J Formos Med Assoc
-
Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) are acute-phase reactants that are usually present at high concentrations in the serum of patients with liver disease. However, the origin of these high serum concentrations is not completely understood, and whether hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue is a contributing factor is a controversial issue. The purpose of this study was to investigate the profiles of these three proteins in patients with HCC before and after tumor resection, and to study factors that might affect the serum concentrations of these proteins. ⋯ The concentrations of these proteins were affected by different clinical parameters. We proved indirectly that high serum concentrations of HGF, IL-6, and CRP in patients with HCC do not result primarily from synthesis by the tumor cells. Whether the preoperative concentrations of these proteins correlate with the clinical outcome needs further follow-up.
-
Case Reports
Hepatic abscess due to gastric perforation by ingested fish bone demonstrated by computed tomography.
Perforation of the gastrointestinal tract by ingested foreign bodies is rare. Preoperative diagnosis of complications due to foreign bodies in the gastrointestinal tract can rarely be achieved because the conventional radiographic appearance is nonspecific. This report describes a 69-year-old woman who presented with vague clinical manifestations, intermittent abdominal pain, and low-grade fever. ⋯ On exploration, the foreign body turned out to be a fish bone. The abscess was confirmed and drained during surgery and a partial gastrectomy was performed. This case illustrates the value of CT in the evaluation of this condition.
-
Myocardial infarction (MI) following blunt chest trauma is rarely diagnosed because the ensuing cardiac pain is commonly attributed to contused myocardium or the traumatic injuries in the local chest wall. There are only scattered reports on the coronary pathology associated with MI secondary to blunt chest trauma. Because differentiation of the pathology is difficult but important, we report here three cases of acute anterior MI secondary to coronary dissection following blunt chest trauma. ⋯ All three patients received conservative treatment without major complications and remained free from angina or heart failure throughout a 5-year follow-up period. In order to exclude associated MI in cases of blunt chest trauma, electrocardiography is necessary, and coronary angiography may be indicated to demonstrate coronary arterial pathology. Dissection of the coronary artery with subsequent thrombus formation is one of the possible pathophysiologic mechanisms of MI following blunt chest trauma.