HCC can develop in NAFLD without cirrhosis. At diagnosis such tumours are larger than those in cirrhotics, conferring a poorer prognosis.

Patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection experience a range of symptoms including depression, fatigue and neurocognitive deficits, impairing quality of life. Depression, in particular, may be reactive to increased psychosocial stress, and the physical symptoms of advanced HCV or associated comorbidities. However, even patients at an early stage of HCV infection, with minimal hepatic inflammation or comorbidities, report more depressive symptoms and fatigue than the general population. Similarly, specific neurocognitive deficits occur in early stage HCV infection and are independent of the presence of depression or encephalopathy. Therefore, intracerebral neurobiological changes associated with HCV may potentially explain these symptoms. These changes may arise from infiltration of the brain by peripherally induced cytokines, as well as direct neuropathic effects of HCV viral particles penetrating the blood-brain barrier. These phenomena parallel those reported in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. HCV-associated intracerebral changes include upregulated inflammatory responses, altered neurotransmitter levels, hormonal dysregulation, and release of neurotoxic substances. These may subsequently lead to abnormal neuronal conduction and function in areas of the brain governing affective responses, emotional processing, motivation, attention and concentration. Although direct-acting antiviral medications lead to high rates of HCV clearance, intracerebral changes may not be subsequently reversed and symptoms of depression, fatigue and neurocognitive deficits may persist. There is an ongoing role for multidisciplinary care and pharmacotherapy to manage these symptoms in HCV patients. Furthermore, there may be opportunities for future therapies to specifically target and ameliorate HCV-associated intracerebral changes.

This qualitative study explored how members of the Dinka South Sudanese community in West Melbourne perceive diabetes within the context of their broader health circumstances. These perceptions may guide health services aiming to prevent diabetes and chronic disease. 3 focus groups were conducted with 25 participants. Recorded discussions were transcribed and interrogated through a grounded theory approach. Diabetes and chronic diseases were familiar to participants, but issues they claimed not to understand well. The Australian social environment was seen to propagate unhealthy lifestyle changes, while experiences with Australian health services were dissatisfying. Mental distress was perceived as significantly detracting from the community's health. Preventative health interventions in this community, while emphasising education and healthy lifestyle behaviours, should also acknowledge underlying socio-historical contexts and the psychiatric burden of forced migration.

IBD prevalence and incidence rates are high in Tasmania, comparable to data from other Australasian studies and those from Northern Europe and America. Poorer twelve month clinical outcomes occurred in complicated CD, with greater use of healthcare resources. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Chronic diarrhoeal illnesses with nausea and weight loss are a common indication for gastroenterology review. While many such cases have intra-luminal aetiologies, such as inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease or other malabsorptive conditions, with many other cases due to functional gut disorders or systemic malignancy, clinicians must also keep vascular disorders in mind. Here we report a patient with a delayed diagnosis of chronic mesenteric ischaemia after 6 months of gastrointestinal symptoms strongly mimicking an alternative diagnosis such as inflammatory bowel disease due an atypical predominance of nausea and diarrhoea rather than pain. We briefly review the literature on treatment of this condition but also discuss with particular attention the sequence of cognitive errors made by clinicians that led to a diagnostic delay, inviting readers to thus reflect on how such errors can be minimised in their practice.

Esophageal obstruction from soluble fiber laxatives, such as karaya gum, has been rarely reported in the literature. However, as such preparations are widely commercially available, it is important for gastroenterologists to be aware of their potential to form a bezoar in the esophagus due to swelling on contact with liquid. This report highlights such a case and discusses its challenging management.

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Direct acting antiviral (DAA) regimens containing ritonavir have been developed to treat hepatitis C, with fewer side effects than that by interferon-based regimens. However prescribers must be aware of drug-drug interactions. There are multiple reports of iatrogenic Cushing syndrome (CS) caused by ritonavir, when used to treat human immunodeficiency virus, increasing the bioavailability of exogenous steroids by inhibiting cytochrome p450 enzymes in the liver and gut wall and thus reducing steroid metabolism. We herein report a novel scenario of CS due to interaction between ritonavir for hepatitis C treatment and oral budesonide for autoimmune hepatitis. ( J CLIN EXP HEPATOL 2016;6:246-249)