Browsing by Author "Rodrigues, C"
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- Abordagem clínica da cirrose hepática: protocolos de atuaçãoPublication . Reis, J; Alves, N; Martins, A; Horta, D; Alberto, S; Santos, L; Carvalho, R; Rodrigues, C; Oliveira, A; Costa, M; Lourenço, L; Branco, J; Cardoso, M; Anapaz, V; Alexandrino, G; Figueiredo, L; Rafael, M
- Actinomycosis Causing Recurrent Perianal FistulaePublication . Cardoso, M; Carneiro, C; Lourenço, L; Rodrigues, C; Alberto, S; João, A; Rocha, R; Geraldes, V; Costa, A; Reis, J; Nunes, VActinomycosis is a rare but easily curable infection that should be considered in the differential diagnosis of perianal fistulizing disease. We present the case of a 26-year-old woman with complex perianal fistulae, including trans-sphincteric and suprasphincteric fistulous tracts and a rectovaginal fistula, requiring multiple abscess drainages, seton placement, and antibiotic courses, with little improvement. After extensive investigation, Actinomyces spp. was identified in anal cytology. The patient underwent a 6-week course of intravenous penicillin followed by oral amoxicillin, with remarkable improvement. This case illustrates the importance of pursuing less common diagnoses in refractory complex perianal disease, such as actinomycosis.
- Biodegradable stent for the treatment of a colonic stricture in Crohn's diseasePublication . Rodrigues, C; Oliveira, A; Santos, L; Pires, E; Deus, JRBiodegradable polydioxanone stents were developed for the treatment of refractory benign esophageal strictures but have been suggested as a new therapeutic option for intestinal strictures. The primary advantage of biodegradable stents over self-expandable metallic stents is that removal is not required. There are, however, few data available on their use in the small or large bowel. We herein describe the case of a 33-year-old patient with long-standing Crohn's disease (CD) who developed a fibrotic stricture of the sigmoid too long to be amenable to balloon dilation. The use of a biodegradable polydioxanone stent was chosen to avoid surgery. Combined endoscopic and fluoroscopic placement of the stent was technically simple, safe and clinically successful, and no recurrence of obstructive symptoms occurred during a 16-mo follow-up. Further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term efficacy and safety of biodegradable stents in the treatment of intestinal strictures, particularly in the context of CD.
- Can red cell distribution width be used as a marker of Crohn's disease activity?Publication . Oliveira, AM; Cardoso, F; Rodrigues, C; Santos, L; Martins, A; Deus, JR; Reis, JIntroduction: Recently, it has been suggested an association between red cell distribution width (RDW) and Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI), but its use is not yet performed in daily clinical practice. Objectives: To determine whether RDW can be used as a marker of Crohn’s disease (CD) activity. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study including patients with CD, observed consecutively in an outpatient setting between January 1st and September 30th 2013. Blood cell indices, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein were measured. CD activity was determined by CDAI (active disease if CDAI ≥ 150). Associations were analyzed using logistic regression (SPSS version 20). Results: 119 patients (56% female) were included in the study with a mean age of 47 years (SD 15.2). Twenty patients (17%) had active disease. The median RDW was 14.0 (13---15). There was an association between RDW and disease activity (p = 0.044). After adjustment for age and gender, this association remained consistent (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.03---1.39, p = 0.016). It was also found that the association between RDW and disease activity was independent of hemoglobin and ESR (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.08---1.72, p = 0.01) and of biologic therapy (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.03---1.37, p = 0.017). A RDW cutoff of 16% had a specificity and negative predictive value for CDAI ≥ 150 of 88% and 86%, respectively. Conclusion: In this study, RDW proved to be an independent and relatively specific marker of CD activity. These results may contribute to the implementation of this simple parameter, in clinical practice, aiming to help therapeutic decisions.
- Chronic abdominal pain with a difficult diagnosisPublication . Oliveira, AM; Rodrigues, C; Santos, L; Martins, A; Deus, JR
- A Complex Case of Cholestasis in a Patient with ABCB4 and ABCB11 MutationsPublication . Cardoso, M; Branco, J; Anapaz, V; Rodrigues, C; Carvalho, R; Horta, D; Martins, A; Reis, JThe low-phospholipid-associated cholelithiasis (LPAC) syndrome is a form of symptomatic cholelithiasis occurring in young adults, characterized by recurrence of symptoms after cholecystectomy and presence of hepatolithiasis. The case refers to a healthy 39-year-old Caucasian male who presented with abdominal pain and jaundice. His blood tests showed conjugated hyperbilirubinemia and elevated liver enzymes (total bilirubin 6.65 mg/dL, γ-glutamyltransferase 699 IU/L) and abdominal computed tomography revealed dilation of common bile duct and left intrahepatic ducts. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography identified choledocholithiasis, retrieved by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, after which there was a worsening of jaundice (total bilirubin 23 mg/dL), which persisted for several weeks, possibly due to ciprofloxacin toxicity. After an extensive workup including liver biopsy, the identification of two foci of hepatolithiasis on reevaluation abdominal ultrasound raised the hypothesis of LPAC syndrome and the patient was started on ursodeoxycholic acid, with remarkable improvement. Genetic testing identified the mutation c.1954A>G (p.Arg652Gly) in ABCB4 gene (homozygous) and c.1331T>C (p.Val444Ala) in ABCB11 gene (heterozygous). In conclusion, we describe the unique case of an adult male with choledocholithiasis, hepatolithiasis, and persistent conjugated hyperbilirubinemia after retrieval of stones, fulfilling the criteria for LPAC syndrome and with possible superimposed drug-induced liver injury, in whom ABCB4 and ABCB11 mutations were found, both of which had not been previously described in association with LPAC.
- Correction: Pancreatoscopy-guided laser lithotripsy in a patient with difficult ductal stonePublication . Alexandrino, G; Lourenço, L; Horta, D; Reis, J; Canena, J; Rodrigues, C
- Ecoendoscopia digestiva na prática clínica parte II a: utilidade na avaliação do pâncreasPublication . Rodrigues, C; Pereira, E; Caldeira, A; Santos, A; Sousa, H; Banhudo, ADesde a altura em que foi desenvolvida, na década de 80, a ecoendoscopia tem vindo a assumir uma importância crescente no diagnóstico de várias doenças pancreáticas benignas e malignas. O papel que detém actualmente na abordagem da patologia pancreática veio confirmar a razão histórica da sua implementação. Pela proximidade do transdutor e reduzida interferência acústica, a ecoendoscopia fornece imagens ultrassonográficas de alta resolução do pâncreas e com grande detalhe anatómico, acrescentando à informação obtida por tomografia computorizada ou por ressonância magnética aspetos essenciais na investigação dos doentes com suspeita de patologia pancreática. A ecoendoscopia tem, além disso, a capacidade única de guiar a punção aspirativa de lesões pancreáticas e estruturas adjacentes para obtenção de um diagnóstico cito-histológico. Nos últimos anos, a aplicação à ecoendoscopia de novas modalidades da ultrassonografia, como a elastografia e o uso de contrastes, tem revelado resultados promissores e está a ampliar as potencialidades desta técnica. Na sequência de artigos de revisão sobre ecoendoscopia, este primeiro capítulo da segunda parte pretende abordar as principais indicações desta técnica no diagnóstico da patologia do pâncreas, bem como os achados endossonográficos que a caracterizam.
- Ecoendoscopia digestiva: para além da mucosa gastrointestinalPublication . Rodrigues, C; Pontes, J; Deus, JR
- Endoscopic bilio-duodenal bypass: outcomes of primary and revision efficacy of combined metallic stents in malignant duodenal and biliary obstructions.Publication . Canena, J; Coimbra, J; Carvalho, D; Rodrigues, C; Silva, M; Costa, M; Horta, D; Dias, A; Seves, I; Ramos, G; Ricardo, L; Coutinho, A; Romão, C; Veiga, PBACKGROUND: Self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) can be used for palliation of combined malignant biliary and duodenal obstructions. However, the results of the concomitant stent placement for the duration of the patients' lives, as well as the need for and efficacy of endoscopic revision, are unclear. AIM: This study evaluated the clinical effectiveness of SEMS placement for combined biliary and duodenal obstructions throughout the patients' lives and the need for endoscopic revision. METHODS: This study is a retrospective multicenter study of 50 consecutive patients who underwent simultaneous or sequential SEMS placement for malignant biliary and duodenal obstructions. The data were collected to analyze the sustained relief of obstructive symptoms until the patients' death and the efficacy of endoscopic revision, as well as stent patency, adverse events, survival and prognostic factors for stent patency. RESULTS: Technical and immediate clinical success was achieved in all of the patients. Duodenal stricture occurred before the papilla in 35 patients (70 %), involved the papilla in 11 patients (22 %) and was observed distal to the papilla in four patients (8 %). Initial biliary stenting was performed endoscopically in 42 patients (84 %) and percutaneously in eight patients. After combined stenting, 30 patients (60 %) required no additional intervention until the time of their death. The remaining 20 patients were successfully treated using endoscopic stent reinsertion: nine patients needed biliary revision, three patients needed duodenal restenting and eight patients needed both biliary and duodenal reinsertion. The median duodenal stent patency and median biliary stent patency were 34 and 27 weeks, respectively. The median survival after combined stent placement was 18 weeks. A Cox multivariate analysis showed that duodenal stent obstruction after combined stenting was a risk factor for biliary stent obstruction (hazard ratio 6.85; 95 % confidence interval 1.43-198.98; P = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic bilio-duodenal bypass is clinically effective, and the majority of the patients need no additional intervention until their death. Endoscopic revision is feasible and has a high success rate.