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- Tofacitinib-induced eosinophiliaPublication . Archer, Sara; Ferreira, Daniela; Ferreira, Ana Teresa; Ponte, Sofia; Caetano, Cidalina; Salgado, Marta; Lago, Paula; Pedroto, IsabelTofacitinib is an oral small molecule JAK inhibitor approved for the treatment of moderate to severe ulcerative colitis (UC). Its efficacy and safety have been demonstrated in phase III clinical trials and supported by real-life data. We report the case of an 18-year-old woman with a 1-year diagnosis of left-sided UC, with multiple admissions due to disease exacerbation or infections, refractory to infliximab (with azathioprine) and currently under treatment with vedolizumab and tacrolimus. She was admitted due to a severe disease exacerbation and, because of a previous history of neuropsychiatric side effects to corticotherapy, tofacitinib was initiated. In the following 6 days, there was no clinical improvement of UC, and serial blood work-up revealed moderate grade persistent peripheral eosinophilia (3000 cells/mm3) and acute kidney injury grade 1 KDIGO. Tofacitinib temporary suspension was decided, with a rapid normalization of renal function/eosinophil levels. Tofacitinib was restarted 2 days after its suspension. However, she developed moderate eosinophilia (2000 cells/mm3) again, which was considered an adverse effect (AE) to tofacitinib, leading to its suspension with eosinophilia resolution. Given the severity of the disease, after a multidisciplinary discussion, it was decided to start high-dose corticotherapy and ustekinumab with maintenance therapy every 4 weeks, and to add tacrolimus. Clinical and biochemical remission were achieved, and the patient was discharged. Three-month follow-up after tofacitinib suspension showed no recrudescence of eosinophilia. Tofacitinib represents a significant advance in the management of UC patients. The drug has a good safety profile with few related AE. This case aims to warn about an adverse reaction to tofacitinib not reported so far, including in a multicenter real-life setting recently published by Hernández et al where eosinophilia is also not described, thus emphasizing the rarity of this AE. To our knowledge this is the first case of tofacitinib-induced eosinophilia in the context of UC.
- Vedolizumab-associated psoriasis: until where does gut selectivity go?Publication . Guedes, Tiago Pereira; Pedroto, Isabel; Lago, PaulaInflammatory Bowel Disease and Psoriasis are chronic inflammatory diseases that share common genotype, clinical course, and immunological features, although its relationship is still unclear. We report a 34-year-old woman with ileal Crohn's disease diagnosed 14 years ago, with the development of extensive, exudative scalp lesions after adalimumab therapy. Biopsies from skin lesions were compatible with vulgar psoriasis. The patient reports no personal or family history of psoriasis. Due to persistence and further worsening of skin lesions, paradoxical etiology to adalimumab was presumed and the drug was stopped with complete resolution of skin lesions and intestinal disease in remission under methotrexate. Due to pregnancy-planification methotrexate was stopped and, 8 months-after, systemic steroid-therapy was introduced due to moderate-to-severe intestinal flare. Vedolizumab was started and at the second infusion patient reported hair loss with no other complaints. Twelve months after vedolizumab initiation the patient reported reappearance of the extensive scalp and peri-fistula psoriatic lesions. Topical therapy was started but unsuccessfully and given the progressive worsening of the lesions, vedolizumab was suspended, with skin improvement seen 1 month after discontinuation. There are few case-reports of vedolizumab acting as a trigger to some dermatological conditions in IBD-patients, including psoriasis. The molecular mechanism behind it isn't fully understood. We present and discuss, to our knowledge, the first case in the literature of psoriasis triggered by vedolizumab in Crohn's disease.
- Diagnosis and treatment of iron-deficiency anemia in gastrointestinal bleeding: A systematic reviewPublication . Cotter, José; Baldaia, Cilénia; Ferreira, Manuela; Macedo, Guilherme; Pedroto, IsabelBackground: Anemia is considered a public health issue and is often caused by iron deficiency. Iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) often originates from blood loss from lesions in the gastrointestinal tract in men and postmenopausal women, and its prevalence among patients with gastrointestinal bleeding has been estimated to be 61%. However, few guidelines regarding the appropriate investigation of patients with IDA due to gastrointestinal bleeding have been published. Aim: To review current evidence and guidelines concerning IDA management in gastrointestinal bleeding patients to develop recommendations for its diagnosis and therapy. Methods: Five gastroenterology experts formed the Digestive Bleeding and Anemia Workgroup and conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed and professional association websites. MEDLINE (via PubMed) searches combined medical subject headings (MeSH) terms and the keywords "gastrointestinal bleeding" with "iron-deficiency anemia" and "diagnosis" or "treatment" or "management" or "prognosis" or "prevalence" or "safety" or "iron" or "transfusion" or "quality of life", or other terms to identify relevant articles reporting the management of IDA in patients over the age of 18 years with gastrointestinal bleeding; retrieved studies were published in English between January 2003 and April 2019. Worldwide professional association websites were searched for clinical practice guidelines. Reference lists from guidelines were reviewed to identify additional relevant articles. The recommendations were developed by consensus during two meetings and were supported by the published literature identified during the systematic search. Results: From 494 Literature citations found during the initial literature search, 17 original articles, one meta-analysis, and 13 clinical practice guidelines were analyzed. Based on the published evidence and clinical experience, the workgroup developed the following ten recommendations for the management of IDA in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding: (1) Evaluation of hemoglobin and iron status; (2) Laboratory testing; (3) Target treatment population identification; (4) Indications for erythrocyte transfusion; (5) Treatment targets for erythrocyte transfusion; (6) Indications for intravenous iron; (7) Dosages; (8) Monitoring; (9) Indications for intravenous ferric carboxymaltose treatment; and (10) Treatment targets and monitoring of patients. The workgroup also proposed a summary algorithm for the diagnosis and treatment of IDA in patients with acute or chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, which should be implemented during the hospital stay and follow-up visits after patient discharge. Conclusion: These recommendations may serve as a starting point for clinicians to better diagnose and treat IDA in patients with gastrointestinal bleeding, which ultimately may improve health outcomes in these patients.
- Hemostatic spray as therapy for pancreatic stump bleeding after cephalic duodenopancreatectomyPublication . Falc�o, Daniela; Ferreira, Daniela; Maia, Luís; Sadio, Ana; Pedroto, IsabelA 70-year-old man with a cholangiocarcinoma underwent a cephalic duodenopancreatectomy. On the 2nd postoperative day, he had hematemesis without hemodynamic instability. Upper endoscopy (EGD) revealed a massive clot at the pancreatic stump, suspected as the source of hemorrhage. After partial clot removal, no active bleeding was found and no therapy was performed. Pancreaticogastric and gastrojejunal anastomoses, as well as the efferent-limb, showed no suspicious lesions. Octreotide was initiated and heparin prophylaxis was temporarily stopped. Bleeding from pancreatic stump following pancreatoduodenectomy is a rare but a life-threatening condition. Conventional endoscopic therapies, including clip placement and cautery, are mostly ineffective and with high risk of pancreatitis. We report the second case of hemostatic powder as a safe and successful therapy in this scenario.
- Azathioprine-Induced Acute Submandibular Sialadenitis in a Crohn's Disease PatientPublication . Alves da Silva, Joana Inês; Caetano, Cidalina; Pedroto, IsabelIntroduction: Azathioprine (AZA) is a widely used immunosuppressive drug in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The occurrence of adverse effects (AEs) is a major downside in the use of this drug, leading to treatment withdrawal in a variable proportion of patients. Case presentation: We report the case of a Crohn's disease patient who developed sialadenitis as an AE to AZA. Discussion and conclusion: To our knowledge this AE has been reported only once in the literature. Sialadenitis is a common disorder and refers to inflammation of a salivary gland. It has many causes, such as bacterial and viral infections, ductal obstruction, and drugs. There are several AEs related to this drug, categorized as dose-dependent and dose-independent. Their knowledge is essential for therapeutic management in IBD, which is already challenging, requiring an individualized approach.
- A Rare Cause of Abdominal Pain: IgG4-Related Sclerosing MesenteritisPublication . Pedroto, Isabel; Carvalho Sá, Diogo; Fonseca, Tomás; Pereira-Guedes, Tiago; Archer, SaraA 67-year-old man with previous cardiovascular disease was referred to our consultation due to a 5-month history of recurrent epigastric pain. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy and full blood workup presented no alterations. CT scan showed an irregularly shaped mass at the root of the mesentery, measuring 40x25x47mm, with spiculated contours and retractile behaviour (a). Simultaneous densification of the adjacent fat and infracentimetric ganglionic formations scattered throughout the mesentery were shown. Surgical biopsy revealed extensive storiform fibrosclerosis, with the presence of interstitial lymphoplasmocytic infiltrate and obliterative phlebitis (b); the plasma cells had mostly IgG expression, with IgG4:IgG ratio >40% (c), accounting for more than 30- 40 IgG4 plasma cells per field. The serum IgG4 level was 137mg/dL. A diagnosis of IgG4-related sclerosing mesenteritis was made, without other organ involvement. Prednisolone (0.6mg/kg/d) improved partially the abdominal pain, so steroid sparing strategy with off-label rituximab was associated. Due to its low prevalence, the understanding of this entity is scarce, and its diagnosis is challenging. Unlike other manifestations of IgG4-related disease, the intra-abdominal disease is identified in later stages, due to unspecific symptoms. This case aims to raise awareness about this condition as a differential diagnosis of abdominal pain.
- Long-Term Follow-Up of Advanced Liver Disease after Sustained Virological Response to Treatment of Hepatitis C with Direct-Acting Antivirals: Outcomes from a Real-World Portuguese CohortPublication . Pereira Guedes, Tiago; Fragoso, Pedro; Lemos, Carolina; Garrido, Mónica; Silva, Joana; Falcão, Daniela; Maia, Luís; Moreira, Teresa; Manuel Ferreira, José; Pedroto, IsabelBackground: Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) have revolutionized hepatitis C treatment, with high sustained virological response (SVR) rates reported, even in historically difficult-to-treat groups. SVR is associated with a decreased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), need for transplantation, and overall and liver-related mortality. Data from real-life cohorts on the medium- to long-term outcomes of patients with advanced liver disease and DAA-induced SVR are still missing. Objectives: To report and analyze the long-term outcomes of DAA-induced SVR in a real-life cohort of patients with advanced liver disease. Method: In this retrospective, longitudinal, single-center study, we collected data from patients with chronic hepatitis C infection and advanced liver disease (cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis) that had initiated DAA treatment between February 2015 and January 2017. Results: A total of 237 patients were included. A treatment completion rate of 98.7% and an SVR rate of 97.8% (intention to treat: 96.6%) were found. Of the 229 patients with SVR, 67.2% were cirrhotic (64.2% Child-Pugh class A; 3.1% Child-Pugh class B) and 32.8% had stage F3 fibrosis, with an average follow-up of 28 months. The overall mortality rate was 19/1,000 person-years and the liver-related mortality rate was 9.5/1,000 person-years. The hepatic decompensation incidence rate was 25/1,000 person-years and the HCC incidence rate was 11.6/1,000 person-years. There was a sustained increase in serum platelet values during up to 2 years of follow-up. A history of pretreatment decompensation and baseline platelet and albumin values were significantly associated with the occurrence of adverse liver events after the end of treatment. Conclusions: A DAA-induced SVR remains durable and is associated with an excellent clinical prognosis in patients with compensated advanced liver disease and with improvement or disease stabilization in decompensated patients. SVR is associated with a low risk of - yet does not prevent - HCC occurrence or disease progression, especially in the presence of other causes of liver injury. It is recommended that these patients be kept under surveillance.
- Predictors for incomplete response to ursodeoxycholic acid in primary biliary cholangitis. Data from a national registry of liver diseasePublication . Cortez‐Pinto, Helena; Liberal, Rodrigo; Lopes, Susana; Machado, Mariana V.; Carvalho, Joana; Dias, Teresa; Santos, Arsénio; Agostinho, Cláudia; Figueiredo, Pedro; Loureiro, Rafaela; Martins, Alexandra; Alexandrino, Gonçalo; Cotrim, Isabel; Leal, Carina; Presa, José; Mesquita, Mónica; Nunes, Joana; Gouveia, Catarina; Vale, Ana Horta e; Alves, Ana Luísa; Coelho, Mariana; Maia, Luís; Pedroto, Isabel; Banhudo, António; Pinto, João Sebastião; Gomes, Marta Vargas; Oliveira, Joana; Andreozzi, Valeska; Calinas, Filipe; on behalf of Liver.pt, nullBackground: The current standard of treatment in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), although a considerable proportion of patients show incomplete response resulting in disease progression. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of incomplete response to UDCA and determine associated patients' characteristics. Methods: Patients with PBC as main diagnosis were included from a national multicentric patient registry-Liver.pt. Main endpoints included incomplete response to UDCA treatment according to Barcelona, Paris I and Paris II criteria, Globe and UK PBC scores and the association between baseline characteristics and incomplete response according to Paris II criteria. Results: A total of 434 PBC patients were identified, with a mean age of 55 years and 89.2% females. Nearly half of patients were asymptomatic at diagnosis and 93.2% had positive anti-mitochondrial antibodies. Almost all patients (95.6%) had been prescribed at least one drug for PBC treatment. At the last follow-up visit, 93.3% were under treatment of which 99.8% received UDCA. Incomplete response to UDCA was observed in 30.7%, 35.3%, 53.7% and 36.4% of patients according to Barcelona, Paris I, Paris II criteria and Globe score, respectively. After adjusting for age and sex, and accordingly to Paris II criteria, the risk for incomplete biochemical response was 25% higher for patients with cirrhosis at diagnosis (odds ratio [OR] = 1.25; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.02-1.54; p = 0.033) and 35% (95%CI:1.06-1.72; p = 0.016) and 5% (OR = 1.05; 95%CI:1.01-1.10; p = 0.013) for those with elevated gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Conclusion: A considerable proportion of patients showed incomplete biochemical response to UDCA treatment according to Paris II criteria. Cirrhosis, elevated GGT and ALP at diagnosis were identified as associated risk factors for incomplete response. Early identification of patients at risk of incomplete response could improve treatment care and guide clinical decision to a more careful patient monitorization.