METHOD: We conducted a search using the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, EBSCOhost, PubMed, ProQuest, SAGE, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Web of Science, and Open repository/archive.
RESULTS: Twenty-five studies from Asia, Europe and America were selected. Included articles described randomized controlled trials (9), quasi-experimental studies (9), mixed-methods studies (2), participatory action research (3), and community-based intervention research (2). Social interventions described are group or cultural activities, personal/group monitoring and discussion, and communications devices. Intervention designed utilized theories, models, concepts, principles, and evidence from published literature.
CONCLUSION: Most social intervention studies evaluating health outcomes have been conducted in North America and Western Europe. Group-based activities were most commonly employed, but personal/group discussions, home visits and technology-based interactions have also been used. While social isolation is now a widely accepted risk factor for ill-health, research evidence for improvement of health through reduction of social isolation remains limited.
Methods: A 69-year-old lady presented with obstructive jaundice, abdominal discomfort and associated constitutional symptoms. She was investigated and found to have obstructive jaundice with normal tumor marker assays. An endoscopic ultrasound was done followed by a needle biopsy which confirmed a pancreatic head angiosarcoma followed by an ERCP and a stent placement. A CT abdomen done revealed a pancreatic head and uncinate tumor with a stent in the common bile duct.
Results: Patient underwent a pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy with an uneventful post-operative recovery. She defaulted her oncology appointments and was followed up with serial imaging. She developed a local recurrence 18 months after surgery and succumbed to her disease after 3 years.
Conclusions: Pancreatic angiosarcoma is an aggressive tumor compared to other pancreatic malignancies. For a definite diagnosis of angiosarcoma, histopathologic and immunohistochemical analysis are necessary. Surgical resection offers the only possible cure, while oncological treatment has variable outcome. Currently, there are no treatment protocols available due to the small number of cases present in literature.
Methods: All patients with isolated caudate lobe abscess were selected retrospectively and diagnosis was confirmed by imaging. Patient in this case series underwent either percutaneous or endoscopic drainage and empirical antibiotic therapy alone.
Results: There are 5 patients in this case series, 3 of them underwent percutaneous drainage, 1 of them treated with antibiotic alone and another underwent endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage. All patients showed complete resolution of caudate lobe abscess without procedural complications.
Conclusions: The caudate lobe, which lies posterior to the hepatoduodenal ligament and anterior to the inferior vena cava exposes the patient to possible life-threatening complications when subjected to drainage via a percutaneous approach. EUS allows not only identification of intervening vessels which is the major reason for technical difficulty in percutaneous drainage, but excellent visualization of abscess cavities and the surrounding landmarks. In conclusion, non-surgical approach is our treatment of choice in management of caudate lobe liver abscess.