Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is caused by the larval form of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. In humans, E. alveolaris metacestode cells proliferate in the liver inducing a hepatic disorder that mimics liver cancer and can spread to other organs. From 1960 to 1972 mortality was at 70% and 94% after 5 and 10 years of follow-up, respectively. Since then, studies have shown an increasing trend towards improving survival rates [1]. As AE is also spreading to new areas of Eastern Europe, researchers seek to better understand the clinical presentation of pathology, including asymptomatic forms. Clinical case; One 36-year-old woman from Peshkopia has been admitted to the Gastrohephatology department on 20.07.2011 with fatigue, anorexia, dull pain in right hypochondrium, mild epigastric pain, bloating, and weight loss. The epidemiological anamnesis showed that the patient lived in the village and had pets. On physical examination, the patient appeared severely ill with jaundice, massive hepatomegaly, massive mass in the mesogastric area, and anxiety. Laboratory examinations were as follows: Hb 11.1 g/dl, sediment 25 mm/h; leukocytes 6700/mm3; platelets 127000/mm3; prothrombin level 60%, uremia 12.7 mmol/l; creatinine 0.78 mmol /l; ALP 127 U/I; AST 15 U/I; ALT 37 U/I; GGT 131 U/I; bilirubin 3.7 mg/l, albumin 2.8 gr / l, total protein 8.1 gr / l, HbsAg negative, anti-HCV negative. Regarding serology, the titer of anti-echinococcal antibodies was positive (22, n = 11) Conclusions: Clinical presentation and radiologic imaging findings of disseminated alveolar echinococcosis can mimic metastatic malignancy, and diagnosis can be challenging in atypically advanced cases. As the incidence of human alveolar echinococcosis appears to be increasing and, physicians should be aware of alveolar echinococcosis, its epidemiology, and its clinical features.
Acute pancreatitis is a common disease with multiple clinical and radiological manifestations, which sometimes might be very uncommon. Our case is an untypical case of extra-pancreatic complication in acute severe pancreatitis, which was misdiagnosed as incarcerated inguinal hernia on CT imaging and treated surgically. It illustrates the importance of every clinical feature in acute pancreatitis and the challenge of interpreting the radiological data.
Objective: Observing the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on digestive diseases in hospitalized patients at the
Background Treating chronic hepatitis C (CHC) with direct-acting antiviral (DAA) is very effective at clearing the infection. In Albania treatment with DAA is limited to patients with liver stiffness F3-F4, and with other co-infections. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of DAA in Albanian patients with genotypes 1-5, who mostly suffer from advanced liver fibrosis. Material and Methods This is a retrospective study carried out at the University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa”, Tirana, during 2014-2019, including treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced patients with genotypes 1-5. All patients were evaluated with elastography and most of them were F3-F4. The primary endpoint involved the patients achieving SVR-12, or undetectable hepatitis C virus/ribonucleic acid (HCV RNA) 12 weeks after the end of treatment. In patients without a genotype, we have used a pangenotypic regimen. Results This study included 207 patients with a mean age of 48.9 ± 13.1 years, 56% male and 44% female; 152 (73%) were genotype 1, 24 were (11.5%) genotype 2, nine were (4.3%) genotype 3, 14 were (6.7%) genotype 4, one was (0.4%) genotype 5, and seven (3.8%) unassigned genotypes. The sustained virologic response (SVR) percentage according to genotype is discussed in the article. The overall SVR score of all the patients in our study was >93%. According to elastography, 127 (66%) were F3-F4, and 80 (38.6%) were F1-F2. Conclusion Treatment with DAA proved to be very effective in our patients; most of them had advanced liver fibrosis as well as compensated or decompensated liver cirrhosis. The overall SVR score of the patients in our study was >93%. Our country needs to treat all patients with chronic hepatitis C without limitations to attain the WHO objective of eradicating this disease by 2030.
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