Bile Duct Lithiasis Mimicking a Perihilar Cholangiocarcinoma-An Endless Dilemma: A Case Report.

Hilar bile duct strictures are mostly caused by malignant lesions. The morphological appearance of perihilar cholangiocarcinomas in various imaging modalities have other malignant and even benign mimics, which pose challenges to an accurate diagnosis and treatment and drive to futile surgery. Herein, we present the case of a 50-year-old woman admitted with jaundice and abdominal pain, elevated bilirubin level, liver function tests and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 level. Magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatography (MR-CP) and the computed tomography with contrast enhancement revealed a suspected extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma of the common bile duct. Further spontaneous resolution of the scenario, confirmed by diagnostic assessment, changed the clinical hypothesis in favor of a non-oncological disease. Indeed, the multidisciplinary evaluation supported a diagnosis of transient cholangitis secondary to non-evident intrahepatic lithiasis rather than cholangiocarcinoma. After a 26-month follow-up, the patient was asymptomatic with normal tumor markers and laboratory data. Consecutive MR-CPs showed no suspicion of malignancy. This case report underlines the need for an accurate preoperative assessment in patients with suspected cholangiocarcinoma.

Impact of Intensive Care Unit bed shortage on the short-term outcomes of major liver surgery during the pandemic: better safe than sorry?

BACKGROUND: Preoperative criteria to establish the need for intensive care unit (ICU) admission after major liver surgery have not been yet precisely defined and are often left to the anesthesiologist's judgment. The ICU bed shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic has challenged healthcare systems around the world. We sought to determine its impact on early outcomes of elective major liver surgery. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of consecutive patients undergoing major oncological liver surgery from a single institution. Two time periods were compared considering a complete ban on ICU beds during the pandemic (index period, from November 2020 to May 2021), and the smoothly running ICU facility before the pandemic (control period, from November 2018 to October 2020). The main outcomes were 30-day morbidity and mortality, length-of-stay, and 30-day readmission rates. RESULTS: Overall, 57 consecutive patients were identified, of whom 18 (32%) in the index period, and 39 (68%) in the control period, with 24 (62%) patients in the latter group admitted to ICU. No significant differences were found in terms of ASA Score, P-POSSUM morbidity and mortality, operative times, and red blood cells transfusions between groups. The morbidity rate, as classified by the Clavien-Dindo system, was also similar. A slightly longer length-of-stay has been observed in the index period (mean difference of 1.12 [95% CI, -9.19;11.42] days; P=0.829) after controlling for age, gender, ASA Score, and P-POSSUM. The 30-day readmission rate was comparable between the index and control periods (5.0% vs. 4.8%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The ICU bed shortage in response to the COVID-19 emergency did not negatively impact on the early postoperative outcomes of major liver surgery.

Changes in hospital admissions and complications of acute appendicitis during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Acute appendicitis (AA) is one of the most common emergencies in general surgery worldwide. During the pandemic, a significant decrease in the number of accesses to the emergency department for AA has been recorded in different countries. A systematic review of the current literature sought to determine the impact of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) on hospital admissions and complications of AA. Method: A systematic search was undertaken to identify repeated cross-sectional studies reporting the management of AA during the COVID-19 pandemic (index period) as compared to the previous year, or at the turn of lockdown (reference period). Data were abstracted on article (country of origin) and patients characteristics (adults, children [i.e. non adults, <18-year-old]), or mixed population) within the two given timeframes, including demographics, number of admissions for AA, number of appendectomies, and complicated appendectomies. Results: Of 201 full-text articles assessed for eligibility, 54 studies from 22 world countries were included. In total, 27 (50%) were conducted on adults, 12 (22%) on children, and 15 (28%) on a mixed patients population. The overall rate ratio of admissions for AA between the two periods was 0.94 (95%CI, 0.75-1.17), with significant differences between studies on adults (0.90 [0.74-1.09]), mixed population (0.50 [0.27-0.90]), and children (1.50 [1.01-2.22]). The overall risk ratio of complicated AA was 1.65 (1.32-2.07), ranging from 1.32 in studies on children, to 2.45 in mixed population. Conclusion: The pandemic has altered the rate of admissions for AA and appendectomy, with parallel increased incidence of complicated cases in all age groups.

Target Therapies for NASH/NAFLD: From the Molecular Aspect to the Pharmacological and Surgical Alternatives.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease represents an increasing cause of chronic hepatic disease in recent years. This condition usually arises in patients with multiple comorbidities, the so-called metabolic syndrome. The therapeutic options are multiple, ranging from lifestyle modifications, pharmacological options, to liver transplantation in selected cases. The choice of the most beneficial one and their interactions can be challenging. It is mandatory to stratify the patients according to the severity of their disease to tailor the available treatments. In our contribution, we review the most recent pharmacological target therapies, the role of bariatric surgery, and the impact of liver transplantation on the NAFLD outcome.

Conditional Recurrence-Free Survival after Oncologic Extended Resection for Gallbladder Cancer: An International Multicenter Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Data to guide surveillance following oncologic extended resection (OER) for gallbladder cancer (GBC) are lacking. Conditional recurrence-free survival (C-RFS) can inform surveillance. We aimed to estimate C-RFS and identify factors affecting conditional RFS after OER for GBC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with ≥ T1b GBC who underwent curative-intent surgery in 2000-2018 at four countries were identified. Risk factors for recurrence and RFS were evaluated at initial resection in all patients and at 12 and 24 months after resection in patients remaining recurrence-free. RESULTS: Of the 1071 patients who underwent OER, 484 met the inclusion criteria; 290 (60%) were recurrence-free at 12 months, and 199 (41%) were recurrence-free at 24 months. Median follow-up was 24.5 months for all patients and 47.21 months in survivors at analysis. Five-year RFS rates were 47% for the overall population, 71% for patients recurrence-free at 12 months, and 87% for the patients without recurrence at 24 months. In the entire cohort, the risk of recurrence peaked at 8 months. T3-T4 disease was independently associated with recurrence in all groups: entire cohort [hazard ratio (HR) 2.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.49-3.13, P < 0.001], 12-month recurrence-free (HR 3.42, 95% CI 1.88-6.23, P < 0.001), and 24-month recurrence-free (HR 2.71, 95% CI 1.11-6.62, P = 0.029). Of the 125 patients without these risk factors, only 2 had recurrence after 36 months. CONCLUSION: C-RFS improves over time, and only T3-T4 disease remains a risk factor for recurrence at 24 months after OER for GBC. For all recurrence-free survivors after 36 months, the probability of recurrence is similar regardless of T category or disease stage.

Critical systematic review on hepatic resection and transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Whether to submit to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) or hepatic resection (HR) patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still a debated issue. We conducted a systematic review to critically analyze what evidence supports the use of TACE, in a specific clinical condition that can define HCC as 'intermediate'. In addition, we analyzed literature regarding the comparison between TACE and HR. Direct comparisons, between HR and TACE, strongly support the adoption of surgery for patients with large or multinodular HCCs since, albeit 'nonideal' surgical candidates, these patients can still obtain a survival benefit. Multidisciplinary teams can mitigate the different decision-making approach of surgeons and hepatologists with the aim of obtaining the best quality of care.

Impact of age on short-term outcomes of liver surgery: Lessons learned in 10-years' experience in a tertiary referral hepato-pancreato-biliary center.

We investigate the surgical outcomes of patients undergoing hepatectomy according to different age intervals, identify the clinical factors related to surgical outcomes, and propose clinical risk scores for severe morbidity and mortality based on the clinical factors.Eight hundred three patients undergoing liver resection were divided into 3 groups: young patients (YP), <65 years (n = 387), elderly patients (EP), from 65 to 74 years (n = 279); very-elderly patients (VEP), ≥75 years (n = 137).Severe morbidity was 10.6%, 12.2%, and 17.5% (P = .103), and mortality was 0.3%, 1.4%, and 4.4% (P = .002) in group YP, EP, and VEP, respectively. Ischemic heart disease, cirrhosis, major hepatectomy, biliary tract-associated procedure, and red blood cells (RBC) transfusion ≥3 U were related with severe morbidity. Ischemic heart disease, cirrhosis, major hepatectomy, and RBC transfusion were independent risk factors for postoperative mortality. Age did not result an independent factor related to mortality and severe morbidity. Two different scores were developed and have proved to be statistically related with severe morbidity and mortality. Moreover, in patients with score ≥2, severe morbidity increased from 24.2% in YP, to 29.3% in EP, and to 40.0% in VEP, P = .047. Likewise, mortality increased from 2.3% in YP, to 7.0% in EP, and to 22.7% in VEP, in patients with score ≥2, P = .017.Age alone should not be considered a contraindication for hepatectomy. We identified factors and proposed 2 scores that can be useful to stratify the risk of morbidity and mortality after hepatectomy. Moreover, severe morbidity and mortality increases according to the different age intervals in patients with scores ≥2.