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Background: Extraintestinal symptoms and signs may be the only manifestations of celiac sprue., Methods: We report a case of a patient with hypochromic microcytic anemia as the only expression of the disease., Results: Was asymptomatic the patient with pallor at physical examination. The laboratory showed only hypochromic microcytic anemia due to iron deficiency. She was previously was treated twice with oral iron without achieving good results. The upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, the colonoscopy, and the small bowel barium contrast study were normal. The small bowel biopsy showed villous atrophy and a chronic inflammatory infiltrate of the lamina propria. The antiendomysial and antireticulin antibodies were negative. The IgA antigliadin antibody was positive (1:120). The patient was initiated on a gluten free diet and oral iron. After four months of treatment, hemoglobin and the iron serum levels were normal and at 6 months, the small bowel biopsy showed striking improvement., Conclusions: Familiarity with the diverse extraintestinal features of celiac sprue and a high index of suspicion are essential for accurate diagnosis in patients with subtle presentations.

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the treatment of choice for patients with symptomatic gallstones. The management of choledocholithiasis in these patients remains controversial. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with ductal stone clearance prior to laparoscopic cholecystectomy is one of the options., Objective: To evaluate the results of ERCP prior to laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with suspected ductal stones., Methods: We performed a retrospective study from patients who underwent ERCP prior to laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a four years period., Results: ERCP was successful in 86 out of 88 patients (97.7%). Common bile duct (CBD) stones were found in 34 patients (39.5%). Sixty two of 86 patients had symptomatic gallstones with abnormal liver function test and/or ultrasound. CBD stones were found in 25 of the 62 symptomatic patients (40.3%). Twenty four patients had acute biliary pancreatitis. CBD stones were found in nine of these patients (37.5%). All patients with CBD stones underwent stone extraction after endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES). Sixteen other patients underwent ES for suspected obstruction at the ampulla. Stone extraction was successful in 100% of patients. There were six patients with complications (6.9%). Four patients had pancreatitis (4.6%), one patient hemorrhage (1.1%) and one patient cholangitis (1.1%). Analysis using logistic regression model showed that CBD stones on ultrasonography was the only variable significantly associated with choledocholithiasis (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Preoperative ERCP is useful in the management of CBD stones prior to laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Background: Clostridium difficile is the cause of 25-30% of cases of antibiotic-induced diarrhea. Pseudomembranous colitis is the most dramatic manifestation of C. difficile infection., Methods: We report four cases of pseudomembranous colitis and review the literature., Results: Three of the four patients, were over 80 years old and had other underlying illnesses. Before they developed colitis, all had received cephalosporins (cefuroxime, ceftriaxone, cefalexine) and one of them also clindamycin. All the patients had severe watery bowel movements, with mucus (one patient had also bloody stools), abdominal pain, nausea, vomit and fever. Blood tests disclosed leucocytosis with neutrophilia and increased band neutrophils in all patients. One patient had anasarca and hypo-albuminemia, suggestive of protein losing enteropathy. Sigmoidoscopy showed raised, yellow plaques covering the rectum, sigmoid and descendent colon mucosa. The response to oral metronidazole or vancomycin was good. The response to intravenous metronidazole was good in one patient and poor in another one. Two of our patients had relapses. The response of the relapses to oral metronidazole was good. One patient had two relapses eventually responding to oral metronidazole and Saccharomyces boulardii., Conclusions: Pseudomem-branous colitis has high morbility in debilitated elderly patients. Relapses are frequent in these patients. If other studies should confirm it, Saccharomyces boulardii could be useful in the prevention and treatment of relapses of this colitis.

Abdominal epilepsy is a rare cause of abdominal pain. We report an adult patient with intermittent, paroxysmal epigastric abdominal pain, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, restlessness and anxiety. Physical examination was normal. Blood analysis disclosed only leucocytosis with neutrophilia. X ray examinations, ultrasound and CT abdominal scan, mesenteric arteriography and exploratory laparotomy did not show evidence of pathology. The electroencephalogram (EEG) showed bilateral theta slow activity during hyperventilation. We started treatment with carbamazepine and the patient remained asymptomatic for nine months. However he had a relapse because he did'nt take his medication regularly. At that time the serum levels of carbamazepine were low. The EEG showed bursts of diffuse paroxysmal acute waves. Once therapeutic serum levels of carbamazepine were achieved the pain disappeared. He has remained asymptomatic during the last twelve months, while taking his treatment regularly.