MyMedR

Liver cirrhosis in Malaysia: peculiar epidemiology in a multiracial Asian country

Qua CS, Goh KL

J Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2011 Aug;26(8):1333-7.

PMID: 21443669 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2011.06732.x

To determine the etiology of liver cirrhosis and risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a multiracial Asian population.

Fulltext High-dose rabeprazole-amoxicillin dual therapy and rabeprazole triple therapy with amoxicillin and levofloxacin for 2 weeks as first and second line rescue therapies for Helicobacter pylori treatment failures

Goh KL, Manikam J, Qua CS

Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 2012 May;35(9):1097-102.

PMID: 22404486 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2012.05054.x

BACKGROUND:
H. pylori eradication failures are difficult to treat and rescue therapies often consist of complex treatment regimens.

AIM:
To determine an effective and practical rescue therapeutic strategy for H. pylori treatment failures using two consecutive regimens: first rescue therapy - rabeprazole 20 mg t.d.s. and amoxicillin 1 g t.d.s. for 2 weeks and for failures a further second rescue therapy - rabeprazole 20 mg b.d., levofloxacin 500 mg b.d., amoxicillin 1 g b.d. for a further 2 weeks.

METHODS:
Consecutive patients who failed the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) 1-week triple therapy were recruited for the study. H. pylori status was determined by a C(13) urea breath test.

RESULTS:
One hundred and forty-nine patients received the first rescue therapy. Seven were not compliant to medication/defaulted follow-up. Eradication success- first rescue therapy: per protocol (PP) analysis-107/142 (75.4%) (95% CI (68.3-82.4%) and intention to treat (ITT) analysis-107/149 (71.8%) 95% CI (64.6-79.0%). Thirty-one of 35 patients who failed the first rescue therapy received the second rescue therapy. All were compliant with medications. Eradication success- PP and ITT was 28/31 (90.3%) 95% CI (74.2-98.0%). The cumulative eradication rate using both rescue therapies: PP analysis- 135/138 (97.8%) 95% CI: (93.8-99.6%), ITT analysis- 135/149 (90.6%) 95% CI: (84.7-94.8%).

CONCLUSIONS:
A 2-week high dose PPI-amoxicillin dual therapy followed by a PPI-amoxicillin-levofloxacin triple therapy were highly successful in achieving eradication in H. pylori treatment failures.

Efficacy of 1-week proton pump inhibitor triple therapy as first-line Helicobacter pylori eradication regime in Asian patients: is it still effective 10 years on?

Qua CS, Manikam J, Goh KL

J Dig Dis, 2010 Aug;11(4):244-8.

PMID: 20649738 DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-2980.2010.00445.x

OBJECTIVE:
To re-examine the efficacy and tolerability of 1-week proton pump inhibitor triple therapy as a first-line Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication therapy.

METHODS:
Consecutive participants with a positive rapid urease test during an outpatient upper endoscopy were included. All participants were given pantoprazole 40 mg b.i.d., amoxycillin 1 g b.i.d. and clarithromycin 500 mg b.i.d. for 1 week. They were asked to return after 1 week to report any side effects related to the medications and to check for compliance. Successful eradication was defined by negative (13)C-urea breath test at least 4 weeks after the completion of therapy.

RESULTS:
A total of 191 patients were recruited into the study, of whom 81 were male (42.4%) and 110 female (57.6%), with a mean age of 55.6 (range 21-88) years. Overall 26 patients (13.6%) defaulted follow up and five patients were not compliant (taking less than 85%) with the medications. Per-protocol and intention-to-treat eradication rates were 84.4% (95% CI: 78.6-89.9%) and 71.2% (95% CI: 64.5-77.6%), respectively. Overall 68 participants (42.5%) reported no side effects, followed by 58 (36.3%) with a taste disturbance, 16 (10.0%) with epigastric pain, 15 (9.4%) with diarrhea, 13 (8.1%) with nausea or vomiting, 12 (7.5%) with loss of appetite, nine (5.6%) with dizziness and two (1.3%) with an allergic skin rash, none of which was severe.

CONCLUSION:
The current regime using pantoprazole, amoxycillin and clarithromycin is highly tolerable and effective and should continue to be recommended as a first-line therapy for H. pylori eradication in our setting.

Repeat endoscopy for recurrent iron deficiency anemia: an (un)expected finding from southeast Asia

Mahadeva S, Qua CS, Yusoff W, Sulaiman W

Dig Dis Sci, 2007 Feb;52(2):523-5.

PMID: 17219070

Non-erosive reflux disease (NERD), symptomatic and asymptomatic erosive reflux disease (ERD): from hypersensitive to hyposensitive esophagus

Hartono JL, Qua CS, Goh KL

Dig Dis Sci, 2011 Jan;56(1):90-6.

PMID: 20467897 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-010-1275-5

AIMS: To compare the esophageal sensitivity to acid and saline in patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic erosive reflux disease (ERD), non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) and controls, and to assess the response to proton-pump inhibitors in patients with symptomatic ERD and NERD.

METHODOLOGY: Patients with GERD and a control group of healthy asymptomatic volunteers were recruited. All subjects underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and the acid-saline perfusion test. Symptomatic ERD and NERD patients were given rabeprazole 20 mg twice daily for 2 weeks and their response to treatment assessed.

RESULTS: A total of 105 subjects were recruited: ERD=37 (symptomatic=24, asymptomatic=13), NERD=34 and controls=34. During saline perfusion, only the NERD group recorded a significantly higher sensitivity score compared to controls (2.74±7.28 vs. 0) (p=0.035). During acid perfusion, symptomatic ERD (15.42±13.42) and NERD (16.71±15.04) had significantly higher scores versus controls and asymptomatic ERD patients (both p<0.001). The mean %∆ reflux symptom score following treatment was significantly higher in symptomatic ERD patients compared to NERD patients (89.08±21.67 vs. 58.53±32.54; p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with NERD were a generally hypersensitive group while asymptomatic ERD patients represent a hyposensitive group of patients which merits further study.

Fulltext Tumour seeding following percutaneous needle biopsy of hepatocellular carcinoma

Qua CS, Wong CH, Goh KL

Singapore Med J, 2008 Jan;49(1):e8-11.

PMID: 18204759

We report a hepatocellular carcinoma seeding following needle biopsy in a 57-year-old man who first presented with a focal hepatic lesion at another hospital. The patient had been a hepatitis B carrier for 20 years. Initial surveillance ultrasonography showed a lesion in segment IV, in the background of non-cirrhotic liver and normal serum alpha-foetoprotein level (8 ng/ml). A percutaneous needle biopsy was done and histopathology confirmed well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma. The patient had refused surgery and preferred to try traditional medicine. He presented to us four months after the initial biopsy with epigastric swelling. This was found to be due to a tumour seeding along the previous biopsy tract. He was given radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of tumour along the needle tract, in addition to the primary tumour. We conclude that the need for percutaneous needle biopsy should be critically evaluated in patients presenting with focal hepatic lesions and the role of RFA in treating tumour seeding needs further evaluation.

Fulltext Epiphrenic pulsion diverticulum: an uncommon cause of dysphagia and heartburn

Qua CS, Saravannan K, Goh KL

BMJ Case Rep, 2021 Apr 07;14(4).

PMID: 33827890 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2021-242920

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in chronic laryngitis: prevalence and response to acid-suppressive therapy

Qua CS, Wong CH, Gopala K, Goh KL

Aliment Pharmacol Ther, 2007 Feb 1;25(3):287-95.

PMID: 17269990

Gastro-oesophageal reflux is thought to cause chronic laryngitis through laryngopharyngeal reflux. Response of laryngitis to treatment with acid-suppressive therapy supports this causal link.

Fulltext Retroperitoneal extragonadal germ cell tumor with duodenal infiltration: A challenging endo-luminal tissue diagnosis

Qua CS, Peh KB, Kannan S, Goh KL

JGH Open, 2022 Feb;6(2):152-154.

PMID: 35155826 DOI: 10.1002/jgh3.12711

A 32-year-old Malay male was referred to our hospital for a second opinion. An abdominal and pelvic CT scan at the previous medical facility showed a large retroperitoneal tumor, which was subjected to ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) with a provisional diagnosis of malignant lymphoma. However, after reviewing the existing results, a repeat biopsy was deemed necessary and this was performed endoluminally via gastroduodenoscopy in view of the close proximity of the tumor and the third part of the duodenum. The first biopsy failed to detect any abnormal cells, but a repeat biopsy with supporting evidence from other laboratory results led to a final diagnosis of extragonadal germ cell tumor (GCT) with duodenal infiltration.

Fulltext Vitamin D deficiency causing eosinophilic esophagogastroenteritis and ascites: a rare association

Qua CS, Peh KB, Saravannan K, Goh KL

BMJ Case Rep, 2021 Feb 04;14(2).

PMID: 33541947 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2020-240039

A 54-year-old Chinese man presented with ascites for 2 weeks. He had a preceding 2-year history of intermittent dysphagia, lethargy and general malaise. Blood investigations revealed leucocytosis with eosinophilia of 26.5%, whereas paracentesis showed turbid fluid with high protein content (45 g/L) and a high white blood cell count of 5580/µL, predominantly eosinophils (90%). An incidental assay of vitamin D showed a very low level of 13.5 ng/mL. No other cause of ascites was found. Gastroscopy was normal except for duodenitis. However, biopsies from lower oesophagus confirmed the presence of eosinophilic infiltration. Following vitamin D replacement, the patient experienced marked improvement in symptoms of dysphagia within 2 weeks and no recurrence of ascites after 3 months. The reason for the patient's vitamin D deficiency remains unclear. The marked improvement in the patient's health indicates a causative role of vitamin D deficiency in causing eosinophilic esophagogastroenteritis and associated eosinophilic ascites.

Liver cancer in Malaysia: epidemiology and clinical presentation in a multiracial Asian population

Goh KL, Razlan H, Hartono JL, Qua CS, Yoong BK, Koh PS, et al.

J Dig Dis, 2015 Mar;16(3):152-8.

PMID: 25512092 DOI: 10.1111/1751-2980.12223

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an important cancer in Malaysia. This study aimed to determine the epidemiological characteristics and clinical presentations of patients in a multiracial population consisting of three major Asian races: Malays, Chinese and Indians.

Transnasal endoscopic placement of nasoenteric feeding tubes: outcomes and limitations in non-critically ill patients

Mahadeva S, Malik A, Hilmi I, Qua CS, Wong CH, Goh KL

Nutr Clin Pract, 2008 Apr-May;23(2):176-81.

PMID: 18390786 DOI: 10.1177/0884533608314535

Transnasal endoscopic placement of nasoenteric tubes (NETs) has been demonstrated to be useful in the critical care setting, with limited data on its role in non-critically ill patients. The authors collected data on consecutive patients from a non-critical care setting undergoing transnasal endoscopic NET placement. All NETs were endoscopically placed using a standard over-the-guidewire technique, and positions were confirmed with fluoroscopy. Patients were monitored until the removal of NETs or death. Twenty-two patients (median age = 62.5 years, 36.4% female) were referred for postpyloric feeding, with main indications of persistent gastrocutaneous fistula (n = 6), gastroparesis or gastric outlet obstruction (n = 5), duodenal stenosis (n = 6), acute pancreatitis (n = 4), and gastroesophageal reflux after surgery (n = 1). Postpyloric placement of NET was achieved in 19 of 22 (86.3%) patients, with 36.8% tube positions in the jejunum, 47.4% in the distal duodenum, and 15.8% in the second part of the duodenum. NET placement was least successful in cases with duodenal stenosis. NETs remained in situ for a median of 24 days (range, 2-94), with tube dislodgement (n = 3) and clogging (n = 5) as the main complications. NET feeding resulted in complete healing of gastrocutaneous fistulae in 5 of 6 patients and provision of total enteral nutrition in 3 of 4 cases of acute pancreatitis and 9 of 11 cases of gastroparesis or proximal duodenal obstruction. Transnasal endoscopy has a role in the placement of NET in non-critically ill patients requiring postpyloric feeding. However, there are some limitations, particularly in cases with altered duodenal anatomy.

Non-cardiac chest pain: prevalence of reflux disease and response to acid suppression in an Asian population

Mohd H, Qua CS, Wong CH, Azman W, Goh KL

J Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2009 Feb;24(2):288-93.

PMID: 19054255 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2008.05702.x

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is thought to be the commonest cause of 'non-cardiac chest pain'. The use of proton-pump inhibitors resulting in improvement in the chest pain symptom would support this causal association.

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