Browsing by Author "Jankovic, Katarina (57204734668)"

[No abstract available]

[No abstract available]

Background: Liver cirrhosis is the final stage of chronic liver disease. We aimed to evaluate non-invasive scores as predictors of complications and outcome in cirrhotic patients. Methods: A total of 150 cirrhotic patients were included. Models for end-stage liver disease (MELD), albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), monocyte-lymphocyte ratio (MoLR), and neutrophil-lymphocyte-albumin ratio (NLA) scores were tested in relation to the development of complications and mortality using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: The ROC curve analysis showed (area under the curve) AUC values of NLR, NLA, ALBI, and MELD of 0.711, 0.730, 0.627, and 0.684, respectively, for short-term mortality. MELD, ALBI, and NLA scores showed a statistically significant correlation with hepatic encephalopathy (p = 0.000 vs. 0.014 vs. 0.040, respectively), and the MELD cut-off value of 16 had a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 52% (AUC: 0.671, 95% CI (0.577–0.765)). For the assessment of the presence of ascites, the AUC values for NLA and MoLR were 0.583 and 0.658, respectively, with cut-offs of 11.38 and 0.44. Conclusions: MELD, ALBI, and NLA are reliable predictors of hepatic encephalopathy. NLA and MoLR showed a significant correlation with the presence of ascites, and MELD, ALBI, NLR, and NLA have prognostic value to predict 30-day mortality in cirrhotic patients. © 2023 by the authors.

[No abstract available]

[No abstract available]

Objective: To analyze neurological and electroneurography (ENG) findings in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and symptoms of neuropathic pain in upper and lower extremities. Patients and methods: Using the PainDetect questionnaire, 42 consecutive patients with SSc (38 women and 4 men) were screened for the presence of neuropathic pain in upper and/or lower extremities. Patients with previously diagnosed diabetes or other metabolic diseases, malignancy, other autoimmune disorders, or any neurological or psychiatric disease, were not included. Neurological examination, ENG, and laboratory analyses (glycated hemoglobin—HbA1C, and vitamin B12) were performed in SSc patients with neuropathic pain in extremities. Methods of descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Results: Eleven patients (26.2%) had significant symptoms of neuropathic pain in extremities. Neurological examination indicated polyneuropathy in 10/11 (90.9%) of patients. Symmetrical hyperesthesia in the lower and/or upper extremities was found in ten patients. Symmetrical hyporeflexia was found in 7/11 (63.6%) of patients in the arms, and 6/11 (54.4%) of patients in the legs. Proprioception was diminished in 3/11 (27.3%), whilst pallhypesthesia was present in all patients. However, polyneuropathy could be confirmed by ENG only in four out of ten SSc patients, who had typical neurological findings for polyneuropathy. Hypoesthesia in a specific lumbar root dermatome, suggesting radiculopathy, was found in 6/11 (54.5%) of patients. Asymmetrical hyporeflexia was noticed in 2/11 (18.1%) of patients in the lower limbs. Seven patients (63.6%) had signs of radiculopathy in at least one root dermatome on ENG. Conclusion: A significant number of SSc patients with neuropathic pain in the upper and/or lower extremities have symptoms and signs of polyneuropathy undetectable by ENG, which indirectly suggests the presence of small-fiber polyneuropathy in these patients. In some patients, radiculopathy cannot be excluded as possible co-morbid non-scleroderma condition associated with neuropathic pain. © 2018, Belgian Neurological Society.