Internal medicine
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Objective Abstaining from alcohol improves the outcome of alcohol-related cirrhosis. This study evaluated the effect of alcohol abstinence on the outcomes of patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis recruited from a core hospital in Boso Peninsula, Japan. Methods This single-center retrospective study recruited 116 patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis who were admitted to our department between April 2014 and October 2022. ⋯ The findings revealed that the survival rate plateaued in the abstaining group from the third year onward, whereas the survival rate in the drinking group gradually decreased with time. Conclusion Our findings suggest that at least two years of alcohol abstinence is required to sustain the survival of patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis. The data collected by our hospital retrospectively demonstrated the importance of abstinence on a timescale of years of sustained abstinence.
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Case Reports
Guillain-Barré Syndrome Mimicking Lumbar Spinal Stenosis with Segmental Weakness in L5-S1 Myotomes: Two Case Reports.
We herein report two cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) mimicking lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Both cases were initially diagnosed as LSS based on prominent segmental weakness in the L5 and S1 myotomes and coexisting LSS on magnetic resonance imaging. ⋯ Subsequently, serum antiganglioside antibodies and remarkable responsiveness to intravenous immunoglobulin therapy confirmed GBS. We suspect that the focal blood-nerve barrier disruption due to preexisting LSS might have contributed to the segmental weakness in this atypical GBS case.
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An 80-year-old man presented with electrolyte abnormalities, particularly hypocalcemia (3.6 mg/dL). He was diagnosed with bone and lymph node metastases from prostate cancer seven years earlier and continuously received goserelin, bicalutamide, and zoledronate. ⋯ Given the acquired onset and clinical course, we diagnosed the patient with zoledronate-induced proximal renal tubular acidosis. In the present case, severe hypocalcemia may have been caused by malnutrition and inappropriate long-term use of zoledronate.
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Case Reports
A Case of Autoimmune Hepatitis Complicated by Undiagnosed Factor VII Deficiency: A Pitfall of Coagulopathy.
Prothrombin time (PT) is a key parameter for assessing the severity of liver disease. We present the case of a 37-year-old woman with severe acute liver injury due to autoimmune hepatitis. ⋯ Further examinations of her coagulopathy revealed that she had low factor VII activity, suggesting a diagnosis of factor VII deficiency. Our experience suggests that altered coagulopathy should be considered in cases of liver injury with an extraordinary PT.