Mirizzi syndrome complicated by common hepatic duct fistula and left hepatic atrophy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Mirizzi syndrome is a rare complication of chronic cholecystitis, usually caused by gallstones impacted in the cystic duct or the neck of the gallbladder. Mirizzi syndrome results in compression of the hepatic duct or fistula formation between the gallbladder and common bile duct (or hepatic duct, right hepatic duct, or even mutative right posterior hepatic duct). Clinical features include abdominal pain, fever, and obstructive jaundice. Severe inflammation and adhesion at Calot's triangle are potentially very dangerous for patients with Mirizzi syndrome undergoing cholecystectomy. Case presentation: We report the case of a 68-year-old Asian woman who presented with abdominal pain and jaundice. She had a medical history of gallstones, but no fever. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, common hepatic duct stones, and ascites. Findings at surgery included a porcelainized, atrophic gallbladder that was full of gallstones, fistula formation between the gallbladder and common hepatic duct, and left hepatic atrophy. The prominent feature was the left hepatic atrophy, but stones were not visible pre-operatively in the left liver by radiologic examination. CONCLUSIONS: This patient exhibited what can be considered a special type II of Mirizzi syndrome with a fistula of the common hepatic duct as well as left hepatic atrophy.

[Mirizzi's syndrome: a rare cause of biliary tract obstruction: about a case and review of the literature]. / Le syndrome de Mirizzi: une cause rare de l'obstruction des voies biliaires: à propos d'un cas et revue de littérature.

Mirizzi's syndrome is a rare complication of chronic vesicular lithiasis with prevalence ranging from 0.7% to 1.4% among patients who have undergone cholecystectomy. It is characterized by cholestatic icterus associated with compression of the common bile duct due to lodged calculus in the vesicular neck or in the cystic duct. The disease can evolve toward the erosion through the common hepatic duct wall and, therefore, it can cause the formation of a gallbladder-biliary fistula. We here report a case of Mirizzi's syndrome type I in order to highlight the role of preoperative diagnosis which is made easier by endoscopic retrograde cholangiography or by cholangio-MRI, allowing to avoid iatrogenic bile duct injuries. We conducted a review of the available literature on various aspects of this syndrome, including its pathogenesis, diagnosis and management.

[RESULTS OF TREATMENT FOR MIRIZZI SYNDROME].

Results of diagnosis and treatment of 21 patients, suffering Mirizzi syndrome (MS), were analyzed. Informativity of ultrasound investigation and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in diagnosis of MS types I and II was presented. The first stage of treatment consisted of endoscopic interventions ­ lithotripsy with lithoextraction, the biliary ducts stenting, nasobiliary drainage. In 14.3% of patients surgical treatment was not necessary after endoscopic interventions. Variants of surgical treatment for MS were analyzed. In MS type I in 5 patients cholecystectomy was performed, and for type II ­ partial cholecystectomy with biliary ducts plasty ­ in 11, cholecystofistulolithotomy ­ in 2, hepaticojejunostomy ­ in 1.

[Diagnosis and surgical treatment of mirizzi syndrome].

Retrospective analysis of the surgical treatment results in 34 patients, operated for intraoperatively diagnosed Mirizzi syndrome (MS), was done. Analysis of intraoperative changes have witnessed, that while transition occurrence of MS from the first to the fifth type a severity of morphological changes in a gallbladder-biliary ducts-duodenum system enhanced with duodenal integrity loss and development of cholecystobiliary or cholecystodigestive fistula. Surgical correction of MS have envisaged cholecystectomy performance or subtotal resection of gallbladder, plastic closure of biliary fistula, using various procedures, external biliary draining and formation of hepaticojejunostomy in accordance to Roux method.

[CLINICO-ANATOMICAL EVALUATION OF MIRIZZI SYNDROME].

Presentation of diagnostic capabilities of Mirizzi syndrome in a surgical hospital given its pathological anatomy. Were analyzed 70 case-records of patients with different types of Mirizzi syndrome who were sorted out to groups, relying on extended classification, comprising 6 types. The advantages and disadvantages of diagnostic methods used in Mirizzi syndrome were examined. The evaluation of output data of a number of diagnostic studies promotes concretization of diagnosis. When uninformative results of ultrasound is received the performance of additional diagnostic procedures is necessary. Differential diagnosis between inflammation and cancer of the extrahepatic biliary tract is a complex task. Choosing a less traumatic and dangerous reconstructive surgery depends on the results of preoperative diagnosis.

Mirizzi syndrome: our experience with 27 cases in PUMC Hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively evaluate the diagnosis and treatment of Mirizzi syndrome (MS). METHODS: Patients who received elective or emergency cholecystectomies in our center during 23 years were retrospectively evaluated. The data reviewed included demography, clinical presentations, diagnostic methods, surgical procedures, postoperative complications, and follow-up. RESULTS: There were 27 patients diagnosed with MS among 8697 cholecystectomies performed during that period. The preoperative diagnostic modalities included ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. The incidence of MS Type I (12/27, 44.4%) had the dominance in the four types, the incidence of MS Type II and III were 33.3% (9/27) and 22.2% (6/27), and there were no MS Type IV patients. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed in 15 (55.6%) patients, but only 3 (11.1%) patients with MS Type I had a successful surgery, and the other 12 were converted to open cholecystectomy. The remaining 12 patients directly underwent open cholecystectomy. The surgical procedures except laparoscopic cholecystectomy included simply open cholecystectomy (including laparoscopic cholecystectomy converted to open cholecystectomy) (6/27, 22.2%), open cholecystectomy, T-tube placement with choledochotomy (9/27, 33.3%), open cholecystectomy, closure of the fistula with gallbladder cuff, T-tube placement (3/27, 11.1%), and open cholecystectomy with excision of the external bile ducts, and Roux-en-Y hepatico-jejunostomy (6/27, 22.2%). Of them, 88.9% (24/27) patients recovered uneventfully and were discharged in good condition without any operation related mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is a good method with diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Total or partial cholecystectomy is generally adequate for MS Type I. For MS Type II-IV, paritial cholecystectomy, choledochoplasty, or if impossible, Roux-en-Y hepatico-jejunostomy may be performed. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy may be successful in selected preoperatively diagnosed MS Type I patients, and open cholecystectomy is the standard therapeutic method.

Old is still gold.

Common bile duct injury is infrequent but a serious complication of cholecystectomy. Variable biliary anatomy has an increased risk of iatrogenic injury. Intraoperative cholangiogram can be performed to provide a clearer picture of biliary anatomy. We report a case of a 71-year-old lady who underwent cholecystectomy for symptomatic gallstones. Anatomy initially was misinterpreted at laparoscopy when common bile duct was identified as a cystic duct, and a hole in what appeared to be Hartmann's pouch was in fact in common hepatic duct. If continued laparoscopically, further misconception could have led to the complete excision of the biliary system. Instead, procedure was converted to an open and intraoperative cholangiogram performed, which confirmed a diagnosis of Mirizzi syndrome. Following the identification of structures, subtotal cholecystectomy was completed. The patient made an uneventful recovery. This case highlights the limitations of laparoscopy and the importance of an intraoperative cholangiogram. Despite advances in surgical techniques, we continue to advocate a low threshold for its use during cholecystectomy as a useful tool in evaluating and minimising the extent of biliary injury.

Diagnosis and treatment of Mirizzi syndrome: 23-year Mayo Clinic experience.

BACKGROUND: Mirizzi syndrome (MS) is characterized by extrinsic compression of the common hepatic duct by stones impacted in the cystic duct or gallbladder neck. Open cholecystectomy (OC) has been the standard treatment; however, laparoscopy has challenged this approach. STUDY DESIGN: The objective of this study was to review our clinical experience with MS since the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and determine the impact of alternative approaches. We conducted a retrospective review of patients with MS from January 1987 to December 2009. RESULTS: There were 36 patients with MS among 21,450 cholecystectomies (frequency 0.18%). Seventeen were women. The most common presenting symptoms were abdominal pain (n = 23) and jaundice (n = 19). Preoperative diagnostic studies included ultrasonography (n = 27), CT (n = 24), and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (n = 32). Cholecystectomy was performed in 35 patients; LC was initiated in 15 and OC in 21. Conversion rate from LC to OC was 67%. Five patients who had successful LC had type I MS. Of the patients who underwent LC with conversion or OC, 14 had type I and 16 had type II MS. The cystic duct for type I and the bile duct for type II MS were managed diversely according to surgeon's preference. There was no operative mortality. Morbidity was 31% with Clavien class I in 2, IIIa in 4, IIIb in 1, and IV in 3 patients. Mean hospitalization was 9 days (range 2 to 40 days). Mean follow-up was 37 months (range 1 to 187 months). CONCLUSIONS: Low incidence and nonspecific presentation of MS precludes referral and substantive individual experience. Although LC may be applicable in selected patients with type I MS, OC remains the standard of care.