1/48. Secondary hyperparathyroidism exacerbation: a rare side-effect of interferon-alpha?Recombinant human interferon alpha (alpha IFN) is the only treatment with proven benefit for chronic hepatitis c virus (HCV) infection. Nevertheless its use in some susceptible individuals has led to the development or aggravation of different autoimmune conditions. We report the case of a 20 year old woman on peritoneal dialysis with chronic lobular hepatitis secondary to HCV infection who developed de novo psoriasis 9 months after starting treatment with alpha-IFN. In addition to psoriasis, alpha-IFN prescription was also concurrent with an unexpected and refractory secondary hyperparathyroidism exacerbation initially characterized by a marked reduction of serum calcium levels and a consequential increase of PTH. Both complications disappeared after drug withdrawal. The clinical sequence makes an alpha-IFN-induced autoimmune side effect the most plausible hypothesis. The case is discussed and some possible etiopathogenic factors are briefly reviewed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = hepatitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/48. Intensive tandem cryofiltration apheresis and hemodialysis to treat a patient with severe calciphylaxis, cryoglobulinemia, and end-stage renal disease.This is the first report on tandem cryofiltration apheresis (CFA) and hemodialysis (HD). A 44 year old white man with Type II mixed cryoglobulinemia, hepatitis c virus (HCV), severe skin lesions, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on maintenance hemodialysis was air-transferred for CFA, which is only available at our medical center. The patient failed to respond to high dose steroids, immunosuppression, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), and plasma exchange for the treatment of his cryoglobulinemia, and he failed alpha-interferon therapy for his HCV. On arrival, he was also found to have severe calciphylaxis secondary to ESRD with generalized, painful skin ulceration, necrosis, and penile gangrene. To treat both conditions, intensive, tandem CFA/HD was initiated. He received extensive wound care and surgical debridement. To prevent pressure ulcers and worsening of skin lesions, he was placed on the FluidAir (Kinetic Concepts Inc., San Antonio, TX) controlled air bed. The patient received 18 tandem CFA/HD treatments, and four extra HD treatments in one month. sodium citrate was used as an anticoagulant for the CFA procedure. His plasma cryoglobulin (CG) level dropped from 6,157 to 420 microg/ml, and his calciphylaxis also improved. The CFA effectively removed 93% of CG, without significant removal of IgG, IgM, IgA, albumin, and fibrinogen. No albumin or fresh frozen plasma (FFP) was required as replacement fluid for CFA. No citrate toxicity or evidence of complement activation with the cryofilter was observed. The entire CFA procedure time (3(1/2) hours) was considered. Intensive, tandem CFA/HD was performed in a critically ill patient with no apparent adverse consequences.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = hepatitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/48. porphyria cutanea tarda occurring in a patient with renal failure, systemic lupus erythematosus and chronic hepatitis c infection treated with hemodialysis.The diagnosis and management of porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is complicated when it occurs in the context of renal failure, chronic hemodialysis, and anemia. We report a case of a woman who presented with painful acral blisters and hyperpigmentation. Her medical history included systemic lupus erythematosus, chronic hepatitis c infection, and renal failure necessitating chronic hemodialysis with a baseline anemia. A highly elevated serum porphyrin level led to the diagnosis of PCT. Treatment with small repeated phlebotomies and concomitant administration of erythropoietin was effective in managing her PCT.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.5keywords = hepatitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/48. Delayed recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation: detection of origin by chromosomal analysis.We report on a 41-year-old man undergoing liver transplantation for chronic hepatitis c who presented 26 months later with hepatocellular carcinoma. No evidence of hepatocellular carcinoma could be found in the native liver, although features of small cell dysplasia were prominent. Although he had recurrent hepatitis c, the transplanted liver was not cirrhotic. Chromosomal analysis was used to resolve whether this was a de novo tumor or a recurrence of an unsuspected tumor present at the time of transplantation. This male patient had received a liver from a female donor, and in situ hybridization for the y chromosome showed reactivity in the tumor but not in surrounding nontumorous liver. Thus, this is an example of the use of chromosomal analysis to resolve the origin of a tumor occurring in the transplant setting.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = hepatitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/48. An unusual adverse effect of interferon: hypertrichosis of the eyelashes.hypertrichosis of the eyelashes is a rare adverse effect of interferon-alpha treatment. We present a 21-year-old man with chronic renal failure and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection who developed hypertrichosis of the eyelashes as a complication of IFN-alpha therapy. The patient was a candidate for living related renal transplantation and was given IFN-alpha 15 million units per week for HBV dna positivity. After 6 months of therapy, HBV dna positivity persisted, and the dose of IFN was increased to 30 million units per week. At the end of the first half of the second 6 months of therapy, the patient suffered from bilateral hypertrichosis of the eyelashes.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = hepatitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/48. peritoneal dialysis is the therapy of choice for end-stage renal disease patients with hereditary clotting disorders.Chronic renal failure is an unusual complication of hereditary clotting disorders (HCDs), but this situation could change in the near future. The modality of dialysis for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients with an HCD is a difficult choice. Hemodialysis (HD) may be considered, but intensive treatment with coagulation factors is required for vascular access execution and for each HD procedure. peritoneal dialysis (PD) has been infrequently proposed. However, PD requires coagulation replacement therapy only during peritoneal catheter placement. The aim of this paper is to describe our experience of three patients with ESRD and HCD, successfully treated with chronic PD in the medium term. Case 1 was a 58-year-old man with moderate hemophilia a, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hepatitis c virus (HCV) infection. His ESRD was secondary to glomerulonephritis. A double-cuff peritoneal catheter was surgically placed with pre-emptive factor viii administration. He began treatment with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). An inguinal hernia was repaired without complications. After eleven months of follow-up, no hemorrhage episodes have been observed and clinical outcome is optimal. Case 2 was a 46-year-old man with severe hemophilia A, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and HCV and human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) infections. He developed a diabetic nephropathy that required renal replacement therapy. A permanent silicone catheter was inserted in the left internal jugular vein, and the patient started HD treatment. Later on, PD therapy was proposed. A peritoneal catheter was implanted with simultaneous factor viii infusion. Minimal bleeding was observed at the subcutaneous tunnel over the following 48 hours. The patient started PD treatment without complications, and two months later, remaining asymptomatic, transferred to another center. Case 3 was a 41-year-old woman diagnosed with von Willebrand disease type 2A, HCV infection, and polycystic kidney disease, who presented with ESRD. An internal arteriovenous fistula was performed under coagulation factor cover. During a fistulography, and despite coagulation factor substitutive treatment, the patient showed an important hematoma. Afterwards, PD was considered. A peritoneal catheter was implanted under coagulation factor cover. The postoperative course was uncomplicated, and the patient started CAPD treatment. During follow up, she suffered two hemoperitoneum episodes that were resolved with cold dialysate. After nine months, she uneventfully continued on PD. In conclusion, PD is the therapy of choice for patients with hereditary clotting disorders and ESRD requiring dialysis. peritoneal dialysis therapy avoids many of the complications related to HD therapy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = hepatitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/48. liver transplantation eliminates insulin needs of a diabetic patient.organ transplantation and subsequent therapeutic agents may induce or worsen preexisting diabetes mellitus. We report the case of a diabetic patient whose insulin needs disappeared after liver transplantation. Non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus was diagnosed when she was 47, and was treated by hypoglycemic drugs and then insulin. Chronic post-hepatitis c cirrhosis was diagnosed at the age of 55 and required liver transplantation 2 years later. During the postoperative course, the insulin doses required to maintain normal glucose levels progressively decreased, and insulin became completely unnecessary by the 29(th) postoperative day. After insulin was stopped, glucose levels remained within normal ranges for the 5-year-long follow-up, despite the worsening of a preexisting diabetic nephropathy and the occurrence of a diabetic retinopathy. This case highlights the fact that liver transplantation may eliminate insulin needs in a diabetic patient but also shows that degenerative complications may occur despite apparent remission of diabetes.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = hepatitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/48. Treatment of porphyria cutanea tarda with phlebotomy in a patient on peritoneal dialysis.porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) is frequently described among patients with chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis. One patient who was receiving peritoneal dialysis and had PCT develop has been described in the literature. However, it was later determined that the patient's PCT was related to the hepatotoxic drug she was receiving rather than her peritoneal dialysis. Our patient is the first reported case, to our knowledge, of a patient with end-stage renal disease with negative hepatitis serology who was not receiving a hepatotoxic drug, or on hemodialysis, who had PCT develop while receiving peritoneal dialysis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = hepatitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/48. Development of porphyria cutanea tarda in a hemodialysis patient after reactivation of hepatitis c virus infection.Cases of porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) are occasionally reported in hemodialysis patients. Recently, hepatitis c virus has been recognized as a precipitating factor of PCT. The activity of the liver disease may be critical for the appearance of PCT. In this regard, liver disease reactivation after treatment with interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) is a well-known phenomenon. We report the case of a hemodialysis patient who developed PCT coincidentally with reactivation of liver disease, immediately after treatment with IFN-alpha. Therefore, in the present case, reactivation of hepatitis after IFN-alpha withdrawal could be the triggering factor. The occurrence of a bout of PCT should be considered as a possible complication at the end of IFN-alpha therapy, if reactivation of the disease exists.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3keywords = hepatitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/48. Progressive renal failure and blindness due to retinal hemorrhage after interferon therapy for hepatitis c virus-associated membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.We treated a 67-year-old Japanese woman with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) and chronic active hepatitis associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Treatment commenced with a daily dose of 6 MU IFN alpha-2b for 2 weeks, which was changed to three times weekly thereafter. After 2 weeks, HCV rna in the serum was undetectable and there was a concomitant reduction in proteinuria. Treatment with IFN alpha-2b was discontinued because of severe headache and fever. Five weeks after the discontinuation of IFN alpha-2b, the patient experienced the sudden onset of visual loss due to retinal hemorrhage. Subsequently, proteinuria and renal function progressively deteriorated though HCV rna was undetectable. This case exemplifies the need for careful monitoring of renal function and retinal lesions not only in patients receiving IFN but also in those following the discontinuation of IFN treatment.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3keywords = hepatitis (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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