The role of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is controversial. Although CMV has been specifically associated with refractory disease, the strength and nature of this association have been a subject of debate. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and outcome of acute cytomegalovirus infection in patients with severe refractory and complicated inflammatory bowel disease. Seventy-two patients with active IBD (both ulcerative colitis [UC] and Crohn's diseases [CD]) were included in this study. Thorough history taking and physical examination of all patients was made with special emphasis on symptoms and signs of CMV disease. Colonoscopic assessment was made for the extent and activity of IBD and collection of specimen. Prevalence of CMV infection was estimated by serology; anti-CMV IgM and IgG antibodies, and pathologic studies of colonic biopsies used conventional haematoxylin and eosin (H & E) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) with monoclonal antibodies. Complete blood count and liver function tests were done for all patients. Among 72 patients with active inflammatory bowel disease, 23 (31.9%) were resistant to intravenous steroids. CMV was detected in eight (six with UC and two with CD) of the 23 (34.8%) steroid-resistant patients and in only one (3.2%) patient in the remaining 31 patients under steroid treatment and was not detected in 18 IBD patients not using steroids. Among nine CMV-positive IBD patients, six (66.6%) were female and six had fever; cervical lymphadenopathy was found in five patients and splenomegaly in two, compared to no patients in the CMV-negative group (P = 0.01 and 0.03, respectively). Leucopenia and thrombocytopenia were predominantly seen in the CMV-positive versus CMV-negative patients (2.1+/-0.3 vs. 5.9+/-3.4 and 98+/-34 vs. 165+/-101, respectively). Pancolitis was found in five of nine CMV-positive IBD patients whereas in only two patients out of 63 in the CMV-negative group (P = 0.005). Acute CMV infection in patients with IBD is not rare and is often underestimated. CMV infection in patients with refractory or complicated IBD should be ruled out before aggressive immunosuppressive therapy. High clinical index of suspicion for the association of CMV infection with IBD should be directed towards female IBD patients presenting with fever, lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, leucopenia, and mild hepatitis. CMV IHC is significantly more sensitive than routine H & E stain and should be considered as part of the routine evaluation of IBD patients with severe exacerbation or steroid-refractory disease before proceeding with other medical or surgical therapy that may not be necessary once the CMV is treated.

Background/Aim:The relation between respiratory disorders and reflux symptoms has been debated since the beginning of the last century and the interest in this question has increased during the last few decades. This study aims to investigate the relation between specified respiratory disorders and reflux symptoms and examine the correlations between respiratory disorders and endoscopic findings in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease.Patients and Methods:This study included 515 patients evaluated for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) by patient self-report symptom questionnaire; modified four grade Likert scale and endoscopic assessment using endoscopic Los Angeles Classification. All participants were asked about various respiratory symptoms experienced during the past six months and exposed to measuring body mass index (BMI), medical history, pulmonary physical examination, chest X-ray, respiratory function tests and available sleep studies.Results:A total number of 515 patients were categorized according to endoscopic findings into two groups; (group1) subjects with normal endoscopic studies (NERD) 118 (22.9%) patients and (group2) subjects with abnormal endoscopic studies (ERD) 397 (77.1%). The proportion of females was significantly higher in ERD group (80.1%) as compared with NERD group (62.7%) (P<0.02). Duration of reflux symptoms found to be significantly prolonged in ERD group (P<0.03). The cases of ERD group were more likely to be overweight (BMI > 25) P<0.02. History of pulmonary symptoms preceding GERD symptoms was found in 15% of patients. There were 294 patients (57.1%) with different pulmonary manifestations. These manifestations were significantly higher among female group (P<0.01) and among obese, above 40 years old (P<0.001, 0.05 respectively). Among all patients with respiratory manifestations the commonest disorders diagnosed were chronic pharyngitis (50.3%), chronic bronchitis (15.8%), bronchial asthma (12.6%) and recurrent pneumonia (3.3%). Obstructive sleep apnea and recurrent hemoptysis were present in 2.7% and 1.5% of the studied patients respectively. There were three cases of chronic lung abscess. There was a significant difference between ERD and NERD groups in their relations to respiratory disorders (P<0.001). There were statistically significant differences in FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC (P<0.02, P<0.05 and P<0.05) respectively in ERD group as compared with NERD group.Conclusion:The study confirms the strong link between gastroesophageal reflux symptoms and various respiratory disorders. Endoscopy of the upper digestive tract remains an important exam in the evaluation of GERD. Respiratory symptoms are more prevalent among erosive esophagitis patients with a positive correlation with degree of severity. There is direct relationship between the severity of airways obstruction as detected by FEV1 and FEV1/FVC and GER symptoms.

BackgroundHepatic lesions in sickle cell disease were studied essentially in autopsy specimens. We investigated chronic hepatopathy in living adults with sickle cell disease and report the clinical, biochemical, and hepatic histological findings in these patients.MethodsA total of 170 adult patients with sickle cell syndrome were prospectively investigated. Clinical and laboratory investigation including liver function tests, serological tests for viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, and abdominal ultrasonography were performed in all of the patients. Liver biopsies were studied from 27 patients.ResultsThere was clinical evidence of jaundice in 123 (72.4%) patients, 118 (69.4%) patients had palpable liver, and 69% percent of the patients had elevated enzymes. Serological tests demonstrated the presence of hepatitis B infection in 18 (10.6%) patients and hepatitis C infection in 39 (23%) patients, serological markers for autoimmune hepatitis were positive in two female patients, one diagnosed chronic intrahepatic cholestasis. All 27 biopsies presented some degree of sickling hepatopathy. Moderate or marked liver siderosis was associated with the number of transfusions.ConclusionsThe clinical spectrum of sickle cell disease ranges from mild liver function test abnormalities to significant hepatic abnormalities with marked hyperbilirubinemia. Multiple factors may contribute to the etiology of the liver disease, including ischemia, transfusion related viral hepatitis, iron overload, and gallstones.

BackgroundTo propose simple tests for the prediction of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), which are accurate and could be performed at emergency departments and outpatient clinics.MethodsA prospective study was performed on 149 patients admitted with acute pancreatitis. Body mass index (BMI), plain chest radiograph, blood biochemical data were obtained at the time of admission; white cell, lymphocyte and platelet counts, hematocrit level, prothrombin time, PaO2, creatinine, calcium, blood sugar, total protein, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, amylase, lipase and C-reaction protein were determined. Patients were graded into severe and mild acute pancreatitis based on CT Balthazar grading system.ResultsTwenty-seven patients were diagnosed to have SAP and 122 patients considered mild acute pancreatitis. Comparing parameters between both groups; significant factors (P < 0.05) were blood sugar level, haematocrit level, BMI and presence of pleural effusion in chest X-ray. The hematocrit at admission and at approximately 24 hours was significantly higher among patients with SAP. Twenty-two of 27 cases of severe disease and only 10 of 122 cases of mild acute pancreatitis diagnosed to have pleural effusion (P < 0.001).ConclusionBMI, blood glucose ≥ 190 mg/dL, hematocrit level ≥ 43 % and pleural effusion detected by plain chest radiograph are simple tests and provide significant predictive power for clinical decision-making.

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The CT findings in a fatal case of aorto-oesophageal fistula secondary to an atheromatous plaque in the thoracic aorta are described. These features are correlated with findings on endoscopy and barium studies.

The black esophagus is a rare observation during upper endoscopy. We describe a case of a male with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, diabetes, acute renal failure and in septic state, who developed a black esophagus after hypotensive episodes. The clinical, endoscopic and histopathological characteristics are presented.