Risks of transesophageal endoscopic ultrasonography-guided biliary drainage

SUMMARY OF EVENT: Pneumoderma, mediastinal emphysema, and bilateral pneumothorax were developed in the patient who had undergone transesophageal endoscopic ultrasonography-guided rendezvous technique. Chest drainage was performed immediately. TEACHING POINT: Transesophageal approach carries the potential risks of severe complications such as mediastinal emphysema, mediastinitis, and pneumothorax. To prevent puncturing through the esophagus, clipping the esophagogastric junction using a forward-viewing scope before procedure is very useful. In cases of inadvertent transesophageal puncture, devices other than the needle should not be passed through the site.

The rendezvous technique involving insertion of a guidewire in a percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage tube for biliary access in a case of difficult biliary cannulation / Journal of Rural Medicine

<p>Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a diagnostic method and treatment approach for biliary diseases. However, biliary cannulation can be difficult in some cases. We performed ERCP in a 97-year-old woman with abdominal pain resulting from acute cholangitis caused by choledocholithiasis and observed difficult biliary cannulation. Eventually, the patient was successfully treated with the rendezvous technique. We could not cannulate the biliary duct during ERCP twice. Therefore, we placed a percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) tube without intrahepatic dilation. The rendezvous technique was performed using the PTGBD tube. The patient did not experience pancreatitis or perforation.</p>

EUS-Guided Biliary Drainage

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) combines endoscopy and intraluminal ultrasonography, and allows imaging with a high-frequency transducer over a short distance to generate high-resolution ultrasonographic images. EUS is now a widely accepted modality for diagnosing pancreatobiliary diseases. EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) using a curved linear-array echoendoscope was initially described more than 20 years ago, and since then many researchers have expanded its indications to sample diverse lesions and have also used it for various therapeutic purposes. EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) is one of the therapeutic procedures that has been developed using a curved linear-array echoendoscope. Technically, EUS-BD includes rendezvous techniques via transesophageal, transgastric, and transduodenal routes, EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomy (EUS-CDS), and EUS-guided hepaticogastrostomy (EUS-HGS). Published data have demonstrated a high success rate, albeit with a comparatively high rate of nonfatal complications for EUS-CDS and EUS-HGS, and a comparatively low success rate with a low complication rate for the rendezvous technique. At present, these procedures represent an alternative to surgery or percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) for patients with obstructive jaundice when endoscopic biliary drainage (EBD) has failed. However, these procedures should be performed in centers with extensive experience in linear EUS and therapeutic biliary ERCP. Large prospective studies are needed in the near future to establish standardized EUS-BD procedures as well as to perform controlled comparative trials between EUS-BD and PTBD, between rendezvous techniques and direct-access techniques (EUS-CDS and EUS-HGS), and between EBD and EUS-BD.

Bile Duct Cannulation Guided by a Percutaneous Transhepatic Biliary Drainage (PTBD) Tube: Modified Rendezvous Procedure / 대한소화기내시경학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To describe a simple and useful modification of the rendezvous technique using a PTBD tube as guidance. METHODS: From January 2005 to August 2006, a total of 436 ERCPs were performed. A diagnosis of choledocholithiasis was made in 235 cases. Deep cannulation of the bile duct using standard techniques was unsuccessful in 27 patients (11.5%). A precut papillotomy led to successful cannulation in 16 out of these 27 patients (59.3%). The remaining 11 patients (40.7%) underwent PTBD with the tube tip placed in the second portion of the duodenum. Bile duct cannulation was attempted with the guidance of a PTBD tube in 9 cases. In the other 2 cases, the transduodenal approach was impossible due to a previous Billroth II operation. RESULTS: Bile duct cannulation guided by a PTBD tube, which is also known as a modified rendezvous procedure, was successful in 9 out of 11 patients (81.8%). Deep cannulation of the bile duct was achieved in 100% of patients, who could be treated by endoscopy. There were 7 cases of transient hyperamylasemia (77.8%) but no procedure-related major complications or mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Bile duct cannulation guided by a PTBD tube in patients with choledocholithiasis can be recommended when ERCP is unsuccessful using the standard technique.

Endoscopic Minor Papilla Intervention in a Patient with Traumatic Ductal Leak without Pancreas Divisum / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Endoscopic treatment has been performed in a variety of pancreatic ductal diseases such as stones, strictures, sphincter stenosis, and ductal disruption and is known to be an effective therapy in some patients. Endoscopic treatment through the minor papilla is frequently done in patients with pancreas divisum. Few data are, however, available concerning endoscopic minor papilla interventions in patients without pancreas divisum but with difficult access to the main pancreatic duct at the major duodenal papilla. We present a 49-year-old man, who had pancreatic ductal leak caused by previous pancreatic surgery. He was treated by endoscopic naso-pancreatic drainage and pancreatic ductal stenting through the minor papilla, so called pancreatic rendezvous technique. Follow-up ductography after two-weeks of naso-pancreatic drainage showed no leak. This case shows that minor papillar orifice could be an alternative access for therapeutic endoscopic intervention in a patient with traumatic pancreatic ductal leak without pancreas divisum.