Anticentromere antibodies (ACA) are considered an important diagnostic marker of scleroderma or systemic sclerosis (SSc), being CENP-B the major centromere auto-antigen recognized by sera from SSc patients. However, ACA can also be detected in patients with other connective tissue diseases. Significantly the prevalence of organ-specific antibodies in SSc patients is relatively high.

Spondylolysis, a defect of the pars interarticularis, is a frequent cause of low back pain in young adults. A 19-year-old male presented with a year of chronic pain that recently worsened, limiting ambulation. He denied trauma, fever, neurological symptoms, or bowel/bladder dysfunction. Examination revealed an antalgic gait without focal tenderness or deficits. Given the underlying chronicity and functional limitation in a young patient, lumbar radiographs were obtained, which demonstrated a pars defect at L4.

Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) and Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) are closely linked to obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), all of which contribute to fibrosis progression and liver-related complications. To systematically review the association of metabolic syndrome and T2DM with progression of MASLD/MASH to advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis, and to evaluate the effects of metabolic pharmacotherapies on hepatic and clinical outcomes.

Paracentesis is a routinely performed and generally safe procedure in patients with cirrhotic ascites. Hemorrhagic complications are uncommon but may occasionally result in significant morbidity and mortality. We report a case of a 51-year-old man with alcohol-related cirrhosis and moderate ascites who developed a rapidly enlarging anterior abdominal wall hematoma following diagnostic paracentesis. The patient presented with progressive swelling and ecchymosis over the paracentesis site associated with tachycardia and a significant decline in hemoglobin.