Hepatic steatosis and fibrosis produce abnormal echo patterns on ultrasound scanning, but the potential of ultrasound scanning for diagnosing these conditions in routine clinical practice is uncertain. A prospective comparative study of 85 patients with histologically assessed liver conditions was performed, and specificity was assessed in 76 patients with functional bowel disease who were presumed to have normal livers.Histological examination showed steatosis ranging from mild to severe in 48 patients and fibrosis ranging from increased fibrous tissue to established cirrhosis in 35 patients. Ultrasound scanning accurately identified steatosis, recognising 45 cases (sensitivity 94%) with a specificity of 84%. Fibrosis was less reliably detected (sensitivity 57% and specificity 88%). Of the 50 patients with alcoholic liver disease, 47 (94%) yielded abnormal results on scanning. In the 76 patients with functional bowel disease there was only one false positive result, giving a specificity of 99% in this group.As hepatic steatosis is the earliest change in alcoholic liver disease and seems to be of prognostic importance for the development of cirrhosis, ultrasound scanning provides an effective screening procedure, particularly in the occult alcoholic, who often presents with non-specific gastrointestinal complaints.

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A total of 34 patients with advanced cancer were given weekly or daily escalating doses of oral gossypol, a cottonseed-oil constituent showing evidence of antineoplastic activity in pre-clinical studies. No major adverse events occurred and there was no evidence of haematological or biochemical disturbance. As determined by dose escalation in 17 patients, the dose-limiting toxicity was emesis in 16 patients. There was no evidence of tumour regression in any of the 20 patients assessed for response. We conclude that gossypol is safe but unlikely to be clinically useful in patients with advanced cancer.

The association of high amplitude echoes returned from the liver and advanced cirrhosis is well recognized. We have become increasingly aware of a bright liver echo pattern in relatively mild cases of cirrhosis and in other chronic liver diseases. The pattern is very characteristic but non-specific in pathological terms. We have undertaken a small pilot study based on the observation of this characteristic ultrasound appearance to assess its clinical significance. Recognition of this pattern has always corresponded with liver disease of one of five types: cirrhosis, fatty infiltration, portal tract fibrosis, severe hepatitis or longstanding congestive cardiac failure. Although the use of ultrasound appears to be sensitive in the detection of generalized liver disease, it is relatively non-specific.

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