Increased recognition of the limits of conventional medicine has helped drive the growing interest in complementary and alternative medicine which is now being commonly used in patients with chronic diseases, including individuals with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Recently, scientific interest has unraveled the beneficial pharmacological effects of curcumin. We present an updated concise review of currently available in vitro, animal and clinical studies demonstrating the therapeutic effect of herbal medication in inflammatory bowel disease.

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A 68-year-old male presented with progressive abdominal pain, dyspnea, weight loss, and dysuria. Lab work revealed elevated creatine phosphokinase levels, prostate-specific antigen level (approximately 60 ng/mL), and elevated liver enzymes. He was admitted to the intensive care unit for worsening respiratory distress and confusion. He continued to deteriorate, and his bilirubin peaked at 8.5 mg/dL. The patient subsequently died, and an autopsy revealed extensive hepatic necrosis with diffuse intravascular and intraparenchymal permeation of metastatic prostatic carcinoma. Fulminant hepatic failure remains a rare presentation of metastatic prostatic carcinoma, with a rapidly progressive course toward hepatic coma and death. A high index of suspicion is needed to investigate the possibility of palliative chemotherapy.

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Background Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) affects nearly half of the world's populations with high incidence and prevalence rates in developing countries. Infection with H. pylori increases the risk of developing peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. This review provides a summary of the prevalence and microbiology of H. pylori with emphasis on the current diagnostic methods and clinical management strategies. Content This review discusses current options and developments in H. pylori diagnosis with the challenges and advantages associated with both noninvasive and invasive methods. The advantages of molecular methods for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection and prediction of clarithromycin resistance directly from stool or tissue biopsies are discussed. In addition, we provide a brief review on the treatment for H. pylori indicated in patients with evidence of active infection with the organism's antimicrobial resistance patterns taken into consideration. Summary Testing for H. pylori has largely centered around fecal antigen testing, urea breath testing, and immunohistochemical staining from tissue biopsies. Culture-based diagnostics followed by phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility testing is the gold standard for detection of resistance patterns. Due to the fastidious nature of the organism, culture methods are time consuming and labor intensive. Rapid nucleic acid amplification tests for H. pylori identification from direct specimens and molecular determination of drug resistance markers are accurate alternatives for H. pylori diagnosis but are not widely adopted. H. pylori antimicrobial resistance rates are on the rise due to the widespread use of antibiotics. Antibiotic regimens including the quadruple therapy and non-clarithromycin triple therapies have a higher success rate, with newer vonoprazon-based regimens showing promising eradication rates.

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