Laparoscopic features of the Budd-Chiari syndrome

Twenty-three patients with Budd-Chiari Syndrome were examined by laparoscopy. The characteristic findings were a purple to dusky-blue lobulated surface of the liver, which was covered with whitish bead-like cysts and newly formed tortuous dilated veins. The rich network of blood vessels was also visible over the falciform ligament and peritoneal surface in the majority of patients. Ascites and splenomegaly were an added although non-specific diagnostic feature.

Diagnostic utility of ultrasonography in hepatic venous outflow tract obstruction in a tropical country

The present study was undertaken to define the role of ultrasonography (US) in screening and diagnosis of hepatic venous outflow tract obstruction. Forty-five consecutive patients clinically suspected to have hepatic venous outflow tract obstruction were included in the study for screening by US and for assessment of patency or block in the hepatic vein (HV) and/or inferior vena cava (IVC). Four patients were excluded from the study. Eleven patients had a diagnosis other than hepatic venous outflow tract obstruction and all these patients were found to have patent HV and IVC. Thirty patients were finally diagnosed to have hepatic venous outflow tract obstruction. Using US, as a screening test 27 (90%) out of 30 such cases were correctly identified as cases of hepatic venous outflow tract obstruction and in these cases the site of block in hepatic venous outflow tract (major HV and/or IVC) was correctly diagnosed in 90% of the cases. Our results indicate that US is a sensitive and accurate test and should be the initial investigation for screening and identifying the site of obstruction in patients with hepatic venous outflow tract obstruction.

Treating bleeding peptic ulcer with sustained achlorhydria

A controlled randomized study and a subsequent prospective therapeutic trial have demonstrated the efficacy of an intensive therapy comprising hourly intravenous injections of 100 mg of cimetidine along with a continuous nasogastric infusion of a liquid antacid at the rate of 0.5 ml per minute in achieving achlorhydria and controlling bleeding in patients with bleeding peptic ulcer. We recommend that this regimen should be routinely employed for treating patients with bleeding peptic ulcer, at least in center that do not practise topical therapeutic modalities for control of bleeding.

Case report: unusual CT appearances in a case of Budd-Chiari syndrome

We describe a case of Budd-Chiari Syndrome due to hepatic venous blockage in which there were multiple space-occupying lesions on CT simulating tumour deposits. Ultrasound directed liver biopsy and laparoscopy proved these to be areas of haemorrhagic necrosis consistent with Budd-Chiari Syndrome without any evidence of malignancy. The CT finding of multiple large focal non-enhancing areas in liver does not always indicate tumour deposits in a patient suspected to have Budd-Chiari Syndrome.

Acute oral hypoglycemic ingestions

We reviewed the poison center records of 48 consecutive reports of oral hypoglycemic exposure reported to the Rush Poison Control Center between January 1988 and December 1989. The average age of ingestion was 15.0 y (range 1 to 75 y). Twenty-three of the patients (48%) were male, while 25 (52%) were female. Twenty-nine patients ingested glyburide, 10 chlorpropamide, 6 glipizide, 2 tolbutamide, and 1 each for tolazamide and phenformin. One patient ingested both glyburide and tolbutamide. Sixteen cases (33%) involved coingestants. Accidental cause was the primary reason for ingestion in 33 cases (69%) with suicidal intent being mentioned in an additional 11 cases (23%). Thirteen patients (27%) were treated and released from a health care facility, while the same percentage of patients were admitted. There was no adverse effect in 24 patients (50%) while 9 patients (19%) had minor effects without residual disability. Only 2 patients (4%) experienced a major effect. No deaths were reported. We conclude that oral hypoglycemic ingestions generally have a successful outcome and there does not appear to be a significant difference whether a short/long acting agent or first/second-generation product was ingested.

Circulating immune complexes in tuberculosis

To examine whether any correlation exists between the levels of circulating immune complexes (CICs) and the activity of tuberculosis, CICs were measured in the sera of 75 patients with active tuberculosis and in 25 control subjects using polyethylene glycol method. The effect of drug treatment on the levels of CICs was also estimated in 25 patients. It was found that levels of CICs were elevated in most of the untreated patients (96%) of tuberculosis and the CICs levels fell to control values in 64% of patients at the end of treatment.

Constrictive pericarditis masquerading as Budd-Chiari syndrome

Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) and constrictive pericarditis (CP) share many common clinical features. Over the last year we encountered three patients in whom CP clinically mimicked BCS. Two of the three did not even have raised jugular venous pressure. One patient with severe jaundice and hepatic coma ultimately died. Liver biopsy features were not discriminating. The final diagnosis of CP was established by echocardiography, chest computed tomography (CT), or cardiac catheterization. We conclude that in all patients with apparent BCS and atypical features, a noninvasive test like echocardiography or chest CT should be done to rule out treatable illness like CP before embarking on such invasive procedures as liver biopsy for diagnosis.

The role of sustained achlorhydria in bleeding peptic ulcer

Twenty-five patients with bleeding peptic ulcers were randomized to receive either ranitidine 50 mg 8 hourly i.v. (control group) or a continuous nasogastric antacid infusion at the rate of 0.5 ml/min along with an i.v. injection of cimetidine 100 mg/h (treatment group). Twelve patients were included in the control group and 13 in the treatment group. The mean gastric pH on therapy was significantly higher in the treatment group (7.88 +/- 0.37) than in the control group (5.00 +/- 0.55) (p less than 0.001), and the gastric pH was noted to be greater than 7 on 95% of the occasions in the treatment group and on 8.6% of the occasions in the control group. An overall control of bleeding was achieved in 92.3% of the patients in the treatment group and 50% of the patients in the control group (p less than .05). Thus, the failure of therapy was significantly more common in the control group than in the treatment group (p less than 0.05), and more patients of the control group had to undergo emergency surgery than that in the treatment group. None of the patients in the treatment group, but 16.6% of the patients in the control group, died during the study period in the hospital stay. We conclude that in patients with bleeding peptic ulcer an intensive medical therapy comprising hourly injections of cimetidine (or presumably of other H2 blockers) and continuous nasogastric antacid infusion can achieve sustained achlorhydria, better control of bleeding, and reduce the need for emergency surgery.

Dieulafoy's lesion: a rare cause of massive upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage

Out of 900 cases of Upper Gastrointestinal haemorrhage seen during 1985-1989, 6 (0.67%) cases had Dieulafoy's lesion as the causative factor. All patients presented with massive upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage. The mean age of the patients was 46.3 year (32-60 yrs) and 4 were males and 2 females. No consistent associated medical factors could be identified. The diagnosis was established by emergency endoscopy which showed an active arterial spurter in 4 patients and located the bleeding site to be close to the fundus in other 2 patients. Injection sclerotherapy tried in 3 patients was not successful. Four patients had bleeding lesion along the greater curvature close to the fundus and two had on posterior wall but all within 6 cm. of gastroesophageal junction. All patients underwent curative emergency surgery with wedge resection of the lesion. We conclude that Dieulafoy lesion should be suspected in a patient with massive, recurrent and obscure upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Emergency endoscopy for diagnosis and prompt surgical intervention can cure the lesion which is potentially fatal if untreated.

Pneumatic dilatation is a satisfactory first-line treatment for achalasia

The results of 124 pneumatic dilatations done in 92 patients with achalasia cardia were assessed. Relief of dysphagia and other symptoms was obtained in 90 (97.8%) patients--in 68 (73.9%) after one dilatation, in 16 (17.8%) after two dilatations and in six (6.5%) after three dilatations. Two patients who did not obtain relief after three sittings of dilatation underwent surgery and both became totally asymptomatic thereafter. Most of the patients successfully treated with pneumatic dilatation remained asymptomatic during a follow up of 6 months--5 years. The few who did become symptomatic (8.01%) within a year after pneumatic dilatation responded well to the same procedure when repeated. Immediate and late complications of pneumatic dilatation occurred in 3.3% and 4.35% of patients respectively and were all medically manageable. In our assessment, pneumatic dilatation is a simple, quick, safe and effective method for treating achalasia. It should be used as the primary mode of treatment and surgery should be offered only to those patients who fail to respond to at least three attempts at pneumatic dilatation.

Management of retained common bile duct stones in patients with T-tube in situ: role of endoscopic sphincterotomy

Retained common bile duct stones in postcholecystectomy patients who have a T-tube in situ should be treated, preferably, by nonoperative means. Thus, we treated seven such patients with common bile duct perfusion (through T-tube) of methyl tertiary butyl ether, and 10 patients with perfusion of monooctanoin. However, successful dissolution was achieved in only one and three patients, respectively. Hence, endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES) was performed in the patients in whom solvent perfusion had failed, and in other subsequent patients with T-tube in situ. Of 28 patients thus treated, bile duct clearance could be achieved in 27 (96.5%) patients; minor bleeding occurred in only three patients. After sphincterotomy, the stones passed out spontaneously in 20 patients while the T-tube was still in situ, but in two patients, only after the T-tube was removed. Similarly, basketing of the stones could be done in four patients with the T-tube in position, but in one patient whose ductal stones were above the T-tube, the tube had to be removed to make basketing successful. Endoscopic sphincterotomy is an efficient method of treating retained common bile duct stones in patients with T-tube in situ. However, in those patients whose ductal stones are above or astride the T-tube, the T-tube may have to be removed to attain bile duct clearance.

Zollinger Ellison syndrome

ZES is an uncommon disease with clinical manifestations akin to patients with peptic ulcer. Marked gastric acid hypersecretion can be checked but cause of death in the patients is usually metastasis. An early diagnosis and hence a possible surgical cure is very important and one must have high index of suspicion for diagnosis. As many as 50% of patients may have non diagnostic serum gastrin levels and hence need provocative tests to establish the diagnosis. Hypersecretion of acid should be controlled by antisecreting drugs followed by tumor localization with contrast CT, selective angiography and portal venous sampling for gastrin levels in doubtful cases. In MEN-I and metastatic patient, major surgery should be avoided. All pancreatic and extra pancreatic tumors should be resected if there is no metastasis.