoma after chemo irradiation therapy with pathological correlation

Abstract Rectal cancer is associated with a high risk of metastases and local recurrence; local recurrence rates after surgical treatment being up to 32% (1). Local recurrence is directly related to incomplete tumor resection (2, 3) and also related to the circumferential safety of resection (4, 5). An accurate local staging at the time of initial diagnosis is therefore very important. Aim The aim of this study is to use MRI in comparing the morphologic features of rectal cancer before and after 6 weeks of chemo irradiation treatment and to correlate the post treatment MRI appearances with the histological findings in resected tumors. Material and methods 68 patients with histopathologically proven rectal adenocarcinoma received standardized 5-week chemo radiation therapy and subjected to MRI before and after treatment for clinical staging. A correlation between pathological response and MRI findings was done. Result Sixty-eight patients with adenocarcinoma rectal cancer were included in the study. Preoperative MRI examination was performed. All patients subsequently underwent operation. The mean time lag between the MRI study and operation was 16.8 days. After preoperative chemo-radiotherapy, MRI findings showed that, there is a significant shift toward downstaging. 16/59 (23.5%) patients achieved down-staging from clinical stage III (before therapy) to stage II after therapy (P = 0.001) by achieving both tumor (T) downsizing and lymph node downstaging. MR images obtained after radiation therapy with concomitant chemotherapy have (100%) sensitivity, (78.7%) specificity, (100%) NPV in the differentiation of T1–2/T3–4 tumors with MRI, accuracy 80.9% with agreement 70.58% and 100% accuracy for node staging. Conclusion High resolution pre treatment MRI of the rectum has a high predictive value of treatment outcome either for neoadjuvant treatment or surgery.

Evaluation of portal pressure by doppler ultrasound in patients with cirrhosis before and after simvastatin administration – a randomized controlled trial

Background: Portal hypertension is one of the most frequent complications of cirrhosis. β-adrenergic blockers, with or without organic nitrates, are currently used as hypotensive agents. Statins such as simvastatin seem to be safe for patients with chronic liver diseases and exert multiple pleiotropic actions. This study aimed to assess PTH using Doppler ultrasound in patients with cirrhosis before and after simvastatin administration. Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted on 40 patients with cirrhosis who were randomized into 2 groups: group I included 20 patients with cirrhosis who were administered 20 mg of simvastatin daily for 2 weeks and then 40 mg daily for another 2 weeks, and group II included 20 patients with cirrhosis who did not receive simvastatin as a control group. All patients underwent full clinical examination, laboratory investigations, and abdominal Doppler ultrasound at baseline and after 30 days to evaluate portal vein diameter, blood flow volume, direction and velocity of portal vein blood flow, hepatic artery resistance and pulsatility indices, splenic artery resistance index, portal hypertension index (PHI), liver vascular index, and modified liver vascular index (MLVI). Results: There was a highly significant decrease in the hepatic artery resistance index in group I, from 0.785 ± 0.088 to 0.717 ± 0.086 (P < 0.001). There was a significant decrease in the PHI in group I , from 3.915 ± 0.973 m/sec to 3.605 ± 1.168 m/sec (P = 0.024). Additionally, there was a significant increase in the MLVI in group I from 11.540 ± 3.266 cm/sec to 13.305 ± 3.222 cm/sec, an increase of 15.3% from baseline (P = 0.009). No significant adverse effects were detected. Conclusions: Simvastatin is safe and effective in lowering portal hypertension. [ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02994485]

Comparative study between multi-detector computed tomography and echocardiography in evaluation of congenital vascular rings

Abstract Vascular rings are unusual anomalies represent less than 1% of all cardiac anomalies, it is abnormal development of aortic arch complex leading to formation of a ring formed by vessels that encircle both the trachea and esophagus, echocardiography had limited acoustic window which leads to inadequate evaluation of great vessels, Multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) is one of the most important non invasive diagnostic tool for detection the vascular ring anomalies. The Aim To evaluate role of MDCT Scanning for diagnosis of congenital vascular rings anomalies compared to echocardiography. Methods This is a prospective study of 21 children suspected to have vascular ring anomalies. All patients underwent chest radiography, echocardiography examinations and MDCT Scanning using a 128-row CT scanner with 3D reconstruction. Results Twenty-one patients (11 male and 10 female), mean age (14 months) were diagnosed as vascular ring anomalies by MDCT then confirmed by surgical results MDCT diagnosed 14 patients with (double aortic arch), 4 patients (right sided aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian), 2 patients (left sided aortic arch with aberrant right subclavian artery) and one patient with pulmonary sling. MDCT also diagnosed seven patients with tracheobronchial stenosis. Echocardiography succeeded only in nine patients with DAA and failed in five and succeeded in diagnosis of two cases of (right aortic arch with aberrant left subclavian). Conclusion MDCT is an excellent diagnostic tool for optimum detection of vascular ring anomalies and other extra cardiac lesions compared to echocardiography.

Role of Doppler US and MRI in diagnosis of placenta accreta

Abstract The aim of this work is to evaluate the role of Doppler US and MRI in the diagnosis of placenta accreta. Patients and methods During period between 2012 to 2013, 120 pregnant patients with previous cesarean section were investigated by ultrasound and Doppler and then in suspected cases MRI was obtained (10 cases). The Sonographic and MRI diagnoses were compared with the final pathologic or operative findings or with both. Results The mean age of this study group was 29 years ranging from 20 to 40. Among patients with confirmed placenta accreta, the mean age was 32.25 ranging from 25 to 40 years. The mean parity of patients ranged from 1 to 6 with a mean of 1.6. Among patients with placenta accreta, the mean parity ranged from 2 to 6 with a mean of 3.75. The total number of cases with placenta accreta in this study was 4, all of which were previa. This was out of a total of 25 cases of placenta previa. Transabdominal US features were the presence of intraplacental lacunae (sonolucencies), loss of retroplacental clear zone and disruption of bladder–uterine serosa interface with smallest myometrial thickness <1 mm over site of placental implantation by using color Doppler ultrasonography, the most prominent color Doppler feature in this study was the presence of intraplacental lacunar flow. Magnetic resonance imaging accurately predicted placenta accreta in 4 of 4 cases with placenta accreta and correctly ruled out placenta accreta in the rest six cases. Conclusion In conclusion, data of the present study show that the use of transabdominal color Doppler ultrasonography complemented by MRI in suspected cases improves the diagnostic accuracy in prediction of placenta accreta in patients with previous cesarean delivery.

Differentiation of thyroid nodules using diffusion-weighted MRI

Abstract Background Thyroid nodule evaluation is usually done using a fine needle aspiration cytology/biopsy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of diffusion weighted imaging to differentiate benign from malignant thyroid nodules. Methods Sixty-one patients, 15 males and 46 females (30–70 years, mean age 49.08 years) with thyroid nodules were included in the study. Routine MRI of neck and diffusion-weighted MR imaging was performed using multiple b-values. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were done for the different b-values. Histopathological results of the thyroidectomy samples were obtained. Comparison of apparent diffusion coefficient values of thyroid nodules with the histopathology was done. Results The pathology results showed that there were 38 and 23 benign and malignant thyroid nodules respectively. ADC value for b-values of 0–300 s/mm2 was used to evaluate the ADC values for benign and malignant thyroid nodules which were significant (p < 0.001). Higher ADC values were seen in benign nodules (ADC: 2.32 ± 0.44 × 10–3 mm2/s) than malignant ones (1.40 ± 0.40 × 10–3 mm2/s). Conclusion Differentiation of thyroid nodules whether benign or malignant can be done using the diffusion-weighted MR technique.