Severe liver injury associated with simeprevir plus pegylated interferon/ribavirin therapy in a patient with treatment-naïve genotype 1b hepatitis C virus: a case report

A second-generation direct-acting antiviral agent, simeprevir, now provides a new treatment option for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with good safety profile in combination with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. We herein report a rare case of severe liver injury under simeprevir plus pegylated interferon/ribavirin therapy. We initiated this therapy in a 65-year-old male with treatment-naïve genotype 1b HCV. On day 28, the patient’s HCV-RNA was successfully eliminated, and his liver function was fully restored. However, on day 49, the serum alanine aminotransferase level was elevated at 700 IU/L. The HCV-RNA titer was still undetectable and the involvement of other possible viruses was negligible. A liver biopsy performed on day 60 showed an acute hepatitis pattern. The discontinuation of therapy alone successfully improved his liver damage on day 84. No other treatments such as steroids were required. According to the diagnostic criteria for drug-induced liver injury in Japan (DDW-J2004), the liver injury observed in this case can be associated with the administration of simeprevir plus pegylated interferon/ribavirin therapy. In conclusion, simeprevir plus pegylated interferon/ribavirin should be used with caution, as these agents may cause unreported serious adverse events including severe liver injury, despite their clinical safety profile.     

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy in the prone position

Thoracoscopic esophagectomy performed with the patient in the left lateral position has been occasionally reported since the 1990s, but it has not been established as a standard procedure. This may be because the success of this procedure largely depends on the technical competence of an assistant to secure an adequate field of view during the procedure. Thoracoscopic esophagectomy with the patient in the prone position has recently been introduced and has been consistently shown to be useful. Compared with left lateral thoracoscopic esophagectomy, prone thoracoscopic esophagectomy requires less assistance in exposing the operative field and it is relatively easy to obtain a satisfactory field of view. We performed prone thoracoscopic esophagectomy on 20 patients and were successful in achieving a wide field of view. The postoperative course was remarkably favorable in all patients and the procedure is considered promising for standard thoracoscopic esophagectomy. There are few detailed reports of this procedure; herein, we describe the procedure of prone thoracoscopic esophagectomy employed at our hospital.     

The use of infliximab in the prevention of postsurgical recurrence in polysurgery Crohn's disease patients: a pilot open-labeled prospective study

Purpose

Crohn's disease (CD) commonly recurs after surgery, and a number of patients need repeated surgery, especially smokers and those with repeated surgeries or penetrating disease. Whether infliximab prevents postsurgical recurrence in high-risk CD remains unknown. In the present pilot open-labeled study, we investigated the safety and efficacy of scheduled infliximab, which was started early after surgery, in maintaining remission of CD patients who have undergone multiple surgeries due to penetrating disease.

Methods

Eleven patients (nine male, two female; age range, 26–48?years) who had undergone repeated surgeries (median, 4; range, 2–5) for penetrating disease were enrolled. Two to 4?weeks after surgery, the patients were started on intravenous infliximab (5?mg/kg) at an 8-week interval. The primary end points were the proportion of patients in clinical remission at the end of the study, the rate of endoscopic/radiologic remission at 24?months, and the rate of adverse effects.

Results

One patient dropped out due to non-compliance, and ten patients were eligible for analysis. Clinical remission was maintained in six of ten patients (60.0%) at the end of the study. At 24?months, four out of ten patients were in endoscopic or radiological remission (40.0%). Two patients experienced adverse effects (18.2%), one of whom elected to withdraw from the study.

Conclusion

The findings of no major safety concern and possible clinical benefit in our study suggest that further investigation of infliximab as a treatment for prevention of postsurgical recurrence in high-risk CD is warranted.     

Hypertension and concomitant arteriosclerotic diseases are risk factors for colonic diverticular bleeding: a case–control study

Purpose

Colonic diverticular bleeding is a major cause of lower gastrointestinal bleeding. However, a limited number of studies have been reported on the risk factors for diverticular bleeding. Our aim was to identify risk factors for diverticular bleeding.

Methods

Our study design is a case (diverticular bleeding)–control (diverticulosis) study. We prospectively collected information of habits, comorbidities, history of medications and symptoms by a questionnaire, and diagnosed diverticular bleeding and diverticulosis by colonoscopy. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

A total of 254 patients (diverticular bleeding, 45; diverculosis, 209) were selected for analysis. Cluster (≥10 diverticula) type (OR, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.8–8.9), hypertension (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.0–4.6), ischemic heart disease (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1–5.4), and chronic renal failure (OR, 6.4; 95% CI, 1.3–32) were independent risk factors for diverticular bleeding.

Conclusions

Large number of diverticula, hypertension, and concomitant arteriosclerotic diseases including ischemic heart disease and chronic renal failure are risk factors for diverticular bleeding. This study identifies new information on the risk factors for diverticular bleeding.     

Computed tomography colonography for 5 cases of pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis

Computed tomography colonography (CTC) was performed in 5 patients with pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI). The virtual colonoscopy view of CTC as well as total colonoscopy (TCS) findings showed polypoid lesions in the colon, and multiplanar reconstruction images of the colon revealed in the polypoid lesions of the colon. We confirmed the diagnosis of PCI in all cases. CTC also detected the PCI lesions in the subserosa of the colonic wall which were not detected by TCS. Accurate evaluation of the extent of PCI involvement was obtained by CT air-contrast enema images. CTC is useful for detection of PCI lesions, assessment of the exact site and final diagnosis for PCI.