Hilar bile duct resection for bile duct carcinoma at the hilus of the liver

Hilar bile duct resection, by which only the bile duct is resected, was carried out in 31 patients with bile duct carcinoma at the hepatic hilus. However, curative resection was possible in only 4 patients (12.9%). The postoperative 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 58.1%, 19.4%, and 7.7%, respectively. These results indicate that treatment of this hilar bile duct carcinoma by hilar bile duct resection is of limited value. We believe that this operative procedure should be used only for papillary or nodular carcinoma at the hepatic confluence at relatively early stages of Bismuth's type I or II.     

A case of benign bile duct stricture causing difficulty in differential diagnosis from bile duct carcinoma

We report a patient with benign bile duct stricture causing difficulty in differential diagnosis from bile duct carcinoma. A 66-year-old woman consulted a local physician because of general fatigue. Blood biochemical tests showed increased levels of biliary tract enzymes. Abdominal ultrasonography (US) revealed tapering and blockage of the midportion of the bile duct and dilation of the intrahepatic bile ducts. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) demonstrated obstruction of the midportion of the bile duct. Later, because a marked increase in biliary tract enzymes and jaundice appeared, percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) was performed. Post-PTBD cytological examination of bile was negative for cancer. A third biopsy showed slight hyperplasia with no malignant findings. Recholangiography, performed through PTBD, suggested gradual improvement of bile duct stricture, but could not completely exclude the possibility of malignancy; thus, resection of the bile duct including the stricture site was performed, and the resected specimen was submitted for intraoperative frozen section examination. Histopathological diagnosis did not reveal malignant findings. After cholecystectomy and bile duct resection, hepaticojejunostomy (Roux-en-Y) was performed. Because only erosion and desquamation of the mucosal epithelium and mild submucosal inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrosis were observed, chronic cholangitis was diagnosed histopathologically. Surgical resection of the bile duct should be considered for potentially malignant stricture of the bile duct.     

Distinctive expression of CD133 between intraductal papillary neoplasms of the bile duct and bile duct adenocarcinomas

Aim: Intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct (IPNB), a novel entity of biliary disease, is recently advocated as the counterpart of pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) because both are in common with a large amount of mucin production and papillary growth. Based on our recent finding that expression of CD133, a cancer stem cell marker, is lacking in pancreatic IPMN, we herein focused on CD133 expression of IPNB in comparison with intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma (IHCCC) or hilar bile duct cancer (HBDC). Methods: Expression of CD133 protein was immunohistochemically determined in patients with IPNB (n = 7), IHCCC (n = 16) or HBDC (n = 8). In addition, morphological and immunohistochemical mucin expression patterns were characterized in IPNB, and clinicopathological features including prognosis were compared between IPNB and other biliary tumors. Results: The IPNB group included significantly more females than the other two groups, and had a longer survival time. While no CD133 expression was observed in IPNB tumor, 16.4% of cancer cells in IHCCC and 17.2% of cells in HBDC expressed CD133. Among seven patients with IPNB, six (86%) were morphologically the pancreatobiliary type and four of six showed mucin expression pattern of the typical pancreatobiliary type (MUC1+/MUC2‐/MUC5AC+). Conclusion: Loss of CD133 expression supports the hypothesis that IPNB is a counterpart of pancreatic IPMN with a differing carcinogenesis from conventional bile duct adenocarcinomas.     

Complex bile duct injuries: management

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the present treatment of choice for patients with gallbladder stones, despite its being associated with a higher incidence of biliary injuries compared with the open procedure. Injuries occurring during the laparoscopic approach seem to be more complex. A complex biliary injury is a disease that is difficult to diagnose and treat. We considered complex injuries: 1) injuries that involve the confluence; 2) injuries in which repair attempts have failed; 3) any bile duct injury associated with a vascular injury; 4) or any biliary injury in association with portal hypertension or secondary biliary cirrhosis. The present review is an evaluation of our experience in the treatment of these complex biliary injuries and an analysis of the international literature on the management of patients.     

Effect of ursodeoxycholic acid administration on bile duct proliferation and cholestasis in bile duct ligated rat

The origin, mechanism, and significance of the bile duct proliferation (BDP) associated with cholestasis remain unexplained. This study examined the effect of oral administration of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on both BDP and cholestasis in the rat. After bile duct ligation, male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated for 30 days with either UDCA (5 mg/day) (group A) or saline solution (group B). Animals were sacrificed at day 30. The serum activity of aminotransferase (ALT, AST), alkaline phosphatase, and -glutamyltransferase (GGT) was significantly lower (P<0.01) in the UDCA-treated rats. Total serum bilirubin and total serum bile acids were lower (P<0.001) in group A. Moreover, the control of BA in bile was reduced also (P<0.02). Conversely, serum cholesterol levels were not different between the two groups. Histological examination showed that the number of ductular cells in the portal areas was significantly (P<0.001) reduced in UDCA-treated as compared to saline-treated rats. The replication activity, assessed as the number of bromodeoxyuridine-positive cells, was also significantly lower in treated animals (33±11 vs 64±22 per 1000 cells;P<0.001). Lobular bile ductules were three times larger in group B, and extrahepatic duct measurements confirmed this increase in size of the larger biliary ducts (P<0.001). These findings demonstrate that UDCA reduces BDP in response to BD ligation. Although the mechanism(s) of this effect is still hypothetical, UDCA may reduce the level of irritating bile salts such as chenodeoxycholic acid and lithocolate and increase periductular bile acid recirculation. These data support the beneficial effect of UDCA treatment in chronic cholestatic disease.     

Isolated segmental, sectoral and right hepatic bile duct injuries

The treatment of isolated segmental, sectoral and right hepatic bile duct injuries is controversial. Nineteen patients were treated over a 26-year period. Group one was comprised of 4 patients in whom the injury was primarily repaired during the original surgery; 3 over a T-tube, 1 with a Roux-en-Y. These patients had an uneventful recovery. The second group consisted of 5 patients in whom the duct was ligated; 4 developed infection, 3 of which required drainage and biliary repair. Two patients had good long-term outcomes; the third developed a late anastomotic stricture requiring further surgery. The fourth patient developed a small bile leak and pain which resolved spontaneously. The fifth patient developed complications from which he died. The third group was comprised of 4 patients referred with biliary peritonitis; all underwent drainage and lavage, and developed biliary fistulae, 3 of which resolved spontaneously, 1 required Roux-en-γ repair, with favorable outcomes. The fourth group consisted of 6 patients with biliary fistulae. Two patients, both with an 8-wk history of a fistula, underwent Roux-en-γ repair. Two others also underwent a Roux-en-γ repair, as their fistulae showed no signs of closure. The remaining 2 patients had spontaneous closure of their biliary fistulae. A primary repair is a reasonable alternative to ligature of injured duct. Patients with ligated ducts may develop complications. Infected ducts require further surgery. Patients with biliary peritonitis must be treated with drainage and lavage. There is a 50% chance that a biliary fistula will close spontaneously. In cases where the biliary fistula does not close within 6 to 8 wk, a Roux-en-γ anastomosis should be considered.     

Double common bile duct： A case report

Double common bile duct （DCBD） is a rare congenital anomaly in which two common bile ducts exist. One usually has normal drainage into the papilla duodeni major and the other usually named accessory common bile duct （ACBD） opens in different parts of upper gastrointestinal tract （stomach, duodenum, ductus pancreaticus or septum）. This anomaly is of great importance since it is often associated with biliary lithiasis, choledochal cyst, anomalous pancreaticobiliary junction （APBJ） and upper gastrointestinal tract malignancies. We recently recognized a rare case of DCBD associated with APB3 with lithiasis in better developed common bile duct. The opening site of ACBD was in the pancreatic duct. The anomaly was suspected by transabdominal ultrasonography and finally confirmed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography （ERCP） followed by endoscopic sphincterotomy and stone extraction. According to the literature, the existence of DCBD with the opening of ACBD in the pancreatic duct is most frequently associated with APB3 and gallbladder carcinoma. In case of DCBD, the opening site of ACBD is of greatest clinical importance because of its close implications with concomitant pathology. The adequate diagnosis of this rare anomaly is significant since the operative complications may occur in cases with DCBD which is not recognized prior to surgical treatment.     

Long-term prognosis of patients with endoscopically treated postoperative bile duct stricture and bile duct stricture due to chronic pancreatitis

Aim:  To compare the outcome of endoscopic therapy for postoperative benign bile duct stricture and benign bile duct stricture due to chronic pancreatitis, including long-term prognosis.
Methods:  The subjects were 20 patients with postoperative benign bile duct stricture and 13 patients with bile duct stricture due to chronic pancreatitis who were 2 years or more after initial therapy. The patients underwent transpapillary drainage with tube exchange every 3 to 6 months until being free from the tube. Successful therapy was defined as a stent-free condition without hepatic disorder.
Results:  Endoscopic therapy was successful in 90% (18/20) of the patients with postoperative bile duct stricture. The stent was removed (stent free) in 100% (20/20) of the patients, but jaundice resolved in only 10% (2/20) of patients while biliary enzymes kept increasing. Restricture occurred in 5% (1/20) of the patients, but after repeat treatment the stent could be removed. In patients with bile duct stricture due to chronic pancreatitis the therapy was successful in only 7.7% (1/13) of the patients; the stent was retained in 92.3% (12/13) of the patients during a long period. Severe acute pancreatitis occurred in 3.0% (1/33) of the patients as an accidental symptom attributable to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP); however, it remitted after conservative treatment.
Conclusion:  Our results further confirm the usefulness of endoscopic therapy for postoperative benign bile duct strictures and good long-term prognosis of the patients.     

Frozen section and permanent diagnoses of the bile duct margin in gallbladder and bile duct cancer

Hypothesis. Frozen section diagnosis and permanent diagnosis of bile duct margin predict local recurrence after surgical resection of gallbladder or bile duct carcinoma. Design. Retrospective review. Setting. University, tertiary care. Patients. A total of 20 patients underwent frozen section diagnosis of bile duct margin for resection of gallbladder and bile duct carcinoma. Main outcome. Diagnosis of frozen and permanent section of bile duct margin, and local recurrence. Results. The permanent diagnosis was identical in 15 patients but changed in 5 (from positive to negative in 3 and from negative to positive in 2). The reasons for these changes were overdiagnosis (mucosal lesions in two and mesenchymal components in another) and new recognition of malignant cells on permanent section in the other two. In seven patients with a positive bile duct margin by permanent histology, mucosal spread was evident in two and involvement of the subepithelial layer was present in the other five. No local recurrence occurred in the two patients with epithelial spread and four of the five with subepithelial infiltration. Conclusions. Frozen section and permanent diagnoses of the bile duct margin in gallbladder and bile duct carcinoma may be inconsistent in 25% of patients due to overdiagnosis of frozen section or new recognition of cancer cells by permanent histology. In situ carcinoma does not always produce local recurrence, while cancer cells in the subepithelial layer strongly predict occurrence of local recurrence.     

Carcinosarcoma of the extrahepatic bile duct

A rare case of a carcinosarcoma of the extrahepatic bile duct demonstrating interesting features is described. A 75-year-old woman with a history of choledocholithotomy presented with acute obstructive suppurative cholangitis. Ultrasonography and computed tomography showed a thickened choledochal wall, with calcification. Percutaneous transhepatic and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography revealed a round filling defect accompanied by an irregular obstruction in the common bile duct. Carcinosarcoma was diagnosed from a protruding lesion in the common bile duct obtained by intraoperative frozen sectioning, and pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy was performed. Histological examination by light microscopy showed a transition between the carcinomatous and sarcomatous components and positive immunoreactivity for epithelial markers in the sarcomatous component. The patient died of a local recurrence 2 years after the surgery. Polypoid growth and ossification in the tumor could be representative features of carcinosarcoma of the extrahepatic bile duct.     

Managing bile duct injury during and after laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is now the treatment of choice for gallstones, but there has been concern that bile leakage after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy is more frequent than after an open cholecystectomy. We have experienced 16 patients with bile duct injury after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Five patients had a circumferential injurury to the major bile duct, and we employed a converted open technique for biliary reconstruction. The other 11 patients had partial injurury to the major bile duct, and we performed laparoscopic restoration; all 11 of these patients received endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) on the day after the operation and stenting for biliary decompression and drainage. No complications were identified and the duration of hospitalization in these patients was significantly shorter than in those who had the converted procedure. If intraoperative cholangiography is performed routinely, the presence and form of bile duct injury can be clearly identified, and the decision to restore the site of injury or to convert to the open technique for biliary reconstruction can be made immediately.     

Pathology and pathogenesis of intrahepatic bile duct loss

In recent years, the pathology and pathogenesis of bile duct loss have been extensively studied, and a num‐ber of hepatobiliary diseases have been added to the list of ductopenic diseases. In addition, the biology of biliary epithelial cells is now being studied with respect to bile duct loss, as well as biliary epithelial neoplasia. In this review, recent advances in pathogenetic and pathological studies of intrahepatic bile duct loss are described, with an emphasis on immune‐mediated cholangiopathies. The bile duct loss, an acquired and pathologic process that occurs in the biliary tree, is recognizable as an absence of bile duct in an individual portad tract, and also as such absence in the vicinity of parallel running hepatic arterial branches that constitute the portal triad. Immunostaining with biliary cytokeratin and other carbohydrate materials is useful for the identification of biliary elements in the inflamed portal tracts or fibrous septa. The underlying processes responsible for bile duct loss include immunological, ischemic, infectious, metabolic, and toxic processes. Bile duct loss in primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis is immune‐mediated, that in interventional radiology using hepatic arterial branches is related to biliary ischemia, while that in hepatic allograft rejection is related to both immunological and ischemic insults. Bacterial and viral cholangitis with bile duct loss is an example of infectious cholangitis. The biliary tree maintains its homeostasis by renewal and dropout, and bile duct loss occurs mainly via biliary apoptosis. In some patients with bile duct loss, such as occurs in drug‐induced injuries, the bile ducts regenerate and finally redistribute in the liver, while in other types of bile duct loss, the loss is progressive and is followed by vanishing bile duct syndrome, leading to biliary cirrhosis or liver transplantation. More analysis of the biology of biliary epithelial cells is mandatory for the evaluation of the pathobiology of bile duct loss, as well as for the effective restoration of biliary epithelial cells, in ductopenic liver diseases.     

Recurrent bile duct stricture: causes and long-term results of surgical management

Background/Purpose

The management of recurrent bile duct strictures is a challenge for surgeons. This study reports the experience of revision surgery in patients referred following the failure of primary repair, and compares the outcome with that in patients who underwent management of recurrent stricture following primary repair at our institution.

Methods

Over a period of 15 years, 300 patients with postcholecystectomy benign biliary stricture underwent surgical repair at our institution; 36 patients (12%) were referred after a failed primary repair.

Results

In 25 (69%) patients, the primary repairs were done at peripheral hospitals. Twelve (33%) had had an early repair, at the time of cholecystectomy while 24 (67%) had a delayed repair at a later date; 83% and 67% of the patients who had undergone early and delayed repair, respectively, had not had a preoperative cholangiogram. Primary repairs performed were a bilioenteric anastomosis (22; 61%) or an end-to-end bile duct repair (14; 39%). Twenty-seven (75%) patients presented within 90 days after the primary repair, and the median interval to recurrent symptoms was 45 days (range, 1 day to 6.1 years). The median delay in referral after the development of symptoms of restricture was 175 days (range, 30 days to 22 years). Twenty-three (64%) patients had high strictures (Bismuth types III-V). All patients underwent a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. At a median follow-up of 37 months (range, 12–144 months), 33 of 35 evaluable patients (94%) with recurrent stricture had an excellent/good outcome compared to 223 of 242 evaluable patients (92%) who had had their primary repair at our institution. Ten (4%) patients had a poor result following primary repair at our center. There was a significant difference in the stricture repair-to-recurrence interval between those patients referred to us with recurrent strictures and those who failed after primary repair at our institution (median interval, 1.5 vs 20 months; P = 0.001)

Conclusions

Patients referred with recurrent strictures had had their primary repair at peripheral settings; the failures were technical, presenting early (median, 1.5 months) with recurrent symptoms, compared to findings in patients with recurrent strictures following primary repair at our center. The long-term outcome following the repair of the primary and the recurrent strictures was no different in our experience.

     

Laparoscopic choledochotomy for bile duct stones

In the era of laparoscopic surgery, treatment strategies for common bile duct stones remain controversial. Laparoscopic choledochotomy is usually indicated only when transcystic duct exploration is not feasible. However, laparoscopic choledochotomy provides complete access to the ductal system and has a higher clearance rate than the transcystic approach. In addition, primary closure of the choledochotomy with a running suture and absorbable clips facilitates the procedure. Therefore, to avoid postoperative biliary stenosis, all patients with bile duct stones can be indicated for choledochotomy, except for those with nondilated common bile duct. Placement of a C‐tube also provides access for the clearance of possible retained stones by endoscopic sphincterotomy as a backup procedure. C‐tube placement, in contrast to T‐tube insertion, is advantageous in terms of a relatively short hospital stay. In conclusion, laparoscopic choledochotomy with C‐tube drainage is recommended as the treatment of choice for patients with common bile duct stones.     

Transnasal biliary drainage for treatment of common bile duct leakage and bile peritonitis

Summary A new nonoperative method for treating postoperative common bile duct leaks by endoscopic placement of a nasobiliary stent is described. Two patients were treated successfully by placing a nasobiliary stent above the point of bile leakage, acting to divert the flow of bile and to allow the fistula to close.     

The case for laparoscopic common bile duct exploration

The modern surgeon's approach to choledocholithiasis depends his or her view of cholangiography. During the early 1990 there was a swing away from cholangiography, which had previously been common practice. This was because of perceptions of difficulty with the technique, the time it took, and perhaps an implied increase in costs because of the time factor. There was no evidence on which to base this decision. This led to a marked upswing in the use of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). There were a large number of ERCPs with normal results performed prior to laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This paper states the case for intraoperative cholangiography and common bile duct clearance at the time of cholecystectomy. It is hoped that this technique will be adopted so patients can undergo a single procedure to remove their gallstones and common bile duct stones if they exist and to decrease the incidence of normal preoperative ERCPs and the need for a second procedure postoperatively to clear stones if they are found.     

Familial occurrence of congenital bile duct cysts

Congenital bile duct cysts are now a well-documented anomaly of the biliary tree, and have become more common in Japan. Familial occurrence of congenital bile duct cysts, however, is extremely rare, with only six reported cases in the literature. We report a familial pattern of congenital bile duct cysts in a mother and her daughter. A 33-year-old female was admitted for evaluation of right upper quadrant abdominal pain and fever 6 days after an uneventful delivery of her second child. A com- puted tomography (CT) and ultrasound scan (US) revealed an obstructed biliary tract. Percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage was then performed, and a cholangiogram revealed a Scholtz type B choledochocele without an anomalous connection of the pancreaticobiliary ducts. Endoscopic US demonstrated that the choledochocele was associated with a stone in the cyst. A pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenal resection was performed, and a histological study revealed that the choledochocele was lined by biliary mucosa without evidence of malignancy. The newborn infant had an abdominal tumour. An US and CT revealed a congenital bile duct cyst. An operation was performed and the intraoperative cholangiogram showed an Alonso-Lej type I congenital bile duct cyst with an anomalous connection of the pancreaticobiliary ducts. Whether congenital bile duct cysts are hereditary remains to be elucidated.     

X线监视下激光碎石治疗难治性胆总管结石的效果研究

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of fluoroscopy guided frequency-doubled double-pulsed laser lithotripsy for removing difficult bile duct stones. Methods From March 2008 to December 2009, patients with difficult bile duct stones were divided into cholangioscopy guided group ( n = 21 )and fluoroscopy guided group ( n = 19) to receive corresponding treatments. The success rate of complete stone removal and the complication rate related to the procedure were compared between the two groups.Results There are no significant differences between 2 groups in regarding of either success rate of complete stone removal ( 19/21, 90. 5% in cholangioscopy guided group vs. 17/19, 89. 5% in fluoroscopy guided group, P ＞0. 05 ) or rate of procedure related complication (4/21, 19. 0% in cholangioscopy guided group vs. 3/19, 15. 8% in fluoroscopic guided group, P = 0. 559 ). Conclusion Frequency-doubled doublepulsed laser lithotripsy guided by cholangioscopy or fluoroscopy are both safe and effective.