Endoscopic stent insertion into the gallbladder for symptomatic gallbladder disease in patients with end-stage liver disease

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic stent insertion into the gallbladder entails placement of a double-pigtail polyethylene stent between the gallbladder and the duodenum at ERCP. This procedure may be an effective temporary measure in patients with severe comorbid conditions, especially end-stage liver disease, that subsequently allows more definitive therapy, including liver transplantation. METHODS: The records for 29 patients who underwent attempted endoscopic gallbladder stent insertion between May 1999 and May 2004 were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 47 years; 86% of the patients were listed for liver transplantation, with a mean model for end-stage liver disease score of 15; 72% had Child's class B cirrhosis. Indications for gallbladder stent placement included recurrent biliary colic (69%), acute cholecystitis (17%), acalculous cholecystitis (7%), and gallstone pancreatitis (7%). Of the 29 patients who underwent ERCP, stent placement was successful in 26 (90%). Median follow-up was 9.4 months (range 0.1-40.5 months). Of those who had a stent placed, 6 (22%) subsequently underwent liver transplantation and another 15 (56%) were alive, most awaiting liver transplantation. Only 3 patients had late a complication or recurrence of biliary symptoms after stent placement. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic stent placement in the gallbladder is a safe and an effective palliative treatment for patients with symptoms caused by gallbladder disease who are poor surgical candidates.     

The Successful Treatment of Chronic Cholecystitis with SpyGlass Cholangioscopy-Assisted Gallbladder Drainage and Irrigation through Self-Expandable Metal Stents

A 34-year-old female with a history of advanced pulmonary sarcoidosis and right-sided heart failure presented with chronic, postprandial right upper quadrant pain, and weight loss. Endoscopic biliary drainage was deemed to be the most appropriate therapeutic option for her chronic cholecystitis. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography utilizing the SpyGlass cholangioscopy system allowed us to access the cystic duct through which the gallbladder was ultimately decompressed, via biliary stent placement and gallstone irrigation. This is the first report of SpyScope assisted placement of fully covered self-expandable metal biliary stents into the cystic duct enabling definitive treatment of symptomatic chronic cholecystitis and cholelithiasis without cholecystectomy.     

Therapeutic approaches for portal biliopathy: A systematic review

Portal biliopathy(PB) is defined as the presence of biliary abnormalities in patients with non-cirrhotic/nonneoplastic extrahepatic portal vein obstruction(EHPVO) and portal cavernoma(PC). The pathogenesis of PB is due to ab extrinseco compression of bile ducts by PC and/or to ischemic damage secondary to an altered biliary vascularization in EHPVO and PC. Although asymptomatic biliary abnormalities can be frequently seen by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography in patients with PC(77%-100%), only a part of these(5%-38%) are symptomatic. Clinical presentation includes jaundice, cholangitis, cholecystitis, abdominal pain, and cholelithiasis. In this subset of patients is required a specific treatment. Different therapeutic approaches aimed to diminish portal hypertension and treat biliary strictures are available. In order to decompress PC, surgical porto-systemic shunt or transjugular intrahepatic porto-systemic shunt can be performed, and treatment on the biliary stenosis includes endoscopic(Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with endoscopic sphincterotomy, balloon dilation, stone extraction, stent placement) and surgical(bilioenteric anastomosis, cholecystectomy) approaches. Definitive treatment of PB often requires multiple and combined interventions both on vascular and biliary system. Liver transplantation can be considered in patients with secondary biliary cirrhosis, recurrent cholangitis or unsuccessful control of portal hypertension.     

Percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder stenting for recurrent acute acalculous cholecystitis after failed endoscopic attempt

Endoscopic gallbladder stenting is useful palliative therapy for acute cholecystitis in high‐risk patients. Although the success rate of endoscopic gallbladder stenting is 79%–100%, an alternative method has not been reported. We succeeded in employing a method for percutaneous gallbladder stenting (PTGS) and herein describe this new method. A patient with acute acalculous cholecystitis related to ischemic atherosclerotic vascular disease, cholangitis due to Lemmel syndrome, and severe congestive heart failure underwent PTGS through the cystic duct from the gallbladder to the duodenal papilla, because an endoscopic method failed in the treatment of Lemmel syndrome. Because we were unable to place endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage, percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) was performed and both the cholecystitis and cholangitis ceased. PTGS was performed as an alternative to endoscopic gallbladder stenting. Access to the cystic duct and gallbladder was obtained by the PTGBD route, using a guidewire (0.035‐inch diameter) and seeking catheter (6.5 Fr) under fluoroscopic control. A 7‐Fr 12‐cm double‐pigtail biliary polyethylene stent was placed. The patient remained asymptomatic for 3 months after the PTGS until he died, of an acute recurrent myocardial infarction. This new PTGS placement is an alternative treatment for symptomatic gallbladder disease in patients with increased operative risk when the endoscopic method is unsuccessful.     

Management of Gallstones and Acute Cholecystitis in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: What Should We Consider When Performing Surgery?

Acute cholecystitis and several gallbladder stone-related conditions, such as impacted common bile duct stones, cholangitis, and biliary pancreatitis, are common medical conditions in daily practice. An early cholecystectomy or drainage procedure with delayed cholecystectomy is the current standard of treatment based on published clinical guidelines. Cirrhosis is not only a condition of chronically impaired hepatic function but also has systemic effects in patients. In cirrhotic individuals, several predisposing factors, including changes in the bile acid composition, increased nucleation of bile, and decreased motility of the gallbladder, contribute to the formation of biliary stones and the possibility of symptomatic cholelithiasis, which is an indication for surgical treatment. In addition to these predisposing factors for cholelithiasis, systemic effects and local anatomic consequences related to cirrhosis lead to anesthesiologic risks and perioperative complications in cirrhotic patients. Therefore, the treatment of the aforementioned biliary conditions in cirrhotic patients has become a challenging issue. In this review, we focus on cholecystectomy for cirrhotic patients and summarize the surgical indications, risk stratification, surgical procedures, and surgical outcomes specific to cirrhotic patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis.     

Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage with replacement of a covered self-expandable metal stent

Endoscopic self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) placement has become a standard palliative therapy for pa- tients with malignant biliary obstruction. Acute cholecystitis after SEMS placement is a serious complication. We report a patient with an acute cholecystitis after covered SEMS placement, who was managed successfully with endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage (ETGBD) and replacement of the covered SEMS. An 85-year-old man with pancreatic cancer suffered from acute cholecystitis after covered SEMS placement. It was impossible to perform percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage. After removal of the covered SEMS with a snare, a 7Fr double pigtail stent was placed between the gallbladder and duodenum, subsequently followed by another covered SEMS insertion into the common bile duct beside the gallbladder stent. The cholecystitis improved immediately after ETGBD. ETGBD with replacement of the covered SEMS thus proved to be effective for treatment of patients with acute cholecystitis after covered SEMS placement.     

2 Imaging and intervention in patients with acute right upper quadrant disease

Because of the high diagnostic yield, its widespread availability and the possibility of bedside examinations, US has become the imaging modality of choice in patients with acute right upper quadrant pain caused by inflammatory disorders such as liver abscesses, acute cholangitis and acute cholecystitis. Computed tomography (CT) can be reserved for more complex cases. US, often in combination with fluoroscopy, is also widely used to control interventions. In patients with liver abscesses the therapeutic strategy is determined by the size of the abscess, its uni- or multifocal presentation and the causative micro-organisms cultured after diagnostic percutaneous aspiration. Small-sized pyogenic abscesses (<3 cm), most fungal and amoebic abscesses can be treated medically. Large-sized pyogenic abscesses should be drained percutaneously and can be cured in 75–90%. Surgery should be restricted to patients with prolonged sepsis after percutaneous drainage and patients with infected pre-existing hepatic lesions.In patients with acute cholangitis drainage of the infected bile is essential. Invasive imaging such as percutaneous or endoscopic cholangiography should only be done with the intention to drain. The use of endoscopic procedures such as nasobiliary drainage, stent placement and sphincterotomy has decreased mortality rates dramatically. Percutaneous drainage should be considered in patients in whom endoscopic procedures fail. Surgery may have a place in the treatment of bile duct obstruction which causes cholangitis.In patients with suspected acute cholecystitis, imaging modalities such as cholescintigraphy and CT can be reserved for patients with inconclusive sonographic studies and more complex cases. The contribution of percutaneous gallbladder aspiration and culture to diagnose acute cholecystitis seems limited. Percutaneous cholecystostomy is an effective procedure with a low morbidity and mortality for high-risk patients. The drainage catheter in the gallbladder does not interfere with cholecystectomy at a later stage in patients with calculous cholecystitis. In most patients with acalculous cholecystitis, percutaneous cholecystectomy provides a definitive treatment.     

Cholecystectomy improves long-term success after endoscopic treatment of CBD stones

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim was to study prospectively primary endoscopic treatment of CBD stones and further the long-term need for renewed gallstone disease interventions, defined as short- and long-term outcome. METHODOLOGY: Seven years prospective follow-up of 101 consecutive patients with CBD stones who underwent endoscopic treatment with the intent of primarily achieving duct clearance. RESULTS: Many patients underwent several endoscopy sessions before stone clearance was completed in 83%. Eleven patients were treated surgically, 2 patients received a permanent stent, and the remaining 3 became stone free with other means. Complications occurred in 47 patients. During follow-up, 31 patients were readmitted for gallstone disease and 15 of these had recurrent CBD stones. Ten percent (8/78) of patients with the gallbladder in situ had acute cholecystitis during follow-up and late cholecystectomy was carried out in 22%. Risk factors for new gallstone disease were an in situ gallbladder containing stones and previous episodes of CBD stones. CONCLUSIONS: A goal of complete CBD stone clearance with ERC and ES proved to be relatively resource consuming. Subsequent cholecystectomy after duct clearance for CBD should be advised when the gallbladder lodges gallstones, especially in younger patients. Recurrent CBD stones were not influenced by cholecystectomy.     

Gallbladder dyskinesia in chronic acalculous cholecystitis

To test the hypothesis that there is an early stage of cholesterol gallstone formation in man characterized by symptoms of chronic cholecystitis, poor gallbladder emptying, and biliary cholesterol crystals, we studied cholecystokinin-stimulated gallbladder emptying by DISIDA scintigraphy and examined bile for cholesterol crystals in symptomatic patients with normal oral cholecystography and gallbladder sonography. Of 36 patients studied, 16 had biliary cholesterol crystals; their mean 30-min gallbladder ejection fraction was 25.9±14.8%. Among the 20 patients without crystals, the mean ejection fraction was 60.3±23.3%. Fifteen patients, 11 with crystals and four without, had cholecystectomy because of persistent symptoms. All with crystals preoperatively and three without had chronic cholecystitis histologically. One patient without crystals had normal histology. We conclude that poor gallbladder contractility, well-established as an etiologic factor in animal models of cholesterol cholelithiasis, is now linked to acalculous cholecystitis, an early stage of human cholesterol cholelithiasis.     

Endoscopic treatment of biliary tract disease prior to orthotopic liver transplantation

Opinion statement Endoscopic therapy for biliary tract disease in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) before liver transplantation is safe and effective. Reported results in patients with choledocholithiasis, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), and symptomatic gallbladder diseases are encouraging. Prompt recognition and appropriate treatment of symptomatic gallbladder and bile duct disease are important in reducing morbidity and mortality in these high-risk patients while they await liver transplantation. Confirmation of tissue diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma in patients with sclerosing cholangitis is still difficult. Better screening tools and diagnostic methods are necessary for early detection. Because liver transplantation is the only definitive therapy for patients with advanced cirrhosis, maintenance of their candidacy with either endoscopic or radiologic therapeutic interventions is warranted until transplantation. Endoscopic therapy is the preferred method when feasible. If necessary, percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) is a viable alternative because both avoid the attendant risks of surgery in a high-risk population with advanced liver disease.     

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided gallbladder drainage for acute cholecystitis: Long-term outcomes after removal of a self-expandable metal stent

AIM To assess the long-term outcomes of this procedure after removal of self-expandable metal stent(SEMS). The efficacy and safety of endoscopic ultrasoundguided gallbladder drainage(EUS-GBD) with SEMS were also assessed.METHODS Between January 2010 and April 2015, 12 patients with acute calculous cholecystitis, who were deemed unsuitable for cholecystectomy, underwent EUSGBD with a SEMS. EUS-GBD was performed under the guidance of EUS and fluoroscopy, by puncturing the gallbladder with a needle, inserting a guidewire, dilating the puncture hole, and placing a SEMS. TheSEMS was removed and/or replaced with a 7-Fr plastic pigtail stent after cholecystitis improved. The technical and clinical success rates, adverse event rate, and recurrence rate were all measured.RESULTS The rates of technical success, clinical success, and adverse events were 100%, 100%, and 0%, respectively. After cholecystitis improved, the SEMS was removed without replacement in eight patients, whereas it was replaced with a 7-Fr pigtail stent in four patients. Recurrence was seen in one patient(8.3%) who did not receive a replacement pigtail stent. The median follow-up period after EUS-GBD was 304 d(78-1492).CONCLUSION EUS-GBD with a SEMS is a possible alternative treatment for acute cholecystitis. Long-term outcomes after removal of the SEMS were excellent. Removal of the SEMS at 4-wk after SEMS placement and improvement of symptoms might avoid migration of the stent and recurrence of cholecystitis due to food impaction.     

Endoscopic treatment of anastomotic biliary strictures after deceased donor liver transplantation: outcomes after maximal stent therapy

BACKGROUND: The optimal endoscopic treatment for anastomotic biliary strictures after deceased donor liver transplantation is undefined. Endoscopic therapy with conventional methods of biliary dilation and stent placement has been successful but often requires prolonged therapy. OBJECTIVE: To determine the outcomes of an aggressive endoscopic approach that uses endoscopic dilation followed by maximal stent placement. SETTING: Tertiary-care academic medical center. PATIENTS: Of 176 patients who underwent deceased donor liver transplantation between June 1999 and July 2004, 25 were diagnosed with anastomotic biliary strictures. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were treated endoscopically with a combined technique of balloon dilation and maximal stent placement. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Treatment outcomes, including bile-duct patency, a need for surgical intervention, morbidity, and mortality, were evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: Endoscopic dilation followed by maximal stent placement was performed until resolution of strictures in 22 of 25 patients (88% immediate success on intent-to-treat analysis). Persistent resolution of strictures was achieved in 18 of these 22 patients. Re-treatment was successful in 2 of 4 patients with recurrent strictures. Overall, 20 of 22 patients who completed endoscopic therapy (91%) avoided surgical intervention. Median duration of endoscopic treatment was 4.6 months. Patients with early onset strictures required a significantly shorter duration of endoscopic therapy (3 vs 9 months; P<.01). Multiple stent placement was not technically difficult, and no major complications were encountered. CONCLUSIONS: Aggressive endoscopic therapy with combined biliary dilation and maximal stent placement allows resolution of anastomotic biliary strictures after deceased donor liver transplantation in a relatively short period, with sustained success and minimal complications.     

Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis: report of a case and literature review on clinical differentiating factors from gallbladder carcinoma

Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) is a rare, benign, destructive inflammatory disease of the gallbladder that is assumed to be a variant of chronic cholecystitis. We herein present a rare case of XGC, which simulates gallbladder carcinoma with extensive involvement of the liver, omentum and the biliary trees. At surgery, total cholecystectomy with partial hepatectomy of the gallbladder bed and excision of adjacent xanthogranulomatous tissue was performed, but bilio‐enteric anastomosis for biliary decompression, which was the procedure preoperatively planned, was impossible to indicate because the common bile duct could not be clearly exposed by its infiltration showing mass formation. Therefore, retrograde transhepatic biliary drainage was eventually indicated for subsequent endoscopic therapy using stent placement to deal with the biliary structure caused by XGC. The patient has been leading a normal life after stent placement in the biliary tract for 6 months duration without any symptoms suggesting biliary stricture. In conclusion, XGC can simulate gallbladder cancer in its clinical presentation, radiological findings and even gross operative features. It is important to make preoperative ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration cytological diagnosis or intraoperative pathological diagnosis in order to avoid misdiagnosis and unnecessary therapy. Cholecystectomy, excision of adjacent xanthogranulomatous tissue, which often includes partial hepatic resection, are still the best management of XGC.     

Experience with 1904 laparoscopic cholecystectomies at a private hospital

The purpose of this paper is to describe our recent experience in performing laparoscopic cholecystectomies of which we performed 1904, from January 1991 to May 1997, at our private hospital, mainly to treat cholecystolithiasis. The patients included 1563 with gallbladder stones (82.0%), 82 with cholecystocholedocholithiasis (4.3%), 104 with adenomyomatosis (5.5%), 132 with polyps (6.9%), and 23 with gallbladder cancer (1.3%). A difficult pericholecystic dissection led to conversion to open surgery in 61 patients. The average operation time was 63 min. Bile duct injury or cystic artery bleeding occurred in 3 patients with acute cholecystitis, and small intestine injury occurred in 1 patient, while bile leakage or a right subphrenic abscess occurred in 6 patients postoperatively. Although this series included 69 patients with previous upper abdominal surgery, 14 with liver cirrhosis, 267 with a nonvisualized gallbladder, and 148 with acute cholecystitis, the overall conversion rate was only 3.2% and morbidity only 0.5%. Although almost all patients with cholelithiasis are now considered potential candidates for a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, difficulties during cholecystectomy have been encountered in patients with acute cholecystitis. Surgeons should thus be fully prepared to convert to open surgery whenever difficulties are encountered, in order to avoid complication.     

Risk factors for cholecystitis after metal stent placement in malignant biliary obstruction

BACKGROUND: Cholecystitis related to metal stent placement is a morbid event. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the risk factors of cholecystitis after metal stenting for malignant biliary obstruction. PATIENTS: Between December 1997 and April 2003, 155 patients who were treated with a metal stent for malignant biliary obstruction were retrospectively enrolled. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: The incidence and characteristics of patients with cholecystitis were evaluated and compared with those of patients without cholecystitis. Patient characteristics and tumor or procedure-related data were recorded for the following variables: sex, age, tumor and stent length, stent type (covered vs uncovered), cholangitis before ERCP, degree of gallbladder filling with contrast medium during ERCP, primary disease type (Klatskin vs others), presence of gallbladder stones, and the relationship of the cystic duct orifice to the location of the tumor (across vs others). RESULTS: There were 15 (9.7%) patients diagnosed with cholecystitis after metal stent insertion. The onset of cholecystitis was on average 4.6 days (range 1 to 26) after the procedure. We found that an obstruction across the cystic duct orifice by tumor (P < .01, odds ratio 12.7) and the presence of gallbladder stone (P = .01, odds ratio 6.6) were positively related to the cholecystitis after metal stent insertion. LIMITATIONS: The limitations of the study were the use of multiple types of stents and the retrospective design. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that an obstruction across the cystic duct by tumor and the presence of gallbladder stone were risk factors for the development of cholecystitis after metal stent placement.     

Coincidence of liver cirrhosis and gallstones

In the years 1957-1975 we found out of 13336 autopsies in a medium-sized urban general hospital 912 cases of cirrhosis of the liver. In comparison these persons with sections of non-cirrhotic controls the frequency of gallstones was neither for the total group (33.9%) nor for the males (27.1%) significantly raised. Only in the female subgroup of cirrhotic patients we could demonstrate a significantly increased frequency of gallstones (43.5%) in comparison to the female control group (38.3%). With regards to all kinds of predominantly lithogenous alterations of the gallbladder (concrements, chronic cholecystitis, cholecystectomy) we found for the cirrhotic group and its subgroups a significant positive coincidence of both diseases. The female to male ratio for the frequency of cholelithiasis and for all kinds of lithogenous alterations of the gallbladder was 1.6:1 for the cirrhotic group and the controls.     

Detection of gallbladder disease in patients with normal oral cholecystograms

An endoscopic biliary drainage technique was used in the study of 70 patients. All had histories suggestive of gallbladder disease but with normal oral cholecystograms. Of the 29 patients with abnormal drainage studies, 26 had cholecystectomy with all specimens showing cholecystitis, and cholelithiasis was seen in 46%. Five of the 41 patients with normal drainages underwent cholecystectomy, with no abnormality noted in any surgical specimen. Significant differences were seen when the mean WBC count, frequency of leukocytosis, and back pain were compared between the normal and abnormal drainage groups. Biliary drainage is a useful supplemental test when a false-negative oral cholecystogram is suspected.     

Endoscopic naso-gallbladder drainage versus gallbladder stenting before cholecystectomy in patients with acute cholecystitis and a high suspicion of choledocholithiasis: a prospective randomised preliminary study

Objective Endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage using a nasocystic tube or plastic stent has been attempted as an alternative to percutaneous drainage for patients with acute cholecystitis who are not candidates for urgent cholecystectomy. We aimed to assess the efficacy of single-step endoscopic drainage of the common bile duct and gallbladder, and to evaluate which endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage method is ideal as a bridge before elective cholecystectomy. Materials and methods From July 2011 to December 2014, 35 patients with acute moderate-to-severe cholecystitis and a suspicion of choledocholithiasis were randomly assigned to the endoscopic naso-gallbladder drainage (ENGBD) (n?=?17) or endoscopic gallbladder stenting (EGBS) (n?=?18) group. Results Bile duct clearance was performed successfully in all cases. No significant differences were found between the ENGBD and EGBS groups in the technical success rates [82.4% (14/17) vs. 88.9% (16/18), p?=?0.658] and clinical success rates [by intention-to-treat analysis: 70.6% (12/17) vs. 83.3% (15/18), p?=?0.443; by per protocol analysis of technically feasible cases: 85.7% (12/14) vs. 93.8% (15/16), p?=?0.586]. Three ENGBD patients and two EGBS patients experienced adverse events (p?=?0.658). No significant differences were found in operation time or rate of conversion to open cholecystectomy. Conclusions Single-step endoscopic transpapillary drainage of the common bile duct and gallbladder seems to be an acceptable therapeutic modality in patients with acute cholecystitis and a suspicion of choledocholithiasis. There were no significant differences in the technical and clinical outcomes between ENGBD and EGBS as a bridge before cholecystectomy.     

Gallbladder carcinoma as an incidental finding]

Between March 1982 and December 1990, 903 patients underwent elective cholecystectomy. In 40 patients cholecystectomy was performed for gallbladder carcinoma. 15 malignomas (1.7%) were found incidentally. Preoperatively no anamnestic or diagnostic tumor signs were found in this group of patients. An en-bloc-resection of the gallbladder with resection of the bordering liver segments was performed when gallbladder carcinoma was diagnosed intraoperatively. When the diagnosis was established by postoperative histology, a relaparotomy with liver resection and lymphnode-dissection was done, except in one case (T-1a stage). Histology showed adenocarcinoma in 11 out of 15 cases. No significant difference in the course of the disease was observed in patients with gallbladder carcinoma of different types. The hospital mortality rate was 0% after curative and palliative surgical treatment of gallbladder carcinoma. Patients with T-1 and T-2 stage have survived without tumor-recurrence up to now. The median survival time after surgery for gallbladder carcinoma in T-3 stage was 17 months, and 8 months in T-4 stage. The morbidity rate after elective cholecystectomy is low and hospital mortality is 0%. According to the short survival times in advanced stages of gallbladder carcinoma, a prompt cholecystectomy in symptomatic gallbladder lithiasis or chronic cholecystitis is advocated.