AIMTo determine whether there is an increased risk of gastric adenocarcinoma associated with vitamin D deficiency (VDd).METHODSA retrospective case control study was performed of all patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma between 2005 and 2015. After we excluded the patients without a documented vitamin D level, 49 patients were included in our study.RESULTSThe average age of patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and documented vitamin D level was 64 years old (95%CI: 27-86) and average vitamin D level was 20.8 mg/dL (95%CI: 4-44). Compared to a matched control group, the prevalence of VDd/insufficiency in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma was significantly higher than normal vitamin D levels (83.7% vs 16.3%). Forty-one patients (83.7%) with adenocarcinoma showed VDd/insufficiency compared to 18 (37%) patients with normal vitamin D level without gastric cancer (OR: 8.8, 95%CI: 5-22, P value < 0.0001). The average age of males with gastric adenocarcinoma diagnosis was 60 years old vs 68 years old for females (P = 0.01). Stage II gastric adenocarcinoma was the most prevalent in our study (37%).CONCLUSIONWe reported a positive relationship between VDd and gastric adenocarcinoma, that is to say, patients with decreased VDd levels have an increased propensity for gastric adenocarcinoma.

A 32-year-old immigrant man presented with new onset jaundice. His past medical history was significant for type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. His initial laboratory finding and liver biopsy were suggestive of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). The plan was to start steroids pending negative results for viral serology, but it came back positive for hepatitis E virus. The patient's liver function test and clinical condition improved significantly on conservative management over a period of 1 month. Therefore, we suggest testing for hepatitis E especially in immigrants or recent travelers to endemic areas who presents with clinical features suggestive of AIH.

Infectious sacroiliitis is an infection of the sacroiliac joint, not easy to diagnose because of its non-specific signs, symptoms and laboratory abnormalities. We describe a case of a 16 year-old male with 5 days’ history of fever, abdominal pain, constipation, low-back and left hip pain extended to the left knee associated with sudden inability to walk. In the first place, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination of his sacroiliac joint revealed an enlarged corpuscolated fluid collection near the left iliopsoas muscle, extended to homolateral paravertebral muscles and a little fluid at the left sacroiliac joint. Drainage by aspiration of the iliopsoas abscess was applied; Staphylococcus aureus was found in the aspirated fluid and isolated from the blood too. Therefore intravenous antibiotic therapy was begun. Follow-up MRI exams confirmed the muscle abscess and revealed also a spongy bone edema of the left sacroiliac joint, persisting despite the disappearance of symptoms and the normalization of inflammatory values. It is important to make an early diagnosis of infectious sacroiliitis in order to begin antibiotic therapy as soon as possible, because of the increasing morbidity of infection of sacroiliac joint. In our case MR findings have provided significant orientation towards the final diagnosis of infectious sacroiliitis.

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Strongyloides stercoralis colitis is a severe but easily curable disease with a high mortality rate if left untreated. Strongyloidiasis can persist up to several decades and may lead to a chronic colitis similar to that seen in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and the two are often confused. Chronic colitis from IBD is associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, so it is plausible that chronic colitis from strongyloidiasis may carry a similar risk. Our case report associates chronic Strongyloides colitis and colorectal cancer.