Numerous infectious agents may induce acute pancreatitis. We report 6 cases of Salmonella-associated acute pancreatitis. Pathogenesis of this type of pancreatitis is related to multiple factors that may coexist in the same patient. The typical clinical picture consists in epigastric pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and fever. Imaging techniques often disclose minimal changes such as moderate swelling of a part or of the totality of pancreas. As outcome is usually good, conservative treatment and antibiotics may be sufficient to ensure recovery.

OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN:Oriented hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening on the basis of transfusion, previous or current parenteral drug addiction, invasive procedures, and in family members of patients with hepatitis C, was recommended in France by the 'Direction Générale de la Santé' (DGS). The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of these risk factors in patients admitted in hospital emergency departments in Picardy.METHODS:Between 1 June and 31 July 1996, physicians of the emergency units of seven hospitals in Picardy were asked to question admitted patients about risk factors mentioned in the DGS recommendations, and to suggest a screening test when at least one of these risk factors was present.RESULTS:Among 1648 patients, 68.7% had at least one of these risk factors. Screening was accepted by 723 patients, 58.7% of those with at least one risk factor, and more than 70% of those with history of transfusion and/or drug addiction. It was immediately performed in 451, and 2.4% had anti-HCV antibodies. The prevalence of anti-HCV antibodies was 1.5% in patients without history of transfusion or drug addiction and 7.9% in those with at least one of these two risk factors.CONCLUSION:Oriented screening based on transfusion or drug addiction history seems to have better efficiency than the screening policy recommended by the DGS. Poor reliability of answers about medical history was observed probably because of stress related to emergency circumstances. A screening test proposed to patients with these major risk factors by their usual physician would be probably more efficient.

Nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver is characterized by diffuse nodularity of the hepatic parenchyma without fibrotic septa. It may be related to venous or arterial obstruction in the portal tract. We report a case of primary antiphospholipid syndrome associated with nodular regenerative hyperplasia in a 45-year old woman. The patient had an ischemic stroke, associated with an acute arterial ischemia of the left leg. She had high titers of serum anticardiolipin antibodies. Nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver was histologically confirmed and was associated with anicteric cholestasis. This case provides additional evidence that a thrombotic mechanism may play a role in the pathogenesis of nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver.

We report four cases of marked increase in serum carbohydrate antigen (CA 19-9) levels in patients with severe alcoholic cirrhosis without any evidence of gastric or pancreatic carcinoma. Brief reports were obtained from two hepatology units of four cirrhotic patients, three of them with alcoholic hepatitis. In the four cases, improvement of liver function and disappearance of jaundice were associated with a decrease to normal serum CA 19-9 levels. These observations show that a marked increase in serum CA 19-9 level in patients with severe hepatic dysfunction is not diagnostic of pancreatic or gastric carcinoma.