Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) cytology of adrenal masses helps in... more Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) cytology of adrenal masses helps in etiological diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of EUS-FNA of adrenal masses in cases where other imaging methods failed and/or were not feasible. Twenty-one consecutive patients with adrenal masses, in whom adrenal FNA was performed because conventional imaging modalities failed and/or were not feasible, were prospectively evaluated over a period of 3 years. Of the 21 patients (mean age, 56±12.2 years; male:female ratio, 2:1), 12 had pyrexia of unknown origin and the other nine underwent evaluation for metastasis. The median lesion size was 2.4×1.6 cm. Ten patients were diagnosed with tuberculosis (shown by the presence of caseating granulomas [n=10] and acid-fast bacilli [n=4]). Two patients had EUS-FNA results suggestive of histoplasmosis. The other patients had metastatic lung carcinoma (n=6), hepatocellular carcinoma (n=1), and adrenal lipoma (n=1)...
World journal of gastroenterology : WJG, Jan 7, 2006
To evaluate the clinical and biochemical profile of patients with non alcoholic fatty liver disea... more To evaluate the clinical and biochemical profile of patients with non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and to assess their histological severity at presentation. Consecutive patients presenting to the liver clinic of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) with raised transaminases to at least 1.5 times upper limit of normal, and histologically confirmed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were included. Patients who had significant alcohol intake or positive markers of other liver diseases or who were taking drugs known to produce fatty liver were excluded. The clinical, biochemical and histological profile of this group was studied. Fifty-one patients with NAFLD formed the study population. Their median age and BMI were 34(17-58) years and 26.7(21.3-32.5) kg/m(2) respectively and 46 (90.1%) were males. The majority of the patients had mild inflammation, either grade 1 [32 (63%)] or grade 2 [16 (31%)] and only 3 (6%) patients had severe (grade 3) inflammation. Twenty-thr...
Indian journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology
Comparative trials of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), vitamin E and weight management programs among... more Comparative trials of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), vitamin E and weight management programs among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are lacking. To find an effective single agent or combination of agents for management of NAFLD. In this retrospective study, consecutive patient with histologically confirmed NAFLD with raised ALT were included. The patients received either weight management (exercise and therapeutic lifestyle changes [TLC] diet with a target to reduce body weight 10% in 6 months) (group I) ; weight management + UDCA (300 mg BID) (group II); or weight management + UDCA + vitamin E (400 mg OD) (group III). Outcome measure was normalization of ALT. 42 patients (18, 12 and 12 in groups I, II and III, respectively) were included between 1996 and 2004. All patients in group III normalized their ALT levels, which was significantly higher than numbers in group I (8/18) and group II (5/12); (p=0.003). Post treatment ALT was significantly lower in group III...
Background: Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) may persist in the residual stomach even after gastric... more Background: Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) may persist in the residual stomach even after gastric resection, and it has been reported that eradication could diminish the risk of recurrence of gastric cancer after endoscopic mucosal resection. Therefore, the use of 13C-urea breath test (UBT) in the residual stomach has become a clinically important issue. However, the test urea may pass through the stomach faster and contact with intestinal bacteria which may have urease activities. We previously reported a new modified UBT to avoid false-positive results from the rapis transit of urea. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of this method, an endoscopic UBT, for detection of H.pylori infection after partial gastrectomy. Patients and Methods: A total of 44 patients who had undergone partial gastrectomy. At endoscopy, the endoscopic UBT was carried out after conventional observation. Briefly, 20 cc of water containing 100 mg of 13C-urea was sprayed onto the gastric mucosa. After that a gastric gas sample was collected and the endoscope was immediately withdrawn. Breath samples were collected at baseline and at 5, 10, 20 min after spraying 13C-urea. 13C was measured as the 13CO2/12CO2 ratio and was expressed delta per mil. Two biopsies from the mid-to-high body of residural stomach were taken for histology and RUT. Results: The overall H.pylori infection rate, based on histology, was 80% (35/44). The delta CO2 values of intragastric samples were than those of breath samples. The maximum sensitivity and specificity of intragastric samples were 97% and 100% with cutoff point of 5 per mil, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of breath samples at 20 min were 71.4% and 66.7% with cutoff point of 0.6 per mil, respectively. The accuracy was highest with the endoscopic UBT using intragastric samples. Conclusions: Since the endoscopic UBT is not affected by the process of metabolism, absorption, and excretion of 13C, it is more effective in patients with prior gastrectomy than standard UBT.
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, 2015
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with metabolic syndrome. Prevalen... more Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with metabolic syndrome. Prevalence of metabolic risk factors including diabetes mellitus, obesity, etc. is rapidly increasing in India putting this population at risk for NAFLD. Patients with NAFLD are at increased risk for liver-related morbidity and mortality and also cardiovascular disease risk and increased incidence of diabetes mellitus on long-term follow-up. Management of patients with NAFLD may require a multi-disciplinary approach involving not only the hepatologists but also the internists, cardiologists, and endocrinologists. This position paper which is a combined effort of the Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL), Endocrine Society of India (ESI), Indian College of Cardiology (ICC) and the Indian Society of Gastroenterology (ISG) defines the spectrum of NAFLD and the association of NAFLD with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome besides suggesting preferred approaches for the diagnosis and management of patients with NAFLD in the Indian context.
The cause of recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP) is not known in 10%-30% of patients. The aim of t... more The cause of recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP) is not known in 10%-30% of patients. The aim of the present study was to determine the cause of idiopathic RAP in a long-term follow-up study. All consecutive patients with idiopathic RAP underwent detailed evaluations and investigations to find out the cause. The pancreatitis was considered to be idiopathic when no cause could be found after standard investigations that included serum biochemistry, transabdominal ultrasonography, and computerized tomography scan of the abdomen. The detailed work-up included repeat serum biochemistry and transabdominal ultrasonography, an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, duodenal bile microscopy to diagnose biliary microlithiasis, and endoscopic ultrasonography. Seventy-five patients were studied from June 1995 to May 2003. Their mean age was 31.9 years and 80% were male. The mean number of attacks of acute pancreatitis was 4.82 (range, 2-10). The cause of RAP was attributed to biliary microlithiasis in only 10 (13%) of 75 patients. Two additional patients developed gallstones during the follow-up period. Thirty-five (47%) patients developed chronic pancreatitis during the follow-up period. Ten of these 35 patients with chronic pancreatitis had biliary microlithiasis; 8 of these 10 patients had undergone cholecystectomy/endoscopic sphincterotomy yet continued to have recurrent pancreatitis and developed chronic pancreatitis. Miscellaneous causes were found in 10 (13%) patients. No cause was found in the remaining 18 (24%) patients. Microlithiasis was not a significant cause of idiopathic RAP in our patients. About one half of the patients with RAP developed chronic pancreatitis during the follow-up period.
Indian journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology
Despite bearing the main burden of HCC, prospective studies from developing countries are lacking... more Despite bearing the main burden of HCC, prospective studies from developing countries are lacking. This prospective observational study was designed to estimate the incidence of HCC among Indian patients with hepatic cirrhosis. Between April 2001 and November 2004, we enrolled 301 patients with liver cirrhosis. Patients found to be free of HCC using baseline abdominal ultrasound, triple-phase computed tomography (TPCT) and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were followed up prospectively for detection of HCC using ultrasound and AFP every 6 months, and TPCT annually. Among the 194 patients (mean age [SD] 45.1 [+/-13.1] years; male:female 6.1:1.0) followed up, 154 had Child's A and 40 had Child's B disease. The causes of cirrhosis were: hepatitis B-71 (36.6%), hepatitis C-54 (27.8%), dual infection with hepatitis B and C-12 (6.2%) and others including autoimmune, alcoholic and cryptogenic cirrhosis 57 (29.4%). During a cumulative follow up period of 563.4 person-years, 9 ca...
Aluminium phosphide ingestion is a major cause of poisoning-related mortality in tropical countri... more Aluminium phosphide ingestion is a major cause of poisoning-related mortality in tropical countries. Local oesophageal complications due to aluminium phosphide have been reported to occur rarely. We describe 3 patients who survived the intake of aluminium phosphide tablets and developed oesophageal strictures.
Ascites and renal dysfunction in cirrhosis occur when the liver disease is decompensated and sign... more Ascites and renal dysfunction in cirrhosis occur when the liver disease is decompensated and signify the presence of advanced liver failure. However, the precipitating causes should be looked for and treated. Although liver transplantation is the treatment of choice in patients with advanced liver failure, mild to moderate ascites can be treated effectively with medical management. Similarly, renal failure in cirrhotics is reversible if the precipitating causes can be treated effectively and by use of combination of vasoconstrictors and albumin. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts also offer an effective therapy for refractory ascites and HRS. Such treatments may offer effective bridge to liver transplantation, by improving short and medium term survivals. Here, we shall discuss all the options available for the management of these complications of cirrhosis.
Coexistence of two illnesses in the same patient may result in atypical manifestations of either ... more Coexistence of two illnesses in the same patient may result in atypical manifestations of either or both diseases. A case of hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis in a patient who presented with a pharyngeal mucosal mass lesion as a manifestation of superadded Leishmania infection is presented here. The clue to the diagnosis was the origin of the patient from an area highly endemic for leishmaniasis and the presence of unexplained polyclonal hypergammaglobulinaemia. The patient responded very well to therapy with amphotericin B with complete disappearance of the mucosal lesion.
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, 2014
The estimated prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in India is between 0.5 and 1.5% wi... more The estimated prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in India is between 0.5 and 1.5% with hotspots showing much higher prevalence in some areas of northeast India, in some tribal populations and in certain parts of Punjab. Genotype 3 is the most prevalent type of infection. Recent years have seen development of a large number of new molecules that are revolutionizing the treatment of hepatitis C. Some of the new directly acting agents (DAAs) like sofosbuvir have been called game-changers because they offer the prospect of interferon-free regimens for the treatment of HCV infection. These new drugs have not yet been approved in India and their cost and availability is uncertain at present. Till these drugs become available at an affordable cost, the treatment that was standard of care for the whole world before these newer drugs were approved should continue to be recommended. For India, cheaper options, which are as effective as the standard-of-care (SOC) in carefully selected patients, are also explored to bring treatment within reach of poorer patients. It may be prudent to withhold
Purpose Surveillance of patients of cirrhosis of liver is practiced for early detection of HCC. N... more Purpose Surveillance of patients of cirrhosis of liver is practiced for early detection of HCC. No data from any developing country on cost-effectiveness of such a program are available. Methods Economic evaluation of HCC surveillance was embedded in a prospective study undertaken to estimate the incidence of HCC in 194 cirrhotics. The protocol consisted of 6 monthly abdominal ultrasound (US) and serum alphafetoprotein (AFP) estimation, and yearly triple phase CT. Cost was estimated from the hospital and patient perspectives. Cost-effectiveness ratios for detecting a case of HCC were estimated. Modeling was done to estimate cost effectiveness with different combinations of diagnostic tests.
The Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) set up a working party on acute-... more The Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) set up a working party on acute-onchronic liver failure (ACLF) in 2004, with a mandate to develop consensus guidelines on various aspects of ACLF relevant to disease patterns and clinical practice in the Asia-Pacific region. Experts predominantly from the Asia-Pacific region constituted this working party and were requested to identify different issues of ACLF and develop the consensus guidelines. A 2-day meeting of the working party was held on January 22-23, 2008, at New Delhi, India, to discuss and finalize the consensus statements. Only those statements that were unanimously approved by the experts were accepted. These statements were circulated to all the experts and subsequently presented at the Annual Conference of the APASL at Seoul, Korea, in March 2008. The consensus statements along with relevant background information are presented in this review.
Purpose Altered redox status has been implicated in pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD)... more Purpose Altered redox status has been implicated in pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) as well as in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study was planned to find the relative role of redox status in these two diseases. Methods A total of 44 patients with ALD and 32 patients with NAFLD and 25 apparently healthy controls were included in the study. Redox status was estimated by measuring oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lipid peroxidation products as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)) and antioxidant status (ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and vitamin C). Results TBARS level was raised significantly in both ALD (3.5 (2.3-9.4) vs. 1.8 (0.5-4.1) nmol/ml; P = 0.0001) and NAFLD (5.1 (1-10.2) vs. 1.82 (0.51-4.1) nmol/ml; P = 0.0001) as compared with controls, but was not different between ALD and NAFLD. SOD was significantly higher in ALD as compared to NAFLD (2.4 (1.3-7.8) vs. 0.68 (0.05-19.1) U/ml; P = 0.0001) and controls (1.12 (0.01-3.5) U/ml; P = 0.001). FRAP was lower in ALD as compared with 3) lmol of Fe +2 liberated; P = 0.001) but similar to that of controls (340.9 (141.5-697.5) lmol of Fe +2 liberated). Conclusions ALD patients have a higher degree of redox imbalance as compared with NAFLD patients
To define the magnitude, causes, risk factors, and consequences of hemorrhage in acute pancreatit... more To define the magnitude, causes, risk factors, and consequences of hemorrhage in acute pancreatitis (AP). Consecutive patients with AP were studied for hemorrhagic complication and its impact on mortality. Patients with gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage or hemorrhage within the pancreatic bed were managed with transfusions, endotherapy, angiographic embolization, or surgery as appropriate. Of 449 patients, 28 (6.2%) developed hemorrhage. The mean age of patients with hemorrhage was 39 +/- 14 years and 25 (89%) were men. Of the 28 patients, 16 had GI hemorrhage, and 12 had hemorrhage into the pancreatic bed. Median interval between the onset of AP and hemorrhage was 26.5 days. Pancreatic necrosis, sepsis, fluid collection, and organ failure were found to be risk factors for hemorrhage. Five patients had pseudoaneurysms; angiographic embolization was successful in 4 of them. The mortality rate in bleeders was higher than that in nonbleeders (28.6% vs 13%; P = 0.02). None of the patients died as a direct consequence of hemorrhage except 1 patient who died after surgery for failed embolization of bleeding pseudoaneurysm. Deaths were mainly caused by sepsis and multiorgan failure. Hemorrhagic complications are usually late manifestations in the course of severe pancreatitis and per se have little bearing on mortality.
Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the genomic mutations in the circulating Hepatitis... more Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the genomic mutations in the circulating Hepatitis B virus strains causing infection in the Indian population. Further, we wanted to analyze the biological significance of these mutations in HBV mediated disease.
This study was undertaken to assess the value of clinical symptomatology, abdominal ultrasound (U... more This study was undertaken to assess the value of clinical symptomatology, abdominal ultrasound (US), triple-phase CT (TPCT) and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) estimation in predicting presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among patients with cirrhosis. In this cross-sectional study, Child's A/B cirrhosis patients were subjected to clinical evaluation, US, TPCT and serum AFP estimation. Sensitivity and specificity of clinical symptoms and of AFP at different cut-off levels were determined. Detection rate of HCC and agreement between US and TPCT was estimated. A high proportion of enrolled subjects had HCC at first presentation (40.7%). Significantly higher prevalence of abdominal pain, weight loss, and anorexia was seen in patients with cirrhosis with HCC compared to those without HCC. Sensitivity and specificity of any of these symptoms was 73 and 79%, respectively (positive and negative predictive values of 65 and 85%, respectively). A 100% agreement between TPCT and US was observed for diagnosing HCC cases. However, TPCT detected a greater number of smaller HCCs. Sensitivity of AFP at 400 ng/ml cut-off was only 25.7%, too low to be useful. Best mix of sensitivity (77.2%) and specificity (78.1%) of AFP was found to be at 10.7 ng/ml cut-off which falls within the conventional limits of normalcy. The study highlights the importance of symptomatology of weight loss, abdominal pain or anorexia as markers for HCC in patients with cirrhosis. AFP was not found to be a useful screening test. TPCT should be undertaken in all cirrhotics presenting to the hospital for the first time.
To study the profile and outcome of therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in India. Data ana... more To study the profile and outcome of therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in India. Data analysis of HCC patients enrolled in liver clinic between 1990 and 2005. We registered 324 HCC patients [males 284 (88%), mean age 52.4 +/- 13.1 years]. The etiology of HCC was: hepatitis B virus 165 (51%), hepatitis C virus 38 (12%), alcohol 20 (6%), combined 31 (10%) and unknown 70 (21%). Serum alpha-fetoprotein was >400 ng in 36%, portal vein invasion was seen in 40% and distant metastases in 13%. Therapy was offered to 141 (43.5%) patients, but survival data was available in only 130 (93%) of them. Treatment given and median survival time was as follows: surgical resection, 19 months (n = 14); transarterial chemoembolization, 11 months (n = 23); transarterial rhenium therapy, 26 months (n = 7); radiofrequency ablation, 24 months (n = 4); acetic acid ablation, 13 months (n = 17); oral chemotherapy, 26 months (n = 33), and combination therapy, 26 months (n = 32). Vascular invasion, Okuda staging and therapy were independent factors associated with survival. Treated patients had longer median survival compared to untreated ones (16 months vs. 7 months, p < 0.05). Hepatitis B infection is the predominant cause of HCC in India. Serum alpha-fetoprotein was diagnostic in only one third of our patients. Most patients present late, when curative therapies are not possible. Treated patients had better survival than untreated ones.
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) cytology of adrenal masses helps in... more Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) cytology of adrenal masses helps in etiological diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of EUS-FNA of adrenal masses in cases where other imaging methods failed and/or were not feasible. Twenty-one consecutive patients with adrenal masses, in whom adrenal FNA was performed because conventional imaging modalities failed and/or were not feasible, were prospectively evaluated over a period of 3 years. Of the 21 patients (mean age, 56±12.2 years; male:female ratio, 2:1), 12 had pyrexia of unknown origin and the other nine underwent evaluation for metastasis. The median lesion size was 2.4×1.6 cm. Ten patients were diagnosed with tuberculosis (shown by the presence of caseating granulomas [n=10] and acid-fast bacilli [n=4]). Two patients had EUS-FNA results suggestive of histoplasmosis. The other patients had metastatic lung carcinoma (n=6), hepatocellular carcinoma (n=1), and adrenal lipoma (n=1)...
World journal of gastroenterology : WJG, Jan 7, 2006
To evaluate the clinical and biochemical profile of patients with non alcoholic fatty liver disea... more To evaluate the clinical and biochemical profile of patients with non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and to assess their histological severity at presentation. Consecutive patients presenting to the liver clinic of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) with raised transaminases to at least 1.5 times upper limit of normal, and histologically confirmed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease were included. Patients who had significant alcohol intake or positive markers of other liver diseases or who were taking drugs known to produce fatty liver were excluded. The clinical, biochemical and histological profile of this group was studied. Fifty-one patients with NAFLD formed the study population. Their median age and BMI were 34(17-58) years and 26.7(21.3-32.5) kg/m(2) respectively and 46 (90.1%) were males. The majority of the patients had mild inflammation, either grade 1 [32 (63%)] or grade 2 [16 (31%)] and only 3 (6%) patients had severe (grade 3) inflammation. Twenty-thr...
Indian journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology
Comparative trials of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), vitamin E and weight management programs among... more Comparative trials of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), vitamin E and weight management programs among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are lacking. To find an effective single agent or combination of agents for management of NAFLD. In this retrospective study, consecutive patient with histologically confirmed NAFLD with raised ALT were included. The patients received either weight management (exercise and therapeutic lifestyle changes [TLC] diet with a target to reduce body weight 10% in 6 months) (group I) ; weight management + UDCA (300 mg BID) (group II); or weight management + UDCA + vitamin E (400 mg OD) (group III). Outcome measure was normalization of ALT. 42 patients (18, 12 and 12 in groups I, II and III, respectively) were included between 1996 and 2004. All patients in group III normalized their ALT levels, which was significantly higher than numbers in group I (8/18) and group II (5/12); (p=0.003). Post treatment ALT was significantly lower in group III...
Background: Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) may persist in the residual stomach even after gastric... more Background: Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) may persist in the residual stomach even after gastric resection, and it has been reported that eradication could diminish the risk of recurrence of gastric cancer after endoscopic mucosal resection. Therefore, the use of 13C-urea breath test (UBT) in the residual stomach has become a clinically important issue. However, the test urea may pass through the stomach faster and contact with intestinal bacteria which may have urease activities. We previously reported a new modified UBT to avoid false-positive results from the rapis transit of urea. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of this method, an endoscopic UBT, for detection of H.pylori infection after partial gastrectomy. Patients and Methods: A total of 44 patients who had undergone partial gastrectomy. At endoscopy, the endoscopic UBT was carried out after conventional observation. Briefly, 20 cc of water containing 100 mg of 13C-urea was sprayed onto the gastric mucosa. After that a gastric gas sample was collected and the endoscope was immediately withdrawn. Breath samples were collected at baseline and at 5, 10, 20 min after spraying 13C-urea. 13C was measured as the 13CO2/12CO2 ratio and was expressed delta per mil. Two biopsies from the mid-to-high body of residural stomach were taken for histology and RUT. Results: The overall H.pylori infection rate, based on histology, was 80% (35/44). The delta CO2 values of intragastric samples were than those of breath samples. The maximum sensitivity and specificity of intragastric samples were 97% and 100% with cutoff point of 5 per mil, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of breath samples at 20 min were 71.4% and 66.7% with cutoff point of 0.6 per mil, respectively. The accuracy was highest with the endoscopic UBT using intragastric samples. Conclusions: Since the endoscopic UBT is not affected by the process of metabolism, absorption, and excretion of 13C, it is more effective in patients with prior gastrectomy than standard UBT.
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, 2015
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with metabolic syndrome. Prevalen... more Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with metabolic syndrome. Prevalence of metabolic risk factors including diabetes mellitus, obesity, etc. is rapidly increasing in India putting this population at risk for NAFLD. Patients with NAFLD are at increased risk for liver-related morbidity and mortality and also cardiovascular disease risk and increased incidence of diabetes mellitus on long-term follow-up. Management of patients with NAFLD may require a multi-disciplinary approach involving not only the hepatologists but also the internists, cardiologists, and endocrinologists. This position paper which is a combined effort of the Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL), Endocrine Society of India (ESI), Indian College of Cardiology (ICC) and the Indian Society of Gastroenterology (ISG) defines the spectrum of NAFLD and the association of NAFLD with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome besides suggesting preferred approaches for the diagnosis and management of patients with NAFLD in the Indian context.
The cause of recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP) is not known in 10%-30% of patients. The aim of t... more The cause of recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP) is not known in 10%-30% of patients. The aim of the present study was to determine the cause of idiopathic RAP in a long-term follow-up study. All consecutive patients with idiopathic RAP underwent detailed evaluations and investigations to find out the cause. The pancreatitis was considered to be idiopathic when no cause could be found after standard investigations that included serum biochemistry, transabdominal ultrasonography, and computerized tomography scan of the abdomen. The detailed work-up included repeat serum biochemistry and transabdominal ultrasonography, an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, duodenal bile microscopy to diagnose biliary microlithiasis, and endoscopic ultrasonography. Seventy-five patients were studied from June 1995 to May 2003. Their mean age was 31.9 years and 80% were male. The mean number of attacks of acute pancreatitis was 4.82 (range, 2-10). The cause of RAP was attributed to biliary microlithiasis in only 10 (13%) of 75 patients. Two additional patients developed gallstones during the follow-up period. Thirty-five (47%) patients developed chronic pancreatitis during the follow-up period. Ten of these 35 patients with chronic pancreatitis had biliary microlithiasis; 8 of these 10 patients had undergone cholecystectomy/endoscopic sphincterotomy yet continued to have recurrent pancreatitis and developed chronic pancreatitis. Miscellaneous causes were found in 10 (13%) patients. No cause was found in the remaining 18 (24%) patients. Microlithiasis was not a significant cause of idiopathic RAP in our patients. About one half of the patients with RAP developed chronic pancreatitis during the follow-up period.
Indian journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology
Despite bearing the main burden of HCC, prospective studies from developing countries are lacking... more Despite bearing the main burden of HCC, prospective studies from developing countries are lacking. This prospective observational study was designed to estimate the incidence of HCC among Indian patients with hepatic cirrhosis. Between April 2001 and November 2004, we enrolled 301 patients with liver cirrhosis. Patients found to be free of HCC using baseline abdominal ultrasound, triple-phase computed tomography (TPCT) and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were followed up prospectively for detection of HCC using ultrasound and AFP every 6 months, and TPCT annually. Among the 194 patients (mean age [SD] 45.1 [+/-13.1] years; male:female 6.1:1.0) followed up, 154 had Child's A and 40 had Child's B disease. The causes of cirrhosis were: hepatitis B-71 (36.6%), hepatitis C-54 (27.8%), dual infection with hepatitis B and C-12 (6.2%) and others including autoimmune, alcoholic and cryptogenic cirrhosis 57 (29.4%). During a cumulative follow up period of 563.4 person-years, 9 ca...
Aluminium phosphide ingestion is a major cause of poisoning-related mortality in tropical countri... more Aluminium phosphide ingestion is a major cause of poisoning-related mortality in tropical countries. Local oesophageal complications due to aluminium phosphide have been reported to occur rarely. We describe 3 patients who survived the intake of aluminium phosphide tablets and developed oesophageal strictures.
Ascites and renal dysfunction in cirrhosis occur when the liver disease is decompensated and sign... more Ascites and renal dysfunction in cirrhosis occur when the liver disease is decompensated and signify the presence of advanced liver failure. However, the precipitating causes should be looked for and treated. Although liver transplantation is the treatment of choice in patients with advanced liver failure, mild to moderate ascites can be treated effectively with medical management. Similarly, renal failure in cirrhotics is reversible if the precipitating causes can be treated effectively and by use of combination of vasoconstrictors and albumin. Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunts also offer an effective therapy for refractory ascites and HRS. Such treatments may offer effective bridge to liver transplantation, by improving short and medium term survivals. Here, we shall discuss all the options available for the management of these complications of cirrhosis.
Coexistence of two illnesses in the same patient may result in atypical manifestations of either ... more Coexistence of two illnesses in the same patient may result in atypical manifestations of either or both diseases. A case of hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis in a patient who presented with a pharyngeal mucosal mass lesion as a manifestation of superadded Leishmania infection is presented here. The clue to the diagnosis was the origin of the patient from an area highly endemic for leishmaniasis and the presence of unexplained polyclonal hypergammaglobulinaemia. The patient responded very well to therapy with amphotericin B with complete disappearance of the mucosal lesion.
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology, 2014
The estimated prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in India is between 0.5 and 1.5% wi... more The estimated prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in India is between 0.5 and 1.5% with hotspots showing much higher prevalence in some areas of northeast India, in some tribal populations and in certain parts of Punjab. Genotype 3 is the most prevalent type of infection. Recent years have seen development of a large number of new molecules that are revolutionizing the treatment of hepatitis C. Some of the new directly acting agents (DAAs) like sofosbuvir have been called game-changers because they offer the prospect of interferon-free regimens for the treatment of HCV infection. These new drugs have not yet been approved in India and their cost and availability is uncertain at present. Till these drugs become available at an affordable cost, the treatment that was standard of care for the whole world before these newer drugs were approved should continue to be recommended. For India, cheaper options, which are as effective as the standard-of-care (SOC) in carefully selected patients, are also explored to bring treatment within reach of poorer patients. It may be prudent to withhold
Purpose Surveillance of patients of cirrhosis of liver is practiced for early detection of HCC. N... more Purpose Surveillance of patients of cirrhosis of liver is practiced for early detection of HCC. No data from any developing country on cost-effectiveness of such a program are available. Methods Economic evaluation of HCC surveillance was embedded in a prospective study undertaken to estimate the incidence of HCC in 194 cirrhotics. The protocol consisted of 6 monthly abdominal ultrasound (US) and serum alphafetoprotein (AFP) estimation, and yearly triple phase CT. Cost was estimated from the hospital and patient perspectives. Cost-effectiveness ratios for detecting a case of HCC were estimated. Modeling was done to estimate cost effectiveness with different combinations of diagnostic tests.
The Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) set up a working party on acute-... more The Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) set up a working party on acute-onchronic liver failure (ACLF) in 2004, with a mandate to develop consensus guidelines on various aspects of ACLF relevant to disease patterns and clinical practice in the Asia-Pacific region. Experts predominantly from the Asia-Pacific region constituted this working party and were requested to identify different issues of ACLF and develop the consensus guidelines. A 2-day meeting of the working party was held on January 22-23, 2008, at New Delhi, India, to discuss and finalize the consensus statements. Only those statements that were unanimously approved by the experts were accepted. These statements were circulated to all the experts and subsequently presented at the Annual Conference of the APASL at Seoul, Korea, in March 2008. The consensus statements along with relevant background information are presented in this review.
Purpose Altered redox status has been implicated in pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD)... more Purpose Altered redox status has been implicated in pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) as well as in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study was planned to find the relative role of redox status in these two diseases. Methods A total of 44 patients with ALD and 32 patients with NAFLD and 25 apparently healthy controls were included in the study. Redox status was estimated by measuring oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lipid peroxidation products as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)) and antioxidant status (ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) and vitamin C). Results TBARS level was raised significantly in both ALD (3.5 (2.3-9.4) vs. 1.8 (0.5-4.1) nmol/ml; P = 0.0001) and NAFLD (5.1 (1-10.2) vs. 1.82 (0.51-4.1) nmol/ml; P = 0.0001) as compared with controls, but was not different between ALD and NAFLD. SOD was significantly higher in ALD as compared to NAFLD (2.4 (1.3-7.8) vs. 0.68 (0.05-19.1) U/ml; P = 0.0001) and controls (1.12 (0.01-3.5) U/ml; P = 0.001). FRAP was lower in ALD as compared with 3) lmol of Fe +2 liberated; P = 0.001) but similar to that of controls (340.9 (141.5-697.5) lmol of Fe +2 liberated). Conclusions ALD patients have a higher degree of redox imbalance as compared with NAFLD patients
To define the magnitude, causes, risk factors, and consequences of hemorrhage in acute pancreatit... more To define the magnitude, causes, risk factors, and consequences of hemorrhage in acute pancreatitis (AP). Consecutive patients with AP were studied for hemorrhagic complication and its impact on mortality. Patients with gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage or hemorrhage within the pancreatic bed were managed with transfusions, endotherapy, angiographic embolization, or surgery as appropriate. Of 449 patients, 28 (6.2%) developed hemorrhage. The mean age of patients with hemorrhage was 39 +/- 14 years and 25 (89%) were men. Of the 28 patients, 16 had GI hemorrhage, and 12 had hemorrhage into the pancreatic bed. Median interval between the onset of AP and hemorrhage was 26.5 days. Pancreatic necrosis, sepsis, fluid collection, and organ failure were found to be risk factors for hemorrhage. Five patients had pseudoaneurysms; angiographic embolization was successful in 4 of them. The mortality rate in bleeders was higher than that in nonbleeders (28.6% vs 13%; P = 0.02). None of the patients died as a direct consequence of hemorrhage except 1 patient who died after surgery for failed embolization of bleeding pseudoaneurysm. Deaths were mainly caused by sepsis and multiorgan failure. Hemorrhagic complications are usually late manifestations in the course of severe pancreatitis and per se have little bearing on mortality.
Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the genomic mutations in the circulating Hepatitis... more Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the genomic mutations in the circulating Hepatitis B virus strains causing infection in the Indian population. Further, we wanted to analyze the biological significance of these mutations in HBV mediated disease.
This study was undertaken to assess the value of clinical symptomatology, abdominal ultrasound (U... more This study was undertaken to assess the value of clinical symptomatology, abdominal ultrasound (US), triple-phase CT (TPCT) and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) estimation in predicting presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among patients with cirrhosis. In this cross-sectional study, Child's A/B cirrhosis patients were subjected to clinical evaluation, US, TPCT and serum AFP estimation. Sensitivity and specificity of clinical symptoms and of AFP at different cut-off levels were determined. Detection rate of HCC and agreement between US and TPCT was estimated. A high proportion of enrolled subjects had HCC at first presentation (40.7%). Significantly higher prevalence of abdominal pain, weight loss, and anorexia was seen in patients with cirrhosis with HCC compared to those without HCC. Sensitivity and specificity of any of these symptoms was 73 and 79%, respectively (positive and negative predictive values of 65 and 85%, respectively). A 100% agreement between TPCT and US was observed for diagnosing HCC cases. However, TPCT detected a greater number of smaller HCCs. Sensitivity of AFP at 400 ng/ml cut-off was only 25.7%, too low to be useful. Best mix of sensitivity (77.2%) and specificity (78.1%) of AFP was found to be at 10.7 ng/ml cut-off which falls within the conventional limits of normalcy. The study highlights the importance of symptomatology of weight loss, abdominal pain or anorexia as markers for HCC in patients with cirrhosis. AFP was not found to be a useful screening test. TPCT should be undertaken in all cirrhotics presenting to the hospital for the first time.
To study the profile and outcome of therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in India. Data ana... more To study the profile and outcome of therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in India. Data analysis of HCC patients enrolled in liver clinic between 1990 and 2005. We registered 324 HCC patients [males 284 (88%), mean age 52.4 +/- 13.1 years]. The etiology of HCC was: hepatitis B virus 165 (51%), hepatitis C virus 38 (12%), alcohol 20 (6%), combined 31 (10%) and unknown 70 (21%). Serum alpha-fetoprotein was >400 ng in 36%, portal vein invasion was seen in 40% and distant metastases in 13%. Therapy was offered to 141 (43.5%) patients, but survival data was available in only 130 (93%) of them. Treatment given and median survival time was as follows: surgical resection, 19 months (n = 14); transarterial chemoembolization, 11 months (n = 23); transarterial rhenium therapy, 26 months (n = 7); radiofrequency ablation, 24 months (n = 4); acetic acid ablation, 13 months (n = 17); oral chemotherapy, 26 months (n = 33), and combination therapy, 26 months (n = 32). Vascular invasion, Okuda staging and therapy were independent factors associated with survival. Treated patients had longer median survival compared to untreated ones (16 months vs. 7 months, p < 0.05). Hepatitis B infection is the predominant cause of HCC in India. Serum alpha-fetoprotein was diagnostic in only one third of our patients. Most patients present late, when curative therapies are not possible. Treated patients had better survival than untreated ones.
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Papers by Kaushal Madan