We studied the age- and sex-specific prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and aminotransferase abnormalities as well as histological changes in the liver associated with HCV infection. Of the eligible 3,707 inhabitants aged 6 years and older in an HCV infection epidemic area 2,382 (64.3%) were examined. The anti-HCV positivity rate was 20.7% on average and increased according to age. Age was the most potential risk indicator for anti-HCV positivity by multiple stepwise regression analysis. The HCV RNA positivity rate in females with anti-HCV was significantly lower than that in males. However, as the age of females increased, the HCV RNA positivity rate became higher. The proportion of subjects with aminotransferase abnormalities among HCV RNA-positive subjects was significantly lower in females than males. Aminotransferase abnormalities significantly increased with age in females. In subjects with abnormal aminotransferase levels, nearly half of the HCV RNA-positive females were aged 50 or older and also nearly half of the male subjects showed CAH2B or liver cirrhosis, while most of the HCV RNA-positive females younger than 50 exhibited histological findings consistent with CPH. In conclusion, age was the principal risk indicator for HCV infection in this area. Females, especially those younger than 50, both biochemically and histologically showed less severity of HCV infection than males. Gender and age might have effects on the outcome of HCV related liver disease.
Purpose
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on normal liver is very rare. The goal of this study was to determine the clinical manifestations and the role of ultrasonography (US) in the diagnosis of HCC arising in normal liver.
Methods
The clinical data and US findings in 12 cases of surgically resected HCC in normal liver were retrospectively analyzed.
Results
The patients were asymptomatic, had no hepatocarcinogenic factor, and hepatic function tests were almost normal in most cases. HCCs were large, encapsulated, and solitary, and there were predominantly well‐differentiated or moderately differentiated in most cases. US showed a hypoechoic rim and lateral shadowing, suggestive of peritumoral capsule formation, and on contrast‐enhanced US (CEUS), the tumor was hyperenhanced in arterial phase and washed out in postvascular phase, revealing typical HCC findings.
Conclusions
US raises suspicion of HCC by showing lateral shadowing on grayscale ultrasound and hypervascularity on CEUS of the lesion.
We reported the case of unicuspid aortic valve in sibling, suggesting the familial incidence and genetic relation. A 41-year-old man (elder brother) with 79 mmHg of aortic valvular peak pressure gradient (peak PG) underwent aortic valve replacement with mechanical prosthetic valve (ATS 21 mm). The intraoperative finding showed the unicuspid aortic valve with one rudimentary commissure. A 37-year-old woman (sister) had been followed by echocardiography as bicuspid aortic valve since 10 years old. After 27 years, the peak PG had increased to 176 mmHg on preoperative echocardiography. The aortic valve replacement was performed. The bioprosthetic valve (MOSAIC 21 mm) was implanted supra-annularly because the patient required pregnancy. The intraoperative finding showed the unicuspid aortic valve with two rudimentary commissures and one opening of LCC-RCC commissure. The histopathological study of both patients confirmed as congenitally unicuspid aortic valve. In our best knowledge, this is a first report of unicuspid aortic valve in sibling.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.