Validity of Diagnostic Codes and Laboratory Tests to Identify Cholangiocarcinoma and Its Subtypes.

Background: The absence of validated methods to identify cholangiocarcinoma in real-world data has prevented the conduct of pharmacoepidemiologic studies to evaluate determinants of this malignancy and examine the effectiveness of cholangiocarcinoma treatments.

Objective: To determine the accuracy of International Classification of Diseases for Oncology, Third Edition (ICD-O-3)-based algorithms to identify cholangiocarcinoma and its subtype (intrahepatic or extrahepatic) within US Veterans Health Administration (VA) data.

Methods: We identified patients with cholangiocarcinoma ICD-O-3 diagnosis codes from January 2000-December 2019 in VA data.

Prevalence and determinants of hepatitis delta virus infection among HIV/hepatitis B-coinfected adults in care in the United States.

Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection increases the risk of liver complications compared to hepatitis B virus (HBV) alone, particularly among persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, no studies have evaluated the prevalence or determinants of HDV infection among people with HIV/HBV in the US. We performed a cross-sectional study among adults with HIV/HBV coinfection receiving care at eight sites within the Center for AIDS Research Network of Integrated Clinical Systems (CNICS) between 1996 and 2019.

The Hepatitis C Care Cascade During the Direct-Acting Antiviral Era in a United States Commercially Insured Population.

Background: Periodic surveillance of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) care cascade is important for tracking progress toward HCV elimination goals, identifying gaps in care, and prioritizing resource allocation. In the pre-direct-acting antiviral (DAA) era, it was estimated that 50% of HCV-infected individuals were diagnosed and that 16% had been prescribed interferon-based therapy. Since then, few studies utilizing nationally representative data from the DAA era have been conducted in the United States.

Update on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide and the fastest-rising cause of cancer-related death in the United States. Given the strong association between tumor stage and prognosis, HCC surveillance is recommended in high-risk patients, including patients with cirrhosis from any etiology. The diagnosis can be made based on characteristic imaging findings, with histologic confirmation primarily reserved for patients with atypical imaging findings.

Epidemiology, Natural History, and Treatment of Hepatitis Delta Virus Infection in HIV/Hepatitis B Virus Coinfection.

Purpose Of Review: Limited data exist on the prevalence, determinants, and outcomes of hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection among HIV/hepatitis B virus (HBV)-coinfected persons. This review provides current evidence on the epidemiology, natural history, and treatment of HDV infection in patients with HIV/HBV coinfection and highlights future research needs.

Recent Findings: Cross-sectional studies in Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia show that the prevalence of HDV among HIV/HBV-coinfected patients ranges from 1.

Transplantation in foreign nationals: Lower rates of waitlist mortality and higher rates of lost to follow-up posttransplant.

A controversial issue in the transplant community is whether or not to provide deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) to noncitizen/nonresidents (NCNRs) who travel for liver transplantation (LT). The expectation is that transplantation of NCNRs will not compromise access for US citizens/residents (USCRs), and that NCNRs would have similar post-LT follow-up. This has never been formally assessed.

The thoracic outlet syndromes: Part 2. The arterial, venous, neurovascular, and disputed thoracic outlet syndromes.

The thoracic outlet syndromes (TOSs) are a group of etiologically and clinically distinct disorders with 1 feature in common: compression of 1 or more neurovascular elements as they traverse the thoracic outlet. The medical literature reflects 5 TOSs: arterial; venous; traumatic neurovascular; true neurogenic; and disputed. Of these, the first 4 demonstrate all of the features expected of a syndrome, whereas disputed TOS does not, causing many experts to doubt its existence altogether.

The thoracic outlet syndromes: Part 1. Overview of the thoracic outlet syndromes and review of true neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome.

The thoracic outlet syndromes (TOSs) are a group of etiologically and clinically distinct disorders with 1 feature in common: compression of 1 or more neurovascular elements as they traverse the thoracic outlet. The medical literature reflects 5 TOSs: arterial; venous; traumatic neurovascular; true neurogenic; and disputed. Of these, the first 4 demonstrate all of the features expected of a syndrome, whereas disputed TOS does not, causing many experts to doubt its existence altogether.