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Query: UMLS:C0017168 (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
 11,783 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cryptococcal infection of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is rarely reported, either in disseminated disease or as an isolated finding. We report a case of gastric cryptococcal infection diagnosed by endoscopic biopsy as the initial presentation of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and an additional seven cases found by reviewing 23 other autopsy cases of disseminated or pulmonary cryptococcal infection. The patient with gastric cryptococcosis was a 38-year-old man who presented with symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux including odynophagia. Upper GI endoscopy showed Candida esophagitis and gastric nodules. Biopsy of the nodules revealed cryptococcal infection and granulomatous inflammation of the fundic mucosa and submucosa. The patient died 3 weeks later despite anti-fungal therapy. Autopsy revealed widespread cryptococcal infection involving the cecum but not the stomach, suggesting that the gastric lesions resolved with therapy. The sites of infection in the seven other cases were esophagus (three), stomach (one), terminal ileum (one), colon (three), gallbladder (one), and in a focus of Kaposi's sarcoma in the wall of the small bowel (one). Esophageal candidiasis was also present in two of the cases of esophageal cryptococcal infection. Predisposing factors were AIDS (3), hematologic malignancy (3), and corticosteroid therapy (1). In summary, we report a case of gastric cryptococcosis and conclude that cryptococcal infection involves the GI tract more commonly than has been previously reported, with 8/24 (33%) cases positive in our autopsy series. Of clinical significance is the observation that GI cryptococcal infection may be the initial presentation of disseminated disease in the immunocompromised patient, and cryptococcal infection of the esophagus may be found in the setting of esophageal candidiasis.
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PMID:Gastrointestinal cryptococcosis. 178 63

16 HIV seropositive patients among the 180 treated at the Hospital Muniz and the Hospital Posadas in Buenos Aires between December 1988 and December 1989 were referred to the Hospital Posadas Endoscopy Service for esophageal studies. The 16 patients were prospectively studies by means of fiberoscopy, radiology, biopsies, virology, mycology, and brush cytology. Early treatment is of utmost importance because opportunistic infections may aggravate the general condition, increase immune system effects, and probably permit greater replication of HIV, in addition to producing symptoms. 14 patients were male and 2 female. Ages ranged from 18 to 41 and averaged 32 years. 10 were male homo- or bisexuals and the other 6 were intravenous drug users. 14 of the patients consulted because of specifically esophageal symptoms. 12 reported dysphagia, 8 odynophagia, and 6 retrosternal pain. 9 patients presented various symptoms. 15 of the 16 symptomatic patients had some pathology related to HIV. The remaining case presented a small submucus tumor and gastroesophageal reflux. The symptoms had appeared between 10 days and 1 year prior to study. Symptoms did not provide accurate diagnostic clues. 11 cases of esophageal candidiasis were diagnosed endoscopically by isolated or confluent white plaques. 3 patients classified as grade 1 or 2 on the basis of the intensity and density of plaques had mild symptoms, and 8 classified as grade 3 or 4 had more severe symptoms. 7 of the 11 patients also had oral candidiasis. 4 of 6 patients presenting ulcerative pathology were diagnosed virologically with herpes simplex virus type 2. Herpetic ulcers were single or multiple and were deep with slightly raised edges. No ulcers attributable to cytomegalovirus were diagnosed. 4 of the 11 patients with candidiasis also had ulcers, in 2 cases herpetic. The studies indicated a change in the stage of HIV infection following Centers for Disease Control criteria in 10 cases. AIDS was diagnosed in 7 cases based on esophageal findings. Endoscopic study and the samples obtained guided treatment in the 16 patients. In 1 case a repeat endoscopy led to a change in treatment. It is recommended that endoscopy be performed in all patients with esophageal symptoms. Radiology was relatively ineffective, with 50% of diagnoses in error. Histopathology required multiple biopsies and was less sensitive than endoscopy and cytology. Cytology was highly specific and sensitive.
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PMID:[Esophageal pathology in patients with the AIDS virus. Etiology and diagnosis]. 182 Jun 92

The present review is concerned with the main pathophysiological, clinical and therapeutic progresses in the following fields: gastro-esophageal reflux, gastric antisecretory drugs, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, cancer of colon and esophagus, pancreatic diseases (chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic carcinoma), acute bacterial diseases of the digestive tract, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome of the adult, diffuse nodular lymphoid hyperplasia of the adult small bowel.
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PMID:[The digestive system and pancreas in 1982]. 676 37

Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) are disorders of the lower respiratory tract, characterized by chronic inflammation of the lung parenchyma, varying degree of fibrosis, derangement of the alveolar walls and loss of the functional alveolar capillary units. ILD are relatively uncommon in children. Most of the interstitial lung diseases have no known etiology. In children, common diseases associated with ILD include viral respiratory tract infections (RSV, parainfluenza, etc.), gastroesophageal reflux, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hemosiderosis, eosinophilic pneumonia, pneumonitis associated with AIDS, etc. Chronic inflammation of the alveoli (alveolitis), the initial injury in ILD, and several mediators released from inflammatory cells (eosinophils, neutrophils and macrophages) can cause fibrosis and derangement of alveolar walls. Dyspnea and a non-productive cough are the cardinal symptoms of ILD. Other findings include chest pain, hemoptysis and weight loss. Clubbing of fingers occur in approximately 50 per cent of cases. Diagnosis is based on a combination of history, clinical findings, radiographic findings, pulmonary function tests and histologic findings. Open lung biopsy has been very helpful in providing information regarding the extent and nature of the damage, prognosis and response to therapy. There are 3 main aspects in the treatment of ILD. The most important step is to identify and eliminate the cause. The second is suppression of the inflammation. The third is supportive and symptomatic treatment. Corticosteroids are the drugs commonly used for suppression of inflammation. Immunosuppressive drugs (azathioprine, cyclophosphamide) have also been tried. Lung transplantation and heart transplantation have been successfully achieved in selected patients. The results of therapy should be regularly monitored by clinical symptoms, chest radiographs and serial pulmonary function studies.
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PMID:Interstitial lung diseases in children: a review. 764 31

The objective has been to identify the different etiologies and elaborate a diagnostic and therapeutical methodology for patients with chronic cough. During one year we studied prospectively 83 patients with persistent cough of daily appearance with an evolution of four or more weeks and no previous etiologic diagnosis. We worked on three diagnostic (D) levels. D1: Based on the anamnesis and physical examination. D2: Sequential incorporation of complementary exams. D3: Evaluation of the response to the specific treatment. We divided the population into 2 groups: G1 healthy children, G2 children followed in our hospital for different conditions. The mean age was 4.7 years (range, 3 months to 15 years), and the average duration of cough was 4.9 months (range, 1 to 36 months). In G1 the following causes were identified in 78 children: cough variant asthma 41 (52%), asthma+upper respiratory tract infections 8 (10%), asthma+lower respiratory tract infections 6 (7%), postnasal drip syndrome (sinusitis, adenoiditis) 5 (6%), psychogenic 6 (7%), undetermined 4 (5%), gastroesophageal reflux 2, asthma+cigarette 2, AIDS 1, Sjogren syndrome 1, vascular ring 1, cricopharyngeal foreign body 1. In G2 out of 5 children we have found: 2 children with chronic encephalopathies who had swallowing disorders and gastroesophageal reflux, 1 patient with Down syndrome presenting hypogammaglobulinemia and bronchiectasis, 1 tracheaesophageal fistula in H in a child with recurrent pneumonia, 1 lymphocytic pneumonia in an AIDS patient. The D1 was correct in 92% of the cases. The specific therapy has proved useful for achieving the remission of the symptoms. Although asthma is the most frequent cause of chronic cough, other etiologies exist and must be ruled out.
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PMID:[Chronic cough in pediatrics]. 872 72

Chest pain in a patient with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has a broad differential diagnosis including, but not limited to, coronary artery disease, gastroesophageal reflux, fungal esophagitis, and musculoskeletal pain. However, spontaneous pneumothorax must also be added to the list of possibilities. Spontaneous pneumothorax occurs 450 times more frequently in patients with AIDS versus the general population and is now the leading cause of nontraumatic pneumothorax in the urban population, to include both those with and without AIDS. Because many patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are young and typically devoid of comorbidity, the presentation of this pulmonary complication may be subtle. HIV-positive patients are receiving rehabilitation services more frequently; therefore, the physiatrist must be aware of the potential for spontaneous pneumothorax to be an etiology of chest pain. We present a case exemplifying the need for rehabilitation professionals to maintain a broad-based approach when caring for patients with HIV and AIDS.
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PMID:How significant is persistent chest pain in a young HIV-positive patient during acute inpatient rehabilitation? a case report. 1209 68

The esophagus has a single rudimentary function of active transport of solids and liquids from the pharynx to the stomach and, rarely, venting of the stomach with retrograde passage of gastric contents into the pharynx. It is void of any digestive, absorptive, metabolic, or endocrine functions. Despite this simplicity of function, sex (biological and physiological characteristics, ie, male versus female) and gender (roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate, ie, man versus woman) differences exist in both normal esophageal function and esophageal disease. Some components of esophageal function are sex-dependent, and these differences must be considered in the interpretation of functional testing. In esophageal disease, particularly gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett esophagus, esophageal cancer, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and scleroderma, there are sex and gender differences in the pathophysiology and response to treatment. Although discussions of treatment and outcomes might differ between the sexes and genders, there are no important data to support different care on the basis of sex or gender.
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PMID:The esophagus: do sex and gender matter? 2204 Oct 43

Esophageal candidiasis (EC) is the most common type of infectious esophagitis. In the gastrointestinal tract, the esophagus is the second most susceptible to candida infection, only after the oropharynx. Immunocompromised patients are most at risk, including patients with HIV/AIDS, leukemia, diabetics, and those who are receiving corticosteroids, radiation, and chemotherapy. Another group includes those who used antibiotics frequently and those who have esophageal motility disorder (cardiac achalasia and scleroderma). Patients complained of pain on swallowing, difficulty swallowing, and pain behind the sternum. On physical examination, there is a plaque that often occurs together with oral thrush. Endoscopic examination is the best approach to diagnose this disease by directly observing the white mucosal plaque-like lesions and exudates adherent to the mucosa. These adherent lesions cannot be washed off with water from irrigation. This disease is confirmed histologically by taking the biopsy or brushings of yeast and pseudohyphae invading mucosal cells. The treatment is by systemic antifungal drugs given orally in a defined course. It is important to differentiate esophageal candidiasis from other forms of infectious esophagitis such as cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex virus, gastroesophageal reflux disease, medication-induced esophagitis, radiation-induced esophageal injury, and inflammatory conditions such as eosinophilic esophagitis. Except for a few complications such as necrotizing esophageal candidiasis, fistula, and sepsis, the prognosis of esophageal candidiasis has been good.
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PMID:Diagnosis and Treatment of Esophageal Candidiasis: Current Updates. 3177 27

Follicular bronchiolitis (FB) is a rare bronchiolar disorder associated with hyperplasia of the bronchial-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT). It is characterized by the development of lymphoid follicles with germinal centers in the walls of small airways. It falls under the category of lymphoproliferative pulmonary diseases (LPDs) and commonly occurs in relation to connective tissue disease, immunodeficiency, infections, interstitial lung disease (ILD), and inflammatory airway diseases. Computerized tomography (CT) findings include centrilobular nodules with patchy ground glass infiltrate, tree-in-bud findings, and air trapping. It can very rarely present as diffuse cystic lung disease. We present two cases of FB. The first case is associated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection and asthma with diffuse cystic changes on the CT. The second case is associated with reactive airway disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) with the classic centrilobular nodules and ground glass opacities on the CT.
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PMID:Follicular Bronchiolitis: Two Cases with Varying Clinical and Radiological Presentation. 3204 93