Primary sclerosing cholangitis complicated with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
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We present a 66-year-old woman with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) complicated with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). Both PSC and ITP are considered to reflect an immunological disturbance. However, their coexistence is very rare and to the best of our knowledge this is only the second reported case. In Japan, PSC patients are rarely treated with liver transplantation. Fortunately, the present patient underwent successful hepatic transplantation from a brain-dead donor and simultaneous splenectomy. This case emphasizes the importance of liver transplantation as an effective treatment for primary sclerosing cholangitis. (+info)
Endoscopic transpapillary bile duct biopsy with the combination of intraductal ultrasonography in the diagnosis of biliary strictures.
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BACKGROUND: When endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) guided bile duct biopsy fails to demonstrate malignancy, it remains unclear how to manage patients with presumably malignant strictures. AIMS: To evaluate the value of intraductal ultrasonography (IDUS) when bile duct biopsy is negative. METHODS: Sixty two patients with strictures of the bile duct were studied prospectively. During ERCP, IDUS was performed using an ultrasonic probe (diameter 2.0 mm; frequency 20 MHz). Following IDUS, a bile duct biopsy was performed using forceps (diameter 1.8 mm). The IDUS images of the tumour were classified as polypoid lesions, localised wall thickening, intraductal sessile tumours, sessile tumour outside of the bile duct, or absence of apparent lesion. The bile duct wall structures at the site of the tumour as well as the maximum diameter of the tumour were also analysed. The IDUS findings were compared with the histological findings or clinical course. RESULTS: When the IDUS images showed a polypoid lesion (n=19), localised wall thickening (n=8), intraductal sessile tumour (n=13), and sessile tumour outside of the bile duct (n = 20), the sensitivities of the biopsy were 80%, 50%, 92%, and 53%, respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed that the presence of sessile tumour (intraductal or outside of the bile duct: p<0.05), tumour size greater than 10.0 mm (p<0.001), and interrupted wall structure (p<0.05) were independent variables that predicted malignancy. CONCLUSION: When biopsy fails to demonstrate evidence of malignancy, the presence of sessile tumour (intraductal or outside of the bile duct), tumour size greater than 10.0 mm, and interrupted wall structure on IDUS images are factors that can predict malignancy. (+info)
Is cholecystectomy necessary after ERCP for bile duct stones in patients with gallbladder in situ?
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BACKGROUND: The requirement for subsequent cholecystectomy in patients with gallbladder in situ after endoscopic removal of stones from the common bile duct (CBD) is controversial. The aims of this study were to assess the requirement for subsequent cholecystectomy for gallbladder-related symptoms, and to identify the patients who develop symptoms after the endoscopic removal of CBD stones. METHODS: Of 241 patients with gallbladder in situ following endoscopic removal of stones from the CBD, 146 patients (78 men and 68 women; mean age 69 +/- 13 years, range 20-93) with a follow-up time of more than three months without elective cholecystectomy were enrolled in the study. Fifty-nine patients had gallbladder stones (single stones in 27 and multiple stones in 32) and 87 patients had gallbladder in situ without stones. The time from entry to the occurrences of death or cholecystectomy was evaluated retrospectively. Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the risk factors associated with these events. RESULTS: The mean duration of follow-up was 24.1 +/- 18.0 months (range 3-70 months). During follow-up, seven patients (4.8%) underwent cholecystectomy, on average 18.4 months after CBD stone removal, as the result of acute cholecystitis in four cases, biliary pain in two cases and acute pancreatitis in one case. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed in four patients and open cholecystectomy in three patients. Post-operative morbidity occurred in two patients, with improvement after conservative management. Nine patients (6.2%) died as the result of unrelated biliary disease. Age, sex, presence of gallbladder stones, multiplicity of gallbladder stones and underlying disease did not correlate with subsequent cholecystectomy by Cox regression analysis. CONCLUSION: Elective cholecystectomy is not warranted in patients with bile duct stones when the common duct can be cleared of stones by endoscopic sphincterotomy. We could not find any clinical predictors of further symptoms or complications arising from the retained gallbladder. (+info)
Management of gallstone pancreatitis: effects of deviation from clinical guidelines.
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CONTEXT: Recently published management guidelines for acute pancreatitis provide a standard against which practice can be measured. Specifically it is recommended all patients with gallstone induced pancreatitis have definitive clearance of gallstones within four weeks. OBJECTIVE: To determine if practice in our institution followed these guidelines and to analyse the effects of delayed clearance of gallstones. METHODS: Seventy-six consecutive patients with gallstone pancreatitis presenting within a 15 month period were prospectively studied to compare management with national guidelines and to determine rates of recurrent biliary-pancreatic disease due to delay in clearance of gallstones. RESULTS: Only 5 of 76 patients (6.6%) had operative removal of gallstones within four weeks of their episode of acute pancreatitis. Only 34 of 76 patients (44.7%) had their gallstones removed during the follow up period (minimum 8 months). Fourteen of 76 patients (18.4%) had unplanned readmissions to hospital with biliary-pancreatic disease, necessitating a total of 135 days in hospital. CONCLUSIONS: It is clear from this study that guidelines for the management of gallstone acute pancreatitis are not being met, resulting in high rates of readmission with related disease. (+info)
Transduodenal sphincteroplasty and transampullary septectomy for sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.
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BACKGROUND: The diagnosis and management of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction are controversial issues. Both surgical and endoscopic series report modest success in the treatment of this condition. There is evidence from endoscopic series that the Milwaukee classification could predict the clinical outcome after sphincterotomy. We reviewed our long-term results of surgical sphincter ablation for sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, in order to correlate outcome with underlining pathology (biliary versus pancreatic) and Milwaukee biliary group classification. PATIENTS AND METHODS: During a 10 year period (1987-1996), 36 patients with either biliary (n = 26) or pancreatic (n = 10) presentation of suspected sphincter of Oddi dysfunction were selected for surgery according to a standard protocol of investigation and management. All patients were classified according to the Milwaukee classification for the biliary group or its version for the pancreatic group and had transduodenal sphincteroplasty and transampullary septectomy. RESULTS: Despite a trend towards a better outcome in the biliary group (good result 62%, moderate 23%, poor 15%) compared to the pancreatic (good result 40%, moderate 40%, poor 20%) the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.48). Milwaukee classification for the biliary group correlated well with a favourable outcome (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The modest outcome despite careful patient selection for surgery emphasises the need for more objective diagnostic tools. Milwaukee classification appears to be of good predictive value, and a good result can be anticipated in type I or even type II patients. The trend towards a better outcome in the biliary group may reflect the weakness of a drainage procedure to treat patients with parenchymal pancreatic disease. (+info)
Modalities of testing Helicobacter pylori in patients with nonmalignant bile duct diseases.
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AIM: This paper describes the procedure of detection of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) in bile specimens in patients suffering from benign diseases of biliary ducts (lithiasis with/without nonspecific cholangitis). METHODS: The group of 72 patients entering the study consisted of 32 male and 40 female (45% and 55%, respectively). Bile was obtained during ERCP in 68 patients, and during cholecystectomy in 4 patients. A fast urease test (FUT) to determine the existence of H. pylori in gastric mucosa was carried out for all the patients during the endoscopic examination. The existence of genetic material of H. pylori was determined by detection of ureA gene by the method of nested PCR. The results of this reaction were shown by electrophoresis on 10g.L(-1) agarose gel in a band of 256bp. RESULTS: The majority of the patients included in our study had biliary lithiasis without signs of cholangitis (48 patients, 67%), whereas other patients were complicated by cholangitis (17 patients, 24%). Seven patients (9%) had normal ERCP, forming thus the control group. In the group of patients with lithiasis 26 patients (54.2%) had positive PCR of H. pylori in bile and among the patients with associated cholangitis positive PCR was detected in 9 patients (52.9%). Among the seven patients with normal ERCP only one (14%) had positive PCR of H. pylori. A high percentage of H. pylori infection of gastric mucosa was observed (57 patients, 79%). It was also observed that its slightly higher positivity was in the patients with distinct bile pathology: 81% FUT positive patients in the group with choledocholithiasis alone and 76% in the group with choledocholithiasis associated with cholangitis. Seventy-one percent of the patients with regular findings had positive FUT. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of H. pylori infection both in bile and in gastric mucosa in patients with benign diseases of biliary ducts does not show a statistically significant difference in relation to the prevalence of the same with the patients with normal ERCP. The existence of H. pylori infection possibly does not play a role in pathogenesis of benign biliary diseases. (+info)
Antibiotic prophylaxis prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with obstructive jaundice: is it worth the cost?
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BACKGROUND: There are few published data concerning the economic impact of antibiotic prophylaxis prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in the setting of biliary obstruction. AIM: To perform decision analysis to determine the costs of prophylaxis in patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for obstructive jaundice. METHODS: A decision analysis model was constructed. The probability of biliary sepsis, death and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography complications was obtained from the medical literature and from a retrospective analysis of our own experience. Costs were obtained from Medicare reimbursement at our institution. The strategies evaluated were endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with and without single-dose antibiotic prophylaxis. We compared the total costs, number of episodes of cholangitis and deaths associated with each strategy. RESULTS: Based on published data and the results of our retrospective analysis, the strategy of administering single-dose prophylactic antibiotics prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with obstructive jaundice resulted in lower total costs, fewer episodes of cholangitis and fewer deaths compared to a strategy of not administering antibiotics. The results were sensitive to the rates of cholangitis, cost of antibiotics and the cost of treating an episode of cholangitis. CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotic prophylaxis prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography results in fewer cases of cholangitis and is cost saving when compared to a strategy of no prophylaxis in patients with obstructive jaundice. (+info)
Biliary metal stent as a nidus for bile duct stone.
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Several cases of recurrent stone formation caused by a surgical material as a nidus have been reported. Recently, we experienced one case in which a migrated metal stent might have been served as a nidus for common duct stone formation. The diagnosis was confirmed by ERCP, the stone was successfully removed with endoscopic therapy. Six years ago, she had undergone a lithotripsy using a percutaneous cholangioscopy (PTCS) because of intrahepatic bile duct stones. Six years later, she developed abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant. ERCP revealed the dilated extrahepatic bile duct and left intrahepatic bile duct and the presence of a large elongated freely mobile filling defect suggestive of common bile duct stone containing metal mesh in the distal common bile duct. The removed stone with endoscopic sphincterotomy was soft and dark brown in color with metal stent. (+info)