Surgical Management of Recurrence of Primary Intrahepatic Bile Duct Stones.

Background: The surgical treatment of primary intrahepatic bile duct stones is associated with high rates of postoperative complications, stone recurrence, and reoperation. This study aimed to report an 11-year experience in the management of postoperative recurrence of intrahepatic bile duct stones, analyze the causes of the reoperation, and establish appropriate surgical procedures. Materials and Methods: The records of 148 patients with postoperative recurrence of primary intrahepatic bile duct stones treated from January 2005 to December 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Prior surgical treatment and postoperative data were analyzed to investigate possible causes of recurrence and reoperation. Results: All patients with a prior cholangiojejunostomy (n = 61) developed biliary stenosis (100%). Of the 86 patients without cholangiojejunostomy, 71 (82.56%) had abnormalities in the structure and function of the lower end of the common bile duct, and 86 had hilar and intrahepatic bile duct stenosis. Of all 148 patients, 136 (91.89%) had positive intraoperative bile cultures. Patients were treated with a modified surgical procedure, and the combined excellent and good rate of long-term outcomes reached 85.48% (106/124). The stone recurrence rate of the 124 patients decreased from 100% (124/124) of the prior operation to 5.65% (7/124) during the reoperation. Conclusions: The pathogenesis of primary intrahepatic bile duct stones is associated with biliary infection and intrahepatic bile duct cholestasis. According to the etiology and pathogenic mechanism, surgical procedures that improve long-term outcomes and reduce postoperative recurrence include bile duct exploration with stone extraction, partial hepatectomy, hilar ductoplasty, and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy.

Resection of extrahepatic bile ducts with partial hepatectomy for treating intra- and extrahepatic hepatolithiasis.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of our new surgical procedures for primary intra- and extrahepatic hepatolithiasis. Hepatolithiasis is an intractable disease with frequent recurrences. METHODS: From 1996 to 2005, 142 patients with intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic hepatolithiasis treated with the conventional surgical methods were included as the control group, while 128 consecutive patients treated with new surgical methods from 2006 to 2015 were included as the observation group. The new surgical procedures included a comprehensive intraoperative exploration of the bile ducts, focusing on the structure and function of the hilar bile duct and duodenal papilla, exploration of the affected liver, and bile culture. RESULTS: The observation group had a significantly higher complete stone clearance rate than the control group (100% vs. 65.96%). The observation group had significantly lower incidences of cholangitis and bile duct stones, as well as a higher excellent and good long-term surgical efficacy rate (86.24% vs. 52.73%). Multivariate Cox analysis showed that the control group had a higher risk for fair + poor efficacy than the observation group (HR: 8.47). CONCLUSIONS: Our new surgical procedures are safe and can provide a good long-term efficacy for treating primary hepatolithiasis intra- and extrahepatic hepatolithiasis.

Surgical strategy for recurrent common bile duct stones: a 10-year experience of a single center.

Recurrence of common bile duct stones (CBDS) is common after surgical stone extraction, but the causes of recurrence are not fully understood. This study aimed to report the experience of treating recurrent CBDS. A total of 106 consecutive cases of recurrent CBDS treated from January 2006 to December 2015 were included. During surgery, the choledochoscopic pass-through test was performed to assess the structure and function of the duodenal papilla. The choledochoscopic pass-through test revealed 62 patients (58.49%) with incomplete closure of the lower end of the common bile duct, and 28 (26.42%) with stenosis at the lower common bile duct. Intra-operative bile bacterial culture was positive in 98 (92.45%) patients. The rate of complete stone clearance was 99.1%. The total recurrence rate of CBDS was 3.13%. The long-term success rate of surgical treatment (excellent and good) reached 92.7% .Duodenal papilla (Oddi sphincter) dysfunction is the main cause of recurrent CBDS. Common bile duct exploration with stone extraction, hilar ductoplasty, and Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy can effectively eliminate the recurrence of CBDS and reduce the incidence of post-hepaticojejunostomy complications. Thus, it is an optimal surgical procedure for recurrent CBDS.

Two cases of intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma with high insertion-deletion ratios that achieved a complete response following chemotherapy combined with PD-1 blockade.

BACKGROUND: Insertion-deletion mutations (indels) may generate more tumour-specific neoantigens with high affinity to major histocompatibility complex class I. A high indel ratio is also related to a good response to programmed death-1 (PD-1) checkpoint blockade in melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. However, the correlation between a high indel ratio and the immunotherapy response in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is unknown. CASE PRESENTATION: Two patients with relapsed ICC at stage IIIb were treated with PD-1 blockade combined with chemotherapy. After 7 and 4 months of chemotherapy and PD-1 blockade (3 and 15 cycles, and 5 and 6 cycles, respectively), magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography with computed tomography imaging showed that both patients achieved a complete response (CR), which has lasted up to nearly 16 and 13 months to date, respectively. Whole-exome sequencing and immunohistochemistry analysis showed that both patients had cancers with microsatellite stability (MSS) and mismatch repair (MMR) proficiency, weak PD-L1 expression, and a tumour mutation burden (TMB) of 2.95 and 7.09 mutations/Mb, respectively. Patient 2 had mutations of TP53 and PTEN that are known to confer sensitivity to immunotherapy, and the immunotherapy-resistant mutation JAK2, whereas patient 1 had no known immunotherapy response-related mutations. However, the indel ratios of the two patients (48 and 66.87%) were higher than the median of 12.77% determined in a study of 71 ICC patients. Moreover, comparison to six additional ICC patients who showed a partial response, stable disease, or progressive disease after PD-1 blockade treatment alone or in combination with chemotherapy demonstrated no difference in PD-L1 expression, TMB, MSI, and MMR status from those of the two CR patients, whereas the indel frequency was significantly higher in the CR patients. CONCLUSIONS: These two cases suggest that indels might be a new predictor of PD-1 blockade response for ICC patients beside PD-L1 expression, TMB, MSI, and dMMR, warranting further clinical investigation.

Usefulness of three-dimensional visualization technology in minimally invasive treatment for infected necrotizing pancreatitis.

AIM: To explore the value of three-dimensional (3D) visualization technology in the minimally invasive treatment for infected necrotizing pancreatitis (INP). METHODS: Clinical data of 18 patients with INP, who were admitted to the PLA General Hospital in 2017, were retrospectively analyzed. Two-dimensional images of computed tomography were converted into 3D images based on 3D visualization technology. The size, number, shape and position of lesions and their relationship with major abdominal vasculature were well displayed. Also, percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD) number and puncture paths were designed through virtual surgery (percutaneous nephroscopic necrosectomy) based on the principle of maximum removal of infected necrosis conveniently. RESULTS: Abdominal 3D visualization images of all the patients were well reconstructed, and the optimal PCD puncture paths were well designed. Infected necrosis was conveniently removed in abundance using a nephroscope during the following surgery, and the median operation time was 102 (102 ± 20.7) min. Only 1 patient underwent endoscopic necrosectomy because of residual necrosis. CONCLUSION: The 3D visualization technology could optimize the PCD puncture paths, improving the drainage effect in patients with INP. Moreover, it significantly increased the efficiency of necrosectomy through the rigid nephroscope. As a result, it decreased operation times and improved the prognosis.

[Percutaneous nephroscopic necrosectomy for post-operatively resident infection of severe acute pancreatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the method and effect of percutaneous nephroscopic necrosectomy (PNN) for post-operatively resident infection of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). METHODS: Data of the 15 SAP patients with post-operatively resident infection treated by PNN from June 2008 to December 2014 in Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital were reviewed. Twelve of the patients underwent the laparotomy within 1 week, 1 in 3(rd) week, 1 in 4(th) week and the other one on the 127(th) day. All of the referrals firstly received (multi-)percutaneous catheter drainage (PCD), and then PNN operation according to the disease, followed by continuous irrigation-drainage. RESULTS: Eleven patients were healed after received only one PNN operation, 2 patients for twice, 1 for three times and 1 for four times. The average post-operative time of hospital stay was 66.2 days (10-223 days). The complications after operation contained colon fistula (n = 1), abdominal hemorrhage (n = 1), pancreatic pseudocyst (n = 1), severe pulmonary infection (n = 1). Three patients eventually died. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous nephroscopic necrosectomy is a minimally invasive approach which could prevent the complicated re-laparotomy operation, result in less complication. It is an ideal method for treating SAP patients with post-operatively resident infection.

[Diagnosis and treatment of primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features, diagnostic and therapeutic methods of primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma. METHODS: The clinicopathological data of fourteen patients with primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinoma confirmed by pathology were analyzed retrospectively and related literatures were reviewed. RESULTS: The fourteen patients, including eight males and six females, had an age range of 23-58 years (mean 45.9 years). Four tumors were located in the right liver lobe, four in the left liver lobe and six in both. The clinical manifestations were nonspecific and variable. The most common clinical manifestation was abdominal distention or right upper quadrant pain. Radiological findings were not specific and could not distinguish primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumor from hepatocellular carcinoma. Diagnosis of primary hepatic neuroendocrine tumor was confirmed by pathology using immunohistochemical staining and by the absence of extrahepatic primary lesions. Extrahepatic primary neuroendocrine carcinoma was ruled out by ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT), preoperative gastrointestinal endoscopy and long-term postoperative follow up. Three patients received surgical treatment, two cases received surgical resection and radiofrequency ablation (RFA), six patients received transarterial chemoembolization, one case received orthotopic liver transplantation, one case only received exploratory laparotomy, and one case received chemotherapy. All 14 patients were followed up and seven of them are still alive, the others died of liver failure or recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Primary hepatic neuroendocrine carcinomas are extremely rare. Its diagnosis should be confirmed by pathology. Preoperative fine needle biopsy is strongly recommended. Prognosis is relatively favorable. Surgical resection is treatment of first choice, and TACE, RFA, and chemotherapy can be used for unresectable patients.

[Clinicopathological and CT features of mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinicopathological and CT features of mucinous cystic neoplasms (MCNs) of the pancreas and analyze the correlative risk factors for malignant pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasms. METHODS: Ninety-eight patients who underwent curative resection for mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas at PLA General Hospital from April 1994 to January 2013 were included in this study. All clinicopathological data available were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were divided into benign tumors + premalignant lesion group (70 patients) and malignant tumor group (28 patients). Clinicopathological and CT features of the mucinous cystic neoplasms of the pancreas and risk factors of malignant pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasms were analyzed. RESULTS: Mucinous cystic neoplasms were seen mostly in perimenopausal women (71.4%, 70/98 cases,), and 51.0% (50/98 cases) of the patients had obvious clinical signs, mostly non-specific abdominal pain, but jaundice was present only in cases of malignant mucinous cystic neoplasms. Benign mucinous cystic neoplasms were mostly located in the distal pancreas (74.3%) and characterized with septa and thin cystic wall, while more malignant mucinous cystic neoplasms were located at the proximal pancreas (57.1%) and characterized with thick cystic wall and solid components. Univariate analysis showed that findings associated with malignancy gender, age ≥ 60, presence of symptoms, jaundice, weight loss, tumor location, margin, wall thickness, solid components and dilation of the main pancreatic duct were significantly correlated with malignant tumor development (P < 0.05 for all). The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that thick wall and solid components were independent prognostic factors for malignancy (OR = 31.417 and 34.976, P < 0.05 for both). CONCLUSIONS: Gender, age ≥ 60, presence of symptoms, jaundice, weight loss, tumor location, margin, wall thickness, solid components and dilation of the main pancreatic duct are important diagnostic indices of malignant mucinous cystic tumors of the pancreas, while thick wall and solid components are independent risk factors of malignant pancreatic mucinous cystic neoplasms.

[Influence of obstructive jaundice on postoperative complications and mortality after pancreaticoduodenectomy: analysis of the 25-year single-center data].

OBJECTIVE: To study the influence of the depth of jaundice, the duration of jaundice and preoperative biliary drainage (PBD) on postoperative complications and mortality after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of the medical records of 1025 patients who underwent PD between June 1986 and December 2010. The patients comprised 659 men and 366 women, ranging from 4 to 81 years old with a mean age of (54 ± 12) years. The indications for PD were malignant disease in 869 patients (84.78%) and benign or borderline tumors in 156 patients (15.22%). The operative procedures performed were pylorus-preserving modification in 279 patients and conventional PD, i.e. Whipple's operation in 746 patients. Complications after PD were compared among the different groups which was classified according to the depth of obstructive jaundice, the duration of obstructive jaundice and whether undergoing preoperative biliary drain or not, and the analysis was made by variance analysis and χ(2) test respectively. RESULTS: The depth of jaundice did not significantly affect the incidence of complications after PD except for the hemorrhage complication (χ(2) = 11.06, P = 0.03). The duration of jaundice had no much influence on the postoperative complications and mortality. PBD could not reduce the postoperative complications and mortality, however, it would increase the incidence of postoperative incision infection (χ(2) = 9.84, P = 0.01). No significant relationship was observed between the duration of PBD and the postoperative complications and mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Either the depth or duration of obstructive jaundice has no relationship with the postoperative complications and mortality after PD but the postoperative hemorrhage. Patients undergoing PD can not be benefited from PBD. Consequently, PBD should not be performed routinely, but it can be used in some serious patients with severe depth of jaundice who can not received surgery at once.