Diagnosis and treatment strategy for syncytial giant cell hepatitis

Postinfantile giant cell hepatitis in the setting of autoimmune hepatitis: exclusively a histological pattern or a prognosis predictor?

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a rare chronic liver disease with a non-specific clinical presentation. Its physiopathology is not fully understood and, if untreated, can progress to cirrhosis and even fulminant liver failure. Here, we describe a case of a 73-year-old patient with an 11-month history suggestive of liver disease, who was concomitantly diagnosed with AIH and the extremely rare postinfantile giant cell hepatitis (PIGCH). Despite standard immunosuppressive therapy, the patient presented a severe clinical course, culminating in acute-on-chronic liver failure and death. This case reminds physicians of the importance of an early diagnosis, close monitoring and timely treatment of AIH. It also highlights the significant role in prognosis of the specific histological pattern of PIGCH, which has been mainly associated with a serious clinical outcome and unpredictable response to immunosuppressive therapy. Triggers of both AIH and PIGCH, such as viral infections, must be excluded, given their treatment implications.

Asymptomatic giant cell hepatitis: a subtype of post-infantile giant cell hepatitis?

Giant cell hepatitis in adults is considered a rapidly progressive and life-threatening disease, but there are few descriptions of a prolonged disease course. A 36-year-old Japanese man was referred to our hospital for further evaluation of abnormal liver function test results. Although asymptomatic, he had undergone follow-up for 9 years with these abnormalities. Because the cause of liver injury was not identified despite extensive noninvasive examinations, the patient underwent needle biopsy. He was finally diagnosed with post-infantile giant cell hepatitis (PIGCH) based on the presence of small numbers of giant multinucleated hepatocytes scattered primarily around the portal area. Necroinflammatory changes were very mild in the portal tracts and hepatic parenchyma. According to the histological findings as well as the accepted international diagnostic scoring system for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), which is closely related to PIGCH, AIH was unlikely, although antinuclear antibody was positive at a titer of 1:160. The present case may describe an unknown subtype of PIGCH, characterized by insidious disease onset and progression with concurrent, mildly active underlying hepatitis, which is in contrast with the well-documented aggressive nature of PIGCH.

Propensity score matched lesion-based comparison of long-term clinical and angiographic outcomes after placement of sirolimus (Cypher Bx Velocity) and paclitaxel (TAXUS Express)-eluting stents for de novo native coronary stenosis

Long-term clinical and angiographic outcomes after sirolimus (SES: Cypher Bx Velocity) and paclitaxel (PES: TAXUS Express)-eluting stent implantation were firstly compared in Japan. During PES-available period from May 2007 to February 2009, 1068 nonrandomized consecutive de novo native coronary lesions treated either with a PES (682 lesions) or SES were enrolled in this study, and a retrospective examination was conducted in April 2013. During that interval, the use ratio of drug-eluting stent (i.e. SES plus PES) was 94.2 %. By adjusting the baselines with a propensity score matching analysis produced 383 lesions in each arm, the incidence of the clinical endpoint (1500-day cardiac death, nonfatal recurrent myocardial infarction, and definite stent thrombosis) after placement of SES (2.1 %; mean follow-up, 1400 ± 290 days) was not significantly different from that in the PES group (2.6 %; 1394 ± 325 days, p = 0.637). SES did not relate to the clinical endpoint (hazard ratio 1.04; 95 % CI 0.29-3.76; p = 0.949). In the baseline-adjusted angiographic followed up lesions (n = 234 in each arm), the incidence of binary restenosis (percent diameter stenosis [%DS] >50 %) in the SES group (12.0 %; mean follow-up, 477 ± 281 days) was not significantly different from that in the PES group (14.5 %; 497 ± 341 days, p = 0.431). SES did not relate to binary restenosis (Odds ratio 0.73; 95 % CI 0.40-1.32; p = 0.295). In conclusion, the present propensity score matched lesion-based analysis firstly showed the statistical equivalent long-term clinical and angiographic outcomes after either SES or PES placement for de novo native coronary lesion in Japanese patients in a daily practice environment.