Litiasis coledociana de difícil resolución / Difficult common bile duct stones

RESUMEN Antecedentes: el manejo laparoscópico en un tiempo de la coledocolitiasis se acompaña de una tasa de éxito elevada en la mayoría de los casos. Una excepción a esto son los cálculos coledocianos difi cultosos. Objetivo: describir los resultados del manejo de cálculos coledocianos dificultosos. Material y métodos: revisión retrospectiva de una serie consecutiva de casos de cálculos coledocianos dificultosos tratados durante el período 2018-2020. Resultados: 8 pacientes cumplieron con el criterio de inclusión. El manejo en un tiempo por videola paroscopia (5 casos) tuvo un 60% de conversión a cirugía abierta. Los otros pacientes (3 casos) fueron manejados inicialmente con endoscopia biliar por colangitis grave y fueron resueltos luego en forma electiva por instrumentación transcística. Conclusión: esta experiencia inicial sugiere que el abordaje en dos tiempos podría favorecer la resolu ción mininvasiva de los cálculos coledocianos dificultosos.

ABSTRACT Background: Single-stage procedure for the treatment of choledocholithiasis by laparoscopy is associated with high success rate in most cases. Difficult common bile duct stones are an exception to this rule. Objective: The aim of this study is to describe the results obtained with the management of difficult common bile duct stones. Material and methods: We conducted a retrospective review of a consecutive series of cases of difficult common bile duct stones treated between 2018-2020. Results: Eight patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of the 5 patients managed with single-stage approach through video-assisted laparoscopy, 60% required conversion to open surgery. The other 3 cases were initially managed with endoscopic cholangiography due to severe cholangitis and were solved with elective transcystic instrumentation. Conclusion: This initial experience suggests that the two-stage approach could be better to treat difficult common bile duct stones with a minimally invasive approach.

Pneumoperitoneum after Endoscopic Duodenal Stent Insertion in a Patient with Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage and Biliary Stent: A Case Report

Early removal of a percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) tube commonly causes pneumoperitoneum. However, we encountered a patient who developed pneumoperitoneum even with an indwelling PTBD tube. An 84-year-old man was admitted with type III combined duodenal and biliary obstruction secondary to metastatic bladder cancer. A biliary stent was placed using a percutaneous approach, and a duodenal stent was placed endoscopically. A large amount of subphrenic free air was detected after the procedures. Laboratory tests indicated intestinal perforation; however, peritoneal signs were absent. The patient was treated conservatively using an indwelling Levin tube. Seven days later, the massive amount of subphrenic free air disappeared. Follow-up tubography revealed unrestricted bile flow into the small intestine, and the PTBD tube was removed. Prolonged endoscopic procedures in patients with a PTBD tract communicating with the gastrointestinal tract can precipitate pneumoperitoneum. Clinicians should be careful to avoid misdiagnosing this condition as intestinal perforation.

Clinical Analysis of Biliary Drainage of Biliary Obstruction Diseases Under Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography / 胃肠病学

Background: There are many biliary drainage methods for the treatment of biliary obstruction diseases, and the application of endoscopic biliary drainage has been increased gradually. Aims: To compare the effect and complications of different endoscopic biliary drainage for the treatment of biliary obstruction diseases. Methods: A total of 75 patients with biliary obstruction diseases received endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) from February 2012 to December 2017 at the People's Hospital of Xuancheng City were enrolled. The patients were divided into nasobiliary drainage group and biliary stenting group. The success rate, effect, complication of drainage were compared between the two groups, and the cause of biliary re-obstruction after ERCP was analyzed. Results: Before treatment, TBIL, DBIL levels were significantly increased in biliary stenting group than in nasobiliary drainage group (P<0.01). After the treatment, no significant difference in success rate of drainage was found between the two groups. No significant differences in TBIL, DBIL before and after treatment were found between the two groups. After the treatment, ALT, AST, GGT was significantly decreased, and AMS was significantly increased in nasobiliary drainage group (P<0.05); while ALT, GGT, AMS were significantly decreased in biliary stenting group (P<0.05). No significantly difference in incidence of complication was found between the two groups. The causes of biliary re-obstruction after ERCP were mainly bile mud or sedimentary calculus, massive stone, tumor invasion. Conclusions: The nasobiliary drainage and biliary stenting drainage can both improve liver function, and relieve the clinical symptoms of biliary obstruction. No significant difference in drainage effect and complication are found between the two drainage methods.

Photodynamic therapy plus biliary stenting versus biliary stenting alone to treat nonresectable ductal cholangiocarcinoma: a Meta-analysis / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective To compare the therapeutic results of photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with biliary stenting versus biliary stenting alone in the treatment of nonresectable bile duct cholangiocarcinoma.Methods The PubMed,CBM,CNKI,VIP and WanFang Data were searched from January 1990 to December 2017.Two researchers independently screened the literatures,extracted the data and performed the quality evaluation.The meta-analysis was carried out using the RevMan software 5.3.0.Results Eleven controlled clinical trials were included in the meta-analysis.There were only two randomized controlled trials.The remaining studies were non-randomized controlled trials.Finally,659 patients were enrolled in this study.293 patients were treated with photodynamic therapy and biliary stenting while 366 patients were treated with stenting alone.Analysis showed that photodynamic therapy combined with stenting significantly extended the overall survival when compared with stenting alone (P＜0.01).There was no significant differences in the incidences of cholangitis (P＞0.05),but PDT and stenting had a significantly higher total complication rate (P＜0.05).Conclusions This meta-analysis showed that photodynamic therapy combined with stenting significantly improved the survival rate of patients with nonresectable ductal cholangiocarcinoma when compared with stenting alone.Photodynamic therapy did not increase the incidence of cholangitis.

Endoscopic Management of Anastomotic Strictures after Liver Transplantation

Endoscopic treatment of biliary strictures involving plastic stent placement has been used widely. The use of self-expandable metal stents (SEMSs) has been described for anastomotic strictures following liver transplantation (LT). This review aimed to assess and compare the efficacy of plastic stents with SEMS in LT patients. Information was retrieved regarding technical success, stricture resolution, the number of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography procedures, follow-up, immediate, and late complications. Eight studies involving plastic stents had a stricture resolution rate of 84.5%, with the rates ranging from 63% to 100%. These rates are comparable with the stricture resolution rate of 75% determined from six studies that involved 236 patients who received metal stents and the rates ranged from 53% to 81%. The observed success rate for metal stents used to manage post-LT anastomotic biliary strictures was below the reported rate for multiple plastic stents. Hence, the currently available metal stents should not be offered for the management of post-LT anastomotic biliary strictures.

Current Status of Biliary Metal Stents

Many advances have been achieved in biliary stenting over the past 30 years. Endoscopic stent placement has become the primary management therapy to relieve obstruction in patients with benign or malignant biliary tract diseases. Compared with plastic stents, a self-expandable metallic stent (SEMS) has been used for management in patients with malignant strictures because of a larger lumen and longer stent patency. Recently, SEMS has been used for various benign biliary strictures and leaks. In this article, we briefly review the characteristics of SEMS as well as complications of stent placement. We review the current guidelines for managing malignant and benign biliary obstructions. Recent developments in biliary stenting are also discussed.

Update on Pancreatobiliary Stents: Stent Placement in Advanced Hilar Tumors

Palliative drainage is the main treatment option for inoperable hilar cholangiocarcinoma to improve symptoms, which include cholangitis, pruritus, high-grade jaundice, and abdominal pain. Although there is no consensus on the optimal method for biliary drainage due to the paucity of large-scale randomized control studies, several important aspects of any optimal method have been studied. In this review article, we discuss the liver volume to be drained, stent type, techniques to insert self-expanding metal stents, and approaches for proper and effective biliary drainage based on previous studies and personal experience.

Update on Pancreatobiliary Stents: Stent Placement in Advanced Hilar Tumors

Palliative drainage is the main treatment option for inoperable hilar cholangiocarcinoma to improve symptoms, which include cholangitis, pruritus, high-grade jaundice, and abdominal pain. Although there is no consensus on the optimal method for biliary drainage due to the paucity of large-scale randomized control studies, several important aspects of any optimal method have been studied. In this review article, we discuss the liver volume to be drained, stent type, techniques to insert self-expanding metal stents, and approaches for proper and effective biliary drainage based on previous studies and personal experience.

Clinical effect of percutaneous intraluminal radiofrequency ablation combined with biliary stenting and biliary stenting alone in the treatment of malignant obstructive jaundice / 军事医学

Objective To compare the effect of percutaneous intraluminal radiofrequency ablation ( RFA ) combined with biliary stenting and that of percutaneous transhepatic puncture combined with biliary stenting .Methods A total of 56 patients with unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice were reviewed retrospectively .Among them, 25 patients had received percutaneous intraluminal RFA combined with biliary stenting ( RFA group) while another 31 patients had been simultaneously selected for the simple biliary stent implantation ( stent group ) .The changes of the serum total bilirubin ( TB) and direct bilirubin ( DB) before and after 7-14 days of treatment , surgical complications , stent median patency and the median survival were observed.Follow-up information was obtained through telephone reviews or check-up records. Results The technical success rate was 100%.No procedure-related peritonitis or perforation occurred .There were respectively 3 cases with cholangeitis in RFA group and 3 in stent group.All the cases was controlled by effective clinical treatment.There was obvious statistically significant difference after treatment in TB and DB in the two groups (P<0.01, P<0.01).TB and DB fell by (149.05 ±110.71) and (96.93 ±69.12)μmol/L after 7-14 days in RFA group vs (151.40 ±94.47) and (94.21 ±67.36)μmol/L in stent group.The changes of the two groups were of no statistical significances .The stent patenmedian time was 122 ( 9 -550 ) and 157 ( 16 -510 ) d, while the median survival was 125(9-550) and 163 ( 16 -520 ) d.The difference was of no statistical significance .Conclusion Percutaneous intraluminal RFA combined with biliary stenting and percutaneous transhepatic puncture combined with biliary stenting are both safe and feasible therapeutic options for unresectable malignant obstructive jaundice .There is no statistically significant diffference between the two groups in the recent and long-term curative effects .

Spontaneous Biloma Caused by Pancreatic Cancer and Treated by Endoscopic Biliary Stenting / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Biloma is a rare disorder, and is defined as an abnormal extrahepatic or intrahepatic collection of bile within a defined capsular space. The common causes of biloma are iatrogenic and trauma. Spontaneous biloma, especially caused by pancreatic cancer, is very rare. An 86-year-old man was admitted with abdominal pain and fever. The patient denied a history of abdominal surgery, endoscopic retrograde cholangiography, or trauma. Abdominal computed tomography demonstrated a huge collection of fluid in the left lobe of the liver, dilatation of the intra and proximal common bile duct, and a heterogeneous enhancing mass in the pancreatic head portion. Percutaneous drainage under ultrasound guidance was performed, and the fluid analysis was compatible with biloma. A plastic stent was endoscopically inserted into the common bile duct to treat continuous drainage of the fluid despite percutaneous drainage. We report a case of biloma developed spontaneously in a patient with pancreatic cancer and successfully treated by endoscopic biliary stenting.

How Should Biliary Stones be Managed?

Minimally invasive therapy is currently invaluable for the treatment of biliary stones. Clinicians should be familiar with the various endoscopic modalities that have been evolving. I reviewed the treatment of biliary stones from the common practice to pioneering procedures, and here I also briefly summarize the results of many related studies. Lithotripsy involves procedures that fragment large stones, and they can be roughly classified into two groups: intracorporeal modalities and extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL). Intracorporeal modalities are further divided into mechanical lithotripsy (ML), electrohydraulic lithotripsy, and laser lithotripsy. ESWL can break stones by focusing high-pressure shock-wave energy at a designated target point. Balloon dilation after minimal endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) is effective for retrieving large biliary stones without the use of ML. Peroral cholangioscopy provides direct visualization of the bile duct and permits diagnostic procedures or therapeutic interventions. Biliary stenting below an impacted stone is sometimes worth considering as an alternative treatment in elderly patients. This article focuses on specialized issues such as lithotripsy rather than simple EST with stone removal in order to provide important information on state-of-the-art procedures.

Biliary Stricture after Adult Right-Lobe Living-Donor Liver Transplantation with Duct-to-Duct Anastomosis: Long-Term Outcome and Its Related Factors after Endoscopic Treatment

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Biliary stricture is the most common and important complication after right-lobe living-donor liver transplantation (RL-LDLT) with duct-to-duct biliary anastomosis. This study evaluated the efficacy and long-term outcome of endoscopic treatment for biliary stricture after LDLT, with the aim of identifying the factors that influence the outcome. METHODS: Three hundred and thirty-nine adults received RL-LDLTs with duct-to-duct biliary anastomosis between January 2000 and May 2008 at Kangnam St. Mary's Hospital. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) was performed in 113 patients who had biliary stricture after LDLT. We evaluated the incidence of post-LDLT biliary stricture and the long-term outcome of endoscopic treatment for biliary stricture. The factors related to the outcome were analyzed. RESULTS: Biliary strictures developed in 121 (35.7%) patients, 95 (78.5%) of them within 1 year of surgery. The mean number of ERCs performed per patient was 3.2 (range, 1 to 11). The serum biochemical markers decreased significantly after ERC (p<0.001). Stent insertion or stricture dilatation during ERC was successful in 90 (79.6%) patients. After a median follow-up period of 33 months from the first successful treatment with ERC, 48 (42.5%) patients achieved treatment success and 12 (10.6%) patients remained under treatment. The factors related to the outcome of endoscopic treatment were nonanastomotic stricture and stenosis of the hepatic artery (p=0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic treatment is efficacious and has an acceptable long-term outcome in the management of biliary strictures related to RL-LDLT with duct-to-duct biliary anastomosis. Nonanastomotic stricture and stenosis of the hepatic artery are correlated with a worse outcome of endoscopic treatment.

Percutaneous Endoscopic Biliary Stenting (PEBS) Using the Percutaneous Fine Needle Puncture Method in Malignant Complete Biliary Obstruction / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Nonsurgical drainage of malignant obstructive jaundice is an interesting alternative to surgical drainage in the palliative treatment of pancreaticobiliary neoplasms. Biliary drainage by endoprosthesis is as effective and better supported than percutaneous external drainage, but more difficult to control. Endoscopic retograde biliary drainage (ERBD) is a safe and effective biliary drainage procedure, and is indicated with malignant obstructive jaundice in patients on whom endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) can be performed. A nonoperative method of palliation was used in patients with malignant obstructive jaundice, in whom a biliary endoprosthesis could not be placed endoscopically due to complete obstruction of the bile duct. A guide wire was manipulated through the lesion by a percutaneous transhepatic route, after puncturing the tumor by a fine needle, and retrieved from the duodenum through an endoscope. A stent was then passed through the endoscope over the guide wire across the stricture.

Long-Term Effect of Permanent Biliary Stenting for Endoscopically Unextractable Common Bile Duct Stone (s) / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) has become a well-established therapeutic modality for common bile duct stone (s). EST and subsequent stone extraction, including mechanical lithotripsy, can clear bile duct in 85% to 95% of patients. Other therapeutic modalities which have been developed to enhance bile duct clearance including extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy, electrohydraulic or laser lithotripsy, and chemical dissolution are high cost, not yet widely available especially in community hospital, yet to be perfected, or still under clinical evaluation. The use of biliary stenting has been proposed as an alternative therapy for patients at high risk for surgery. We carried out this prospective, controlled study to evaluate the long-term effect of biliary stenting for endoscopically unextractable common bile duct stone (s). METHODS: Of the 233 patients with common bile duct stone (s) admitted at Gil Hospital from Jan. 1995 to Dec. 1996, the stent group were 14 patients with retained comrnon bile duct stone (s) in which 7Fr polyethylene biliary stent was placed with the proximal end above the stone and the distal end in the duodenum. The control group were 6 patients with common bile duct stone (s) not treated, because of patients refusal of surgical or endoscopic management. Follow-up was achieved by direct interview and telephone, and consisted of prospective analysis of all complications that occured during long-term follow-up period. Complication rates in the both groups were compared using chi-square test and cumulative complication-free rates were calculated by Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Biliary Stenting as an Altermative to Endoscopic Nasobiliary Drainage in Patients with Acute Calculous Suppurative Cholangitis / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Acute calculous suppurative cholangitis(ACSC) is the most severe complication of bile duct stone(s) and carries 100% mortality if left untreated, and emergent decompression is a life-saving procedure. Endoscopic therapy such as endoscopic sphincterotomy(EST) or endoscopic nasobiliary drainage(ENBD) are well-mtablished treatment of choice instead of emergent surgieal or percutaneous drainages which have a high mortality or morbity, respectively. However, EST and subsequent stone removal is operator-dependent, time consuming, associated with complication rate of 6~12%, and may be inadequeate in many critically ill patients. Recently, endoscopic retrograde biliary drainage(ERBD) is suggested to be as effective in temporary biliary drainage for retained common duct stone and acute cholangitis as ENBD is, and preferred to ENBD in some reports, because ENBD can be pulled out occasionally by confused patient, more time consuming, unpleasant, a hindrance for the patient, and does not seem to be any more effective than ERBD. So, we performed this study to evaluate the role of ERBD in patient with ACSC. METHODS: In Gil Hospital from March 1995 to April 1997, 35 patients were diagnosed as ACSC among the 289 patients with common bile duct stone(s). Of those with ACSC, "the emergent group" were 19 patients with common bile duct stone(s) in which polyethylene biliary stent was placed with the proximal end above the stone and the distal end in the duodenum within 1 days after admission, and "the delayed group" were 9 patients with common bile duct(CBD) stone(s) in which biliary stenting was delayed for 1 days or longer after admission. In both groups, diagnosis rate according to the endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP) timing, clinical manifestations at admission, clinical and laboratory effectiveness of ERBD, and mortalities were analyzed and compared by the unpaired t-test. RESULTS: 1. The mean ages and male to female ratio in the emergent group were 65.1, 11:8, respectively and 61.4, 5:4 in the delayed group. On admission, hypotension and confused mentality were more frequent in the emergent group than in the delayed group, but there were no difference in the frequency of medical disease, cholecystectomy history between the two groups. 2. In laboratory findings, anemia, leukocytosis, and thrombocytopenia were more severe in the emergent group than in the delayed group, but there were no difference in the liver function test between the two groups. 3. The diagnosis rate of ACSC according to the ERCP timing was 90.9% by the emergent ERCP, whereas 1.9% by delayed ERCP, and among the 33 procedures of emergent ERCPs, 5 ERCPs were performed without aid of fluoroscopy. 4. In endoscopic findings of papilla, the incidence of gross pus, impacted stone, choledochoduodenal fistula, and papillary hyperemia was 100%, 53.6%, 46.4%, and 21.4%, respectively. In ERCP findings, single CBD stone was most common(53.6%), followed by multiple CBD stone(46.4%), IHD stone(s)(21.4%), and GB stone(14.2%). There were no differences in endoscopic and ERCP findings between the two groups. 5. After ERBD, abdominal pain and fever, and the level of total bilirubin and GOT were subsided or normalized more rapidly in the emergent group than in the delayed group, but there were no differences in the duration of hypotension and the level of GPT, ALP, and creatinine between the two groups. 6. The success rate of ERBD were 100% in the emergent group and 77.8% in the delayed group, so overal l success rate was 92.3%. After ERBD, the effectiveness determined by clinical and laboratory findings were 94.7% in the emergent group and 100% in the delayed group, so overall effectiveness was 96.2%. 7. Definite treatment consisted of endoscopic management in 23 patients(82.1%), elective operation for gallbladder or IHD stone(s) in 3(10.7%) after endoscopic removal of CBD stone(s), permanent biliary stenting due to the patient's refusal of further endoscopic or surgical management after recovery from sepsis in 3 patients(10.7%), and urgent operation in 1 patient(3.6%) in the emergent group. One patient in the delayed group died of sepsis in spite of successful biliary drainage, so overall mortality rate was 3.6%. CONCLUSIONS: ERBD is an effective alternative method of decompressing the bile duct in patient with ACSC due to CBD stone(s), and high index of suspicion of the diagnosis is necessary because failure of diagnosis can result in delaye ddrainage and may be associated corresponding increase in mortality.