Role of laparoscopy and laparoscopic ultrasound in staging of pancreatic tumours

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Radiological imaging alone is not reliable enough in staging of pancreatic cancer. Not only because of poor sensitivity but also because there is a tendency to overstage tumours. The aim of the study was to compare the efficiency of spiral computed tomography (CT), transabdominal ultrasound (US), laparoscopy (LAP) and laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS) in staging of pancreatic tumours. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this prospective study 27 patients underwent pancreatic tumour staging with CT, US, LAP and LUS. The reference standard was operative evaluation or in case of disseminated disease laparoscopic assessment. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Although LAP was hindered by adhesions in 11% of the patients the benefit of LAP staging was evident in detecting peritoneal carcinomatosis. The assessment of the local tumour expansion of a pancreatic carcinoma was difficult for all staging modalities. LUS did not change the decision whether to proceed with laparotomy once. In our experience routine use of laparoscopic staging does not benefit patients with pancreatic tumour but in selected cases it may prevent unnecessary laparotomy.     

Prospective evaluation of ultrasound and colour duplex imaging for the assessment of surgical resectability of pancreatic tumours

Background This study was performed to evaluate colour duplex imaging (CDI) for the assessment of resectability of pancreatic tumours (PTs).Method From October 1998 to December 2001, 182 patients consecutively having surgery for a PT were enrolled in this prospective study. Extension of the tumour to large blood vessels and retroperitoneum, the detection of liver metastases, enlarged lymph nodes and peritoneal carcinomatosis were defined as criteria for assessment. The patients were grouped into three classes of resectability: US-TU 1 = resectable/potentially curable, US-TU 2 = questionably resectable/curable, and US-TU 3 = non-resectable/not curable. CDI was performed by five different examiners. Results were compared with intra-operative findings.Results Using CDI, we classified 85 (46.7%) tumours as resectable, 64 (35.2%) as non-resectable, and 33 (18.1%) as questionably resectable. Overall, 46.2% (n=84) were found to be resectable, and 53.8% (n=98) to be non-resectable, intra-operatively. A correlation between CDI classification and intra-operative findings was found in 138 of 149 cases (92.6%) (sensitivity 88.4%, specificity 96.3%). With regard to the complete oncological status (local extension, metastases, lymph-node staging and peritoneal carcinomatosis), a sensitivity of 77.2% and specificity of 95.7% were found. Non-correlated findings were likely attributed to missing small liver metastases, peritoneal carcinomatosis without ascites, and on difficulties in the assessment of enlarged lymph nodes concerning tumour infiltration.Conclusion The use of CDI in evaluation of PTs may provide valuable pre-operative assessment of surgical resectability and may be performed in the clinical setting.     

Experience with laparoscopic ultrasonography for defining tumour resectability in carcinoma of the pancreatic head and periampullary region

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography (CT) is currently the most widely available staging investigation for pancreatic tumours. However, the accuracy of CT for determining tumour resectability is variable and can be poor. Laparoscopic ultrasonography (LUS) is potentially a more accurate method for disease staging. The authors' experience of LUS for staging carcinoma of the pancreatic head and periampullary region is described. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with potentially resectable pancreatic tumours defined at CT underwent further investigation with LUS. Twenty-seven patients subsequently had an open laparotomy. The evaluations of tumour resectability at CT and LUS were compared with the operative findings. RESULTS: At LUS, 24 patients were considered to have resectable tumours, 21 non-resectable tumours and six patients were shown to have no pancreatic tumour mass. Twenty-two patients deemed to have a resectable tumour at LUS underwent surgery. Twenty patients were confirmed to have resectable disease and two patients had non-resectable disease. A further five patients underwent surgery. In all five the ultrasonographic diagnosis was confirmed at surgery (four patients with non-resectable disease and no pancreatic tumour in one patient). LUS prevented unnecessary extensive surgery in 53 per cent of patients. For the 22 patients who underwent surgery for potentially resectable disease, the positive predictive value of LUS for defining tumour resectability was 91 per cent. CONCLUSION: LUS is an accurate additional investigation for defining tumour resectability and directing management in patients with potentially resectable carcinoma of the pancreatic head or periampullary region.     

Carcinoma of the pancreatic head and periampullary region. Tumor staging with laparoscopy and laparoscopic ultrasonography.

OBJECTIVE: The authors performed a prospective evaluation of staging laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasonography in predicting surgical resectability in patients with carcinomas of the pancreatic head and periampullary region. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Pancreatic resection with curative intent is possible in a select minority of patients who have carcinomas of the pancreatic head and periampullary region. Patient selection is important to plan appropriate therapy and avoid unnecessary laparotomy in patients with unresectable disease. Laparoscopic ultrasonography is a novel technique that combines the proven benefits of staging laparoscopy with high resolution intraoperative ultrasound of the liver and pancreas, but which has yet to be evaluated critically in the staging of pancreatic malignancy. METHODS: A cohort of 40 consecutive patients referred to a tertiary referral center and with a diagnosis of potentially resectable pancreatic or periampullary cancer underwent staging laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasonography. The diagnostic accuracy of staging laparoscopy alone and in conjunction with laparoscopic ultrasonography was evaluated in predicting tumor resectability (absence of peritoneal or liver metastases; absence of malignant regional lymphadenopathy; tumor confined to pancreatic head or periampullary region). RESULTS: "Occult" metastatic lesions were demonstrated by staging laparoscopy in 14 patients (35%). Laparoscopic ultrasonography demonstrated factors confirming unresectable tumor in 23 patients (59%), provided staging information in addition to that of laparoscopy alone in 20 patients (53%), and changed the decision regarding tumor resectability in 10 patients (25%). Staging laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasonography was more specific and accurate in predicting tumor resectability than laparoscopy alone (88% and 89% versus 50% and 65%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Staging laparoscopy is indispensable in the detection of "occult" intra-abdominal metastases. Laparoscopic ultrasonography improves the accuracy of laparoscopic staging in patients with potentially resectable pancreatic and periampullary carcinomas.     

Surgical treatment of periampullary and pancreatic cancer

Summary   Background: Pancreatic cancer is a common malignancy in the United States with approximately 28,000 cases per year. Two-thirds of these patients will have adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, and for the majority of patients it is a lethal disease. Methods: Current diagnosis and results of surgical and adjuvant treatment options for pancreatic cancer are discussed. Results: Operative mortality has been reduced to <5% in all major centers, and direct correlation of volume with outcome has become established. Preoperative biopsy is not mandatory in our hands. Preoperative biliary drainage has not been shown to be beneficial. Prospective randomized trials of nutritional support following pancreatic resection have shown routine nutritional support to be of no value. Adjuvant treatment trials have shown limited if any benefit following resection for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Conclusion: Surgical resection offers the only hope for cure or significant palliation and ensures that patients with more favorable histopathologies are not neglected. Recent advances involve improvement in noninvasive diagnosis and the accurate prediction of resectability so that patients do not undergo unnecessary procedures. Current approaches focus on innovative investigative treatment regimes.      

Laparoscopy in the staging of pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND: Over the past decade, laparoscopy has emerged as a popular method of detecting extrapancreatic metastatic disease in patients presumed to have localized pancreatic cancer. METHODS AND RESULTS: The English language literature on laparoscopic staging of pancreatic cancer was reviewed. Interpretation of this literature on staging laparoscopy is difficult because (1) there has been inconsistent use of high-quality computed tomography (CT) in prospective studies, (2) many studies have included patients with locally advanced disease, and (3) the R0/R1/R2 resection rates among patients staged by laparoscopy have not been reported, making it impossible to correlate laparoscopic findings with the R0 resection rate. Laparoscopy may prevent unnecessary laparotomy in a proportion of CT-staged patients presumed to have resectable pancreatic cancer. However, routine laparoscopy is performed on patients judged to have resectable disease by high-quality CT, this fraction of patients is between 4 and 13 per cent. CONCLUSION: When state-of-the-art CT is available, the routine use of staging laparoscopy may not be easily justified from the data in the recent literature. Selective use of laparoscopy may be more appropriate and will probably be a more cost-effective staging approach. Criteria are presented for the selective use of laparoscopy in the staging of patients with localized pancreatic cancer.     

医学图像三维可视化系统在胰腺及壶腹周围肿瘤可切除性评估中的应用

Pancreatic cancer is malignant with a poor prognosis,and its incidence is rising worldwide in recent years.Multiple slices spiral computed tomography and computed angiography are the first choice for t...     

Surgical experience with pancreatic and periampullary cancer

Between 1940 and 1978, 179 patients underwent pancreatic resection (64 total, 102 Whipple, 13 distal) at the Presbyterian Hospital, predominantly for carcinoma of the pancreas and periampullary area. With respect to operative morbidity and mortality and survival, these patients have been compared with 141 patients subjected to pancreatic biopsy only, and with 172 by-passed for palliation. Likewise, total pancreatectomy has been compared to pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple) in terms of safety and efficacy. The overall major postoperative complication rate for pancreatic resection was 36%, in contrast with 13.5% for biopsy only and 16.8% for by-pass. Of the resected cases with major complications postoperatively, roughly half died, a mortality of 17.9%. Patients who underwent Whipple resections fared significantly better than did those having total pancreatectomies; the postoperative mortality following 102 Whipples was 14.7%, as compared with 23.4% for total pancreatectomies. Intra-abdominal sepsis accounted for most of the postoperative deaths; nine pancreatic and four biliary leaks or fistulae followed Whipple resections. The later complications were of interest; 18 patients undergoing biliary-en-teric by-pass procedures later developed gastroduodenal obstruction, 15 of whom required reoperation, and in 18 survivors of pancreatic resection, upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage (mostly from marginal ulcers) developed, necessitating surgery in seven. Brittle diabetes was a problem in nine patients following pancreatectomy. Survival rates were discouraging in all categories. For ductal carcinoma of the pancreas, median survival for biopsy only was two months, for by-pass six months, for total pancreatectomy nine months, and for Whipple resection 14 months. There were three five-year survivors following resection, a rate of 4.5%. Five-year survival rates following resection for ampullary, common duct, duodenal, and islet cell cancer were 27.8, 33.3, 27.3, and 37.5%, respectively.

It is concluded that survival after resection for ductal pancreatic cancer is so rare as to be considered more a biologic aberration than a result of radical surgery. Despite theoretical advantages of total pancreatectomy over Whipple resections, our experience would suggest that the latter can be carried out with lower morbidity and mortality, and with equal chance for cure. Resection for pancreatic cancer should not be abandoned, but rather undertaken with greater selectivity. Operative morbidity and mortality can probably be improved additionally by preoperative transhepatic biliary decompression, and later complications reduced by including vagotomy with gastric resection at the time of pancreatectomy and by performing prophylactic gastroenterostomies in conjunction with by-pass procedures.

     

Laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound for pretreatment staging of hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective study

Laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound (L-LUS) has proved to be superior to conventional CT imaging in the staging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of our prospective study was to evaluate the efficacy of L-LUS as compared with currently available imaging techniques (spiral CT or Lipiodol CT) in patients with HCC and liver cirrhosis. From January 1998 to May 2000, 70 consecutive patients (SO men and 20 women; mean age 67 ±7 years) were enrolled. Liver cirrhosis was related to chronic hepatitis C virus infection in 55, hepatitis B virus infection in seven, and alcohol abuse in eight patients. Preoperative diagnostic workup included the following: 70 ultrasound examinations of the liver, 23 CT scans after Lipiodol arteriography, and 53 spiral CT scans. A single lesion was found in 39 patients, two lesions in 20 patients, and three lesions in 11 patients. L-LUS was performed in all patients under general anesthesia using a two- to three-trocar technique. The examination was completed in 68 patients (97%); in two cases extensive adhesions prevented the L-LUS examination. L-LUS yielded additional information in 39 patients (57%). New histologically proved HCC lesions were detected in 14 patients (in the same liver segment in 4 cases and in different liver segments in 10 cases), and an adrenal metastasis was seen in one patient. In 23 patients, benign nodules were identified as regenerative macronodules, lowgrade dysplastic nodules, or small hemangiomas. In 10 patients, correct localization of the primary lesion was detected by L-LUS in comparison with the preoperative liver location. In our experience, L-LUS is a safe and reliable procedure. It provides superior information (intraoperative histologic confirmation) for the diagnosis and pretreatment staging of HCC in patients with cirrhosis when compared with current radiologic imaging techniques. Supported in part by a grant from Unita di Ricerca FIRC "Prevenzione, diagnosi e terapia de1 carcinoma epatico." Presented in part at the Forty-First Annual Meeting of The Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract, San Diego, Calif., May 2l–24, 2000.     

Preoperative transhepatic biliary decompression in pancreatic and periampullary cancer

Pancreatic resection for pancreatic and periampullary cancer between 1969 and 1975 at The Ohio State University Hospitals had an associated operative mortality rate of 30% and a morbidity rate of 80%. Transhepatic biliary decompression (THD) has been accepted as a method of preoperative risk reduction in the deeply jaundiced patient and an alternative to surgical biliary decompression. The use of preoperative THD in pancreatic and periampullary cancer was examined. Of 44 patients with bilirubin greater than 10 mg/100 ml, 17 had radical resection (THD=7, no THD=10), and 27 had palliative operation (THD=17, no THD=10). Preoperative serum bilirubin in the THD group was 7.3±1.0 compared to 16.3 ±1.5 in the no THD group (p < 0.05). Operative morbidity rate was: radical surgery: THD (40%), no THD (70%); palliative surgery: THD (18%), no THD (20%). Operative mortality rate was: radical surgery: THD (28%), no THD (60%); palliative surgery: THD (6%), no THD (0%). Catheter-related complications were minimal. Preoperative THD tends to reduce the risk of curative resection for pancreatic and periampullary cancer, but does not alter the outcome of palliative surgery. Long-term THD may be an alternative if palliative surgical biliary decompression either fails or is not technically possible in the patient with unresectable cancer.

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Resumen Se ha agudizado el debate relativo al papel de la resección curativa en el tratamiento del carcinoma pancreático y periampular. Mucha de la discusión se deriva de la excesiva morbilidad y mortalidad de la pancreatoduodenectomía y de la pancreatectomía total. Las cifras sobrepasan el porcentaje de supervivencia a 5 anos en todas las series mayores, y en algunos reportes la mortalidad operatoria es igual o mayor que el porcentaje de pacientes que sobreviven un año.La resección pancreática para cáncer pancreático y periampular entre los años 1969 y 1975 en los Hospitales de la Universidad del Estado de Ohio estuvo asociada con una mortalidad de 30% y una morbilidad de 80%. La descompresión biliar transhepática (DBT) ha sido aceptada como un método de reducción preoperatoria del riesgo quirúrgico en los pacientes intensamente ictéricos y como una alternativa a la descompresión biliar quirúrgica. El uso de la DBT preoperatoria en el cancer pancreático y periampular fué analizado. De 44 pacientes con bilirrubina mayor de 10 mg/100 ml, 17 fueron sometidos a resección radical (DBT = 7, no DBT = 10), y 27 tuvieron una operación paliativa (DBT = 17, no DBT = 10). La bilirrubina sérica en el grupo con DBT fué de 7.3±1.0, comparada con 16.3±1.5 en el grupo sin DBT (p < 0.05). La siguiente fué la morbilidad operatoria: cirugía radical: DBT 40%, no DBT 70%; cirugía paliativa: DBT 18%, no DBT 20%. La siguiente fué la mortalidad operatoria: cirugía radical: DPT 28%, no DPT 60%; cirugía paliativa: DBT 6%, no DBT 0. La DBT preoperatoria tiende a reducir el riesgo de la resección curativa para cáncer pancreático y periampular, pero no modiflca el resultado de la cirugía paliativa. La DBT prolongada puede ser una alternativa si la descompresión biliar quirúrgica falla o no es técnicamente posible en el paciente con cáncer no resecable.

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Résumé La résection pancréatique pour cancer périampullaire ou pour cancer du pancréas entre 1969 et 1975 à Ohio State University Hospital accuse une mortalité opératoire de 30% et une morbidité de 80%. Le drainage biliaire transhépatique (transhepatic biliary decompression: T.H.D.), en présence de ces résultats, a été employé à titre pré-opératoire pour diminuer les risques de l'intervention chez les malades très ictériques et comme alternative au drainage biliaire chirurgical.Chez 44 malades qui présentaient un taux de bilirubine supérieur à 10 mg/dl, 17 ont subi une exérèse (7 après drainage transhépatique, 10 sans drainage transhépatique), 27 ont été traités par une intervention palliative (17 après drainage, 10 sans drainage). Le taux de bilirubine pré-opératoire fut ramené à 7.3±10 chez les malades drainés alors qu'il atteignait 16.3± 1.5 chez les malades qui n'avaient pas subi de drainage préalable.La morbidité opératoire fut en cas de chirurgie radicale de 40% après drainage et de 70% en l'absence de drainage; en cas de chirurgie palliative elle fut de 18% après drainage et de 20% en l'absence de drainage. La mortalité opératoire fut en cas de chirurgie radicale de 28% après drainage et de 60% en l'absence de drainage; en cas de chirurgie palliative elle fut de 6% après drainage et de 0% en l'absence de drainage. Les complications du drainage sont très rares. En un mot le drainage biliaire pré-opératoire réduit les risques de l'exérèse des cancers pancréatiques et des cancers périampullaire mais elle est sans influence en cas d'intervention palliative. Le drainage biliaire transhépatique prolongé offre une alternative au drainage chirurgical lorsque celui-ci échoue ou quand le cancer ne peut être réséqué.

     

Blind Whipple resections for periampullary and pancreatic lesions

Many patients with periampullary mass lesions lack a tissue diagnosis at referral despite advances in body imaging and aggressive biopsy techniques. This review evaluates a consecutive cohort of patients who underwent pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) with and without a diagnosis of malignancy. From 1990 to 2001, 121 patients underwent PD on a gastrointestinal surgical service by a single surgeon with a bias toward "blind" Whipple resections (BWR). Sixty-three per cent of the patients had obstructive jaundice with a mass on CT in 51 per cent. Fifty-three patients (44%) had a preoperative diagnosis of malignancy. Sixty-eight patients (56%) underwent a blind PD based on computed tomography (CT), ERCP, and clinical findings. After PD, 113 patients (94%) had a malignancy (46 pancreatic, 30 ampullary, 13 cholangiocarcinoma, 9 neuroendocrine, 4 duodenal, 10 other). Of the 68 patients (56%) who underwent a blind PD, 61 patients (90%) had a malignancy. Ten per cent of the BWR patients had a pathologic diagnosis of chronic inflammation/pancreatitis. Overall mortality was 3.3% (4 patients), with no deaths in the BWR group. In this review, clinical judgment was correct in 90 per cent of patients undergoing a "blind" PD without a prior diagnosis of malignancy. In patients with "potentially resectable" lesions (based on CT exam), biopsy information does not affect the choice of therapy since a negative biopsy still commits the patients to surgery. Combined CT and/or ERCP data with clinical findings leads most often to a correct diagnosis and procedure. These data question the practice of numerous biopsy attempts in patients with periampullary lesions.     

Laparoscopy and peritoneal cytology in the staging of pancreatic cancer

Staging laparoscopy in patients with pancreatic cancer allows identification of metastatic disease which is beyond the resolution of computed tomography. Laparoscopic ultrasound, dissection, and/or peritoneal cytology may be used to enhance the sensitivity of the staging procedure. Our experience at Massachusetts General Hospital with staging laparoscopy and peritoneal cytology over the past 8 years (N = 239) reveals that approximately 30% of patients without metastases by computed tomography harbor occult metastatic disease at laparoscopy. Additionally, published series demonstrate accurate determination of resectability in greater than 75% of patients after staging laparoscopy. Staging laparoscopy in patients with pancreatic cancer allows optimization of resources and avoidance of unnecessary surgery. Received for publication on Aug. 21, 1999; accepted on Sept. 2, 1999     

超声内镜与CT对胰腺及壶腹部周围肿瘤的术前诊断价值

目的评估超声内镜(endoscopic ultrasonography,EUS)和CT对胰腺及壶腹部周围肿瘤的术前诊断价值。方法回顾性分析33例胰腺及壶腹部肿瘤患者术前EUS、CT资料,与手术探查及术后病理结果对照,从肿瘤大小、部位等角度筛选出影响EUS准确性的因素。结果 EUS在判断胰周脂肪浸润、胆管扩张、胰周脏器侵犯、血管侵犯等方面敏感性、特异性与CT的差异无统计学意义(P>0．05);EUS在胰管扩张及淋巴结转移方面的诊断价值优于CT(P=0．039和P=0．004); EUS判断胰周脂肪浸润和胰周脏器侵及的准确性与肿瘤大小有关(P=0．015和P=0．022),判断胰管扩张的准确性与肿瘤部位有关(P<0．001)。结论 EUS对胰腺及壶腹部周围肿瘤诊断的临床价值很高,结合CT检查有助于加强对患者术前评价的认识。     

腹腔镜技术在胰腺假性囊肿空肠Roux-en-Y吻合术中的应用

目的 探讨腹腔镜下囊肿空肠Roux-en-Y吻合技术在治疗胰腺假性囊肿手术中的可行性、安全性及其临床应用价值.方法 回顾分析近年收治的胰腺假性囊肿患者4例,实施完全腹腔镜下囊肿空肠Roux-en-Y吻合术.观察患者的术中出血量、手术时间、术后下床时间、排气排便时间、术后并发症、住院时间及随访结果.结果 所有手术均顺利无中转开腹.平均手术时间约90 min,出血量约40 ml,术后约1.5 d下床,2.3 d排气或排便.患者均顺利恢复,无胰漏等并发症发生.平均住院时间为7d.术后随访2年,无发热腹痛、无胰腺炎和肠粘连等并发症发生,无复发.结论 完全腹腔镜胰腺假性囊肿空肠Roux-en-Y吻合术是安全可行的,具有创伤小、恢复快及并发症少等优点,值得推广.其中掌握精湛的腹腔镜技术和娴熟的打结技巧至关重要.     

腹腔镜技术在胰腺假性囊肿空肠Roux-en-Y吻合术中的应用

目的 探讨腹腔镜下囊肿空肠Roux-en-Y吻合技术在治疗胰腺假性囊肿手术中的可行性、安全性及其临床应用价值.方法 回顾分析近年收治的胰腺假性囊肿患者4例,实施完全腹腔镜下囊肿空肠Roux-en-Y吻合术.观察患者的术中出血量、手术时间、术后下床时间、排气排便时间、术后并发症、住院时间及随访结果.结果 所有手术均顺利无中转开腹.平均手术时间约90 min,出血量约40 ml,术后约1.5 d下床,2.3 d排气或排便.患者均顺利恢复,无胰漏等并发症发生.平均住院时间为7d.术后随访2年,无发热腹痛、无胰腺炎和肠粘连等并发症发生,无复发.结论 完全腹腔镜胰腺假性囊肿空肠Roux-en-Y吻合术是安全可行的,具有创伤小、恢复快及并发症少等优点,值得推广.其中掌握精湛的腹腔镜技术和娴熟的打结技巧至关重要.

Abstract：

Objective To explore the feasibility, safety and clinical value of laparoscopic Rouxen-Y cystojejunostomy in the treatment of pancreatic pseudocyst. Method Four patients with pancreatic pseudocyst received totally laparoscopic pancreatic pseudocystojejunostomy. The data on intraoperative bleeding, operative time, postoperative time to get out of bed, time of first flatus/bowel motion, complication and duration of hospital stay were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Results All operations were carried out successfully with laparoscopic surgery. The mean operative time was 90 min. The average intraoperative blood loss was 40 ml. The mean postoperative time to get out of bed was 1.5 d, and the mean time of first flatus/bowel motion was 2. 3 d. All patients recovered smoothly without any pancreatic fistula. The average hospital stay was 7 days. Fever, pancreatitis,adhesive intestinal obstruction and other complications did not occur. Conclusions Totally laparoscopic Roux-en-Y pancreatic pseudocystojejunostomy was an efficacious, safe, and minimally invasive procedure.