Use of fecal tagging techniques can limit the need for bowel cleaning before CT colonography, and can provide results comparable to those following extensive cathartic preparation in terms of detecting larger polyps, Dutch researchers report in the April issue of Radiology. Reuters Health Information
A 53-year-old man with multiple myeloma presents with a 1-week history of melena, hematemesis, and lethargy. He has no other significant past medical history, and he has not needed chemotherapy to date. The patient does not describe any symptoms suggestive of active multiple myeloma and organ involvement. He is treated with IV fluid and 2 units of blood. An esophagogastroduodenoscopy is performed (see Figure 1). What is the cause of the abnormalities seen on the endoscopy? eMedicine Case Presentations
A new study suggests that employing devices that cauterize arteries with heat can damage and infect nearby tissue; death can result. Medscape Medical News
The first transgastric natural orifice cholecystectomies in humans were performed with no apparent adverse effects and no need for anesthetic drugs. Medscape Medical News
HIV persists in gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) despite long-term treatment with antiretroviral drugs, according to a report in the March 1st issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases. Reuters Health Information
Brian J. McMahon, MD, MACP, explores the natural history of HBV infection, with a focus on how to best select those individuals who might be candidates for treatment. The Medscape Journal of Medicine
Results of a study published in the April 15th issue of the International Journal of Cancer suggest an association between hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and an increased risk of extrahepatic bile duct cancer. Reuters Health Information
The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) citalopram is effective in patients with hepatitis C who develop depression in association with interferon treatment, according to a report by German researchers in the April issue of Gut. Reuters Health Information
Intratumoral injection of live Streptococcus pyogenes prompts pancreatic cancer regression in a syngeneic mouse model, German researchers report in the April issue of Gut. Reuters Health Information
Serum apoptotic caspase activity is strongly associated with the presence of active liver histological lesions in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic hepatitis B infection, according to a recent study by Greek researchers. Reuters Health Information
