Limited endoscopic sphincterotomy plus large balloon dilation for choledocholithiasis with periampullary diverticula

AIM: To investigate the effectiveness and safety of limited endoscopic sphincterotomy (EST) plus large balloon dilation (LBD) for removing choledocholithiasis in patients with periampullary diverticula (PAD). METHODS: A total of 139 patients with common bile duct (CBD) stones were treated with LBD (10-20 mm balloon diameter) after limited EST. Of this total, 73 patients had PAD and 66 patients did not have PAD (controls). The results of stone removal and complications were retrospectively evaluated. RESULTS...     

Endoscopic sphincterotomy in patients with "acalculus" cholangitis associated with juxtapapillary diverticula

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to investigate patients who underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy for "acalculus" cholangitis associated with juxtapapillary diverticula. METHODOLOGY: In a retrospective study we analyzed 87 patients who underwent endoscopic sphincterotomy for cholangitis; the cholangitis considered "acalculus", when outlining the extra- and intrahepatic bile ducts, we could not observe any intraluminal defect or stricture, and during the clearing of the bile ducts with the balloon, after endoscopic sphincterotomy, there was no evidence of stones, fragments of stones or sludge. Patients who had undergone previous endoscopic sphincterotomy, or who had additional pancreatobiliary diseases were excluded from this study. There were 11 patients with "acalculus" cholangitis associated with juxtapapillary diverticula, and sufficient clinical data available for this study. RESULTS: Nine patients presented pain, fever, and jaundice. In two patients diagnosis was established via the test of abnormal liver biochemistry. Seven patients had positive blood cultures and three of them developed confusion and hypotension. Endoscopic sphincterotomy succeeded in all cases; no evidence of stones, fragments of stones or sludge was recorded during the clearing of bile ducts, after endoscopic sphincterotomy, with the balloon. Five patients presented mild post-endoscopic sphincterotomy complications successfully treated. In the follow-up period, from 4 months to 7 years after endoscopic sphincterotomy, none of the patients developed symptoms of cholangitis. CONCLUSIONS: We recommend endoscopic sphincterotomy in patients with "acalculus" cholangitis associated with juxtapapillary diverticula, despite the absence of obvious obstruction, and the possible morbidity which is inherent with an invasive procedure like endoscopic sphincterotomy.     

Endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation in patients with periampullary diverticula

AIM:To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation(EPLBD)for bile duct stone extraction in patients with periampullary diverticula.METHODS:The records of 223 patients with large common bile duct stones(≥10 mm)who underwent EPLBD(12-20 mm balloon diameter)with or without limited endoscopic sphincterotomy(ES)from July 2006to April 2011 were retrospectively reviewed.Of these patients,93(41.7%)had periampullary diverticula(PAD),which was categorized into three types.The clinical variables of EPLBD with limited ES(EPLBD+ES)and EPLBD alone were analyzed according to the presence of PAD.RESULTS:Patients with PAD were significantly older than those without(75.2±8.8 years vs 69.7±10.9years,P=0.000).The rates of overall stone removal and complete stone removal in the first session were not significantly different between the PAD and nonPAD groups,however,there was significantly less need for mechanical lithotripsy in the PAD group(3.2%vs 11.5%,P=0.026).Overall stone removal rates,complete stone removal rates in the first session and the use of mechanical lithotripsy were not significantly different between EPLBD+ES and EPLBD alone in patients with PAD(96.6%vs 97.1%;72.9%vs 88.2%;and 5.1%vs 0%,respectively).No significant differences with respect to the rates of pancreatitis,perforation,and bleeding were observed between EPLBD+ES and EPLBD alone in the PAD group(3.4%vs 14.7%,P=0.095;0%vs 0%;and 3.4%vs 8.8%,P=0.351,respectively).CONCLUSION:EPLBD with limited ES and EPLBD alone are safe and effective modalities for common bile duct stone removal in patients with PAD,regardless of PAD subtypes.     

Endoscopic sphincterotomy in acute biliary pancreatitis: A question of anesthesiological risk

Two consecutive surveys of acute pancreatitis in Italy, based on more than 1000 patients with acute pancreatitis, reported that the etiology of the disease indicates biliary origin in about 60% of the cases. The United Kingdom guidelines report that severe gallstone pancreatitis in the presence of increasingly deranged liver function tests and signs of cholangitis (fever, rigors, and positive blood cultures) requires an immediate and therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). These guidelines also recommend that patients with gallstone pancreatitis should undergo prompt cholecystectomy, possibly during the same hospitalization. However, a certain percentage of patients are unfit for cholecystectomy because advanced age and presence of comorbidity. We evaluated the early and long-term results of endoscopic intervention in relation to the anesthesiological risk for 87 patients with acute biliary pancreatitis. All patients underwent ERCP and were evaluated according to the American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) criteria immediately before the operative procedure. The severity of acute pancreatitis was positively related to the anesthesiological grade. There was no significant relationship between the frequency of biliopancreatic complications during the follow-up and the ASA grade. The frequency of cholecystectomy was inversely related to the ASA grade and multivariate analysis showed that the ASA grade and age were significantly related to survival. Finally, endoscopic treatment also appeared to be safe and effective in patients at high anesthesiological risk with acute pancreatitis. These results further support the hypothesis that endoscopic sphincterotomy might be considered a definitive treatment for patients with acute biliary pancreatitis and an elevated ASA grade.     

Endoscopic pancreatic-stent placement and sphincterotomy for relief of pain in tropical pancreatitis: results of a 1-year follow-up

BACKGROUND: Tropical chronic pancreatitis frequently presents with intractable abdominal pain. Surgical treatment has its own morbidity and mortality, and long-term results may not be satisfactory. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the results of endoscopic pancreatic-stent placement and sphincterotomy for the pain of tropical pancreatitis. DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Tertiary-referral hospital. PATIENTS: Twenty-four patients with tropical pancreatitis with severe, persistent pain not responding to standard medical therapy over a period of 30 months beginning January 1998. INTERVENTIONS: Stent placement of the pancreatic duct, along with sphincterotomy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: At least 80% global improvement in pain as reported by the patient during follow-up after the procedure. RESULTS: In the 19 evaluable patients, the intended procedure, pancreatic stent placement along with sphincterotomy, was successful in 14 (73.7%); 3 others had sphincterotomy alone. Over a follow-up period of 6 to 38 months, 12 of the 14 patients (85.7%) who underwent stent placement plus sphincterotomy and 2 of the 3 patients who had sphincterotomy alone responded. Twelve of these were completely free of pain, and the remaining 2 patients had mild infrequent pain that occurred once in 2 to 4 months, lasting a few hours at a time and never needing hospitalization. The only major complication was the development of pancreatic sepsis, which required stent removal in 1 patient. Eight patients were stent free at the end of 6 months, and, over a further follow-up of 6 to 20 months, the pattern of pain relief persisted in them. LIMITATIONS: The retrospective nature of the study, the limited numbers studied, and the lack of assessment of pain on a standard visual analog scale. CONCLUSIONS: Stent placement of the pancreatic duct with pancreatic sphincterotomy constitutes an important nonsurgical therapeutic option for the intractable pain of tropical pancreatitis.     

Endoscopic sphincterotomy without cholecystectomy for gall stone pancreatitis.

Fifty one patients (median age 78, range 54-92) who had endoscopic sphincterotomy for gall stone pancreatitis without planned cholecystectomy were followed up to assess the effectiveness of this treatment in preventing further acute pancreatitis. In 48 patients sphincterotomy was technically successful and none had further acute pancreatitis after a mean follow up of 26.9 months. In three patients sphincterotomy was incomplete and two developed recurrent pancreatitis. These results suggest that endoscopic sphincterotomy alone is an acceptable alternative to cholecystectomy in the prevention of further attacks of acute pancreatitis in the elderly.     

Factors associated with long-term mortality in acute pancreatitis

Abstract

Background and aims. Knowledge of the long-term prognosis of acute pancreatitis (AP) is limited. The aims were to investigate: (1) prognostic factors associated with long-term mortality in patients with AP; (2) whether or not the level of serum (S-)amylase at admission had an impact on the prognosis; (3) causes of death in these patients. Methods. During 1977–1982, patients who were admitted to the five main hospitals in Copenhagen with a diagnosis of AP or chronic pancreatitis (CP) were included in a prospective cohort, the Copenhagen Pancreatitis Study (CPS); in 2008, they were followed up by linkage to the Danish Registries. The analyzed subcohort consisted of 352 patients with probable AP (n = 54) or definite AP (n = 298). Results. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that significant factors associated with mortality were age, alcohol, and diabetes, whereas female gender, co-living and employment were associated with better survival. The S-amylase level had no impact on mortality. The most frequent causes of death were cardiovascular diseases, digestive diseases, and malignancies. Conclusions. Age, alcohol and diabetes had a significant impact on survival whereas the S-amylase level did not.     

Endoscopic pancreatic drainage in chronic pancreatitis associated with ductal stones: long-term results

Background: In severe chronic pancreatitis associated with intraductal stones, therapeutic endoscopy aims to reduce increased intraductal pressure by pancreatic sphincterotomy and stone clearance. Methods: Results of treatment were evaluated in 70 new patients who underwent pancreatic sphincterotomy and attempted stone removal. Technical results and frequency of pain relief and recurrence are compared. Results: Complete ductal clearance of calculi was obtained in 50% of cases. Immediate clinical improvement occurred in 95% of patients with painful attacks. No severe complications or mortality occurred. Fifty-four percent of all patients with painful chronic pancreatitis did not experience any pain recurrence within 2 years. Associations found to be statistically significant by multivariate analysis were ductal clearance and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, pain disappearance and ductal clearance, pain recurrence and long evolution, and severe disease before treatment and presence of a ductal substenosis. Conclusions: In this subset of patients our results indicate that the pain of chronic pancreatitis is mainly related to increased intraductal pressure. Endoscopic management appears to be a safe, conservative, alternative to surgery. The best results are obtained when it is performed early in the course of calcifying chronic pancreatitis. (Gastrointest Endosc 1996;43:547-55.)     

Endoscopic sphincterotomy: a reappraisal

Endoscopic sphincterotomy is the procedure of choice for choleducolithiasis post-cholecystectomy, and in poor-surgical-risk patients with the gallbladder still present. Sphincterotomy indications have been expanded to include acute biliary pancreatitis, acute cholangitis, and choleducolithiasis removal prior to definitive surgery. This paper will review the available literature and make recommendations on these new indications.     

Endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation in patients with large biliary stones and periampullary diverticula: Results of a multicentric series

IntroductionStone extraction represents the most frequent indication for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation (EPLBD) is a recent introduced approach consisting of an endoscopic papillary large balloon dilation following limited endoscopic sphyncterotomy (ES), which has been proven to be safe and effective for extraction of large common bile duct (CBD) stones. Peri-ampullary diverticula (PAD) are described in 10–20% of patients undergoing ERCP. Aim of our study is to evaluate efficacy and safety of EPLBD for the extraction of large biliary stones in patients with PAD.MethodsThe prospectively collected endoscopy databases of 4 Italian ERCP high-volume centers were reviewed retrospectively, and all consecutive patients with an instrumental diagnosis of large biliary stones and PAD, between September 2014 and October 2016, were included in this study.ResultsEighty-one patients (36 males, median age 75 years) were treated between September 2014 and October 2016. Deep biliary cannulation was reached in 78/80 patients. Successful extraction was achieved in 74/78 patients at the first attempt. AEs occurred in 8 patients (1 severe). Younger age, stone size and incomplete stone extraction were significantly associated with AEs.ConclusionsEPLBD is an effective and safe technique in patients with PAD and large biliary stones, which avoids the need of other techniques, thereby reducing the risks of adverse events.     

Vaterian diverticula as a cause of acute pancreatitis.

The association of duodenal diverticula and pancreatitis is rare. Various types of such diverticula are reviewed, especially intra- and extraluminal Vaterian diverticula in which common and pancreatic duct terminate. The pathogenesis of the pancreatitis in case of interposed Vaterian diverticula is thought to be mechanical by means of the creation of a closed Vaterian pouch in which higher pressures produce reflux of bile and pancreatic enzymes. Two patients with this particular type of duodenal diverticula are presented.     

经内镜治疗急性胰腺炎临床探讨

目的探讨内镜治疗急性胰腺炎（ＡＰ）的临床效果。方法采用经内镜鼻胆（胰）管引流（ＥＮＢ（Ｐ）Ｄ）及经内镜乳头括约肌切开术（ＥＳＴ）等内镜技术治疗ＡＰ５６例,其中重症急性胰腺炎（ＳＡＰ）３６例。结果治愈５３例,死亡２例,因胰腺出血致导管堵塞改行手术１例。结论内镜治疗以微小创伤达到满意外科引流效果,能够有效地降低胆胰管内压,缓解胰腺病变,起到治疗作用,不失为ＡＰ治疗手段和方法上的一个补充,具有一定的临床使用价值。     

Endoscopic pancreatic sphincterotomy in patients with IPMN-related recurrent pancreatitis: A single center experience

BackgroundAcute recurrent pancreatitis (ARP) is a rare manifestation of Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms (IPMN) of the pancreas; ARP is a relative indication for pancreatic surgery in the setting of IPMN. Endoscopic pancreatic sphincterotomy (EPS) has been described as a minimal invasive treatment to reduce the episodes of ARP secondary to mucus migration in IPMN.Methodspatients with IPMN-related ARP treated with ESP from January 2004 to December 2020 were retrospectively selected. Clinical and technical data were recorded. A clinical follow-up (minimum 12 months) was performed to assess the number of episodes of AP occurring after EPS.Results25 patients were included. The mean follow-up after ESP was 93.4 months (SD± 56.6). The mean number of AP before and after EPS were respectively 3.29 (SD ± 1.04) and 0.51 (SD ± 0.71). A complete response (no further episodes of AP) and a partial response (>50% reduction of AP episodes) were obtained in 64% and 24% of the cases, respectively, with an overall response rate of 88%. One post-EPS bleeding and one minor-papilla stenosis were reported and were endoscopically managed. Two patients underwent pancreatic resection for the occurrence of high-risk stigmata for cancer progression.ConclusionsEPS is a safe and effective treatment to reduce the number of episodes of AP in selected patients with IPMNs-related ARP. Prospective trials are needed to confirm these data.     

内镜十二指肠乳头切开术治疗十二指肠乳头旁憩室合并胆总管结石

目的 探讨内镜乳头括约肌切开术(EST)对十二指肠乳头旁憩室合并胆总管结石治疗的方法及价值.方法 我院2005年1月至2009年4月282例EST病例,其中38例为十二指肠乳头旁憩室合并胆总管结石患者,回顾性分析十二指肠憩室对这些病例的ERCP成功率、EST及其并发症的影响.结果 该组38例十二指肠乳头旁憩室合并胆总管...