Diagnostic utility of single-user peroral cholangioscopy in sclerosing cholangitis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic utility of single-operator peroral cholangioscopy (SOC) in patients with sclerosing cholangitis. METHODS: All patients with sclerosing cholangitis who underwent SOC procedures due to suspicious biliary strictures, in one Swedish and four UK tertiary centers in 2008-2012, were retrospectively enrolled. For each SOC procedure in sclerosing cholangitis, another one attempted due to a single biliary stricture in the same center and calendar year was randomly selected as control. Patients were followed up until death or last clinic visit until November 2012. RESULTS: Fifty-four SOC procedures were attempted in 52 sclerosing cholangitis patients (48 with primary sclerosing cholangitis, 4 with IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis). Cannulation with the SOC system failed more frequently in sclerosing cholangitis (15% vs. 2% in controls; p = 0.015). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of SOC (including tissue sampling) for cancer diagnosis were similar in sclerosing cholangitis and controls (50% vs. 55%, 100% vs. 97%, and 88% vs. 80%, respectively) with largely overlapping confidence intervals. Adverse events were more common in sclerosing cholangitis, due to an increased frequency of cholangitis (11% vs. 2% in controls; p = 0.051). CONCLUSIONS: SOC is equally accurate in cancer diagnosis in sclerosing cholangitis and patients with single biliary strictures. However, cholangioscope insertion may be hampered by bile duct narrowing and post-SOC cholangitis is more common in sclerosing cholangitis.

Atypical presentation of plasmablastic lymphoma in immunocompetent patient.

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is an uncommon and aggressive type of mature B cell lymphoma rarely involving gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Here, we describe a case of PBL involving the colon in HIV/Epstein-Barr virus negative immunocompetent patient who presented with anaemia and weight loss but no significant GI symptoms. It emphasises that even in the absence of classical risk factors, one should consider possibility of this condition as this is potentially curable. Also, we would like to highlight the diagnostic and treatment challenges of such an aggressive lymphoma in a frail elderly patient with multiple comorbidities.

Emergency endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in critically ill patients is a safe and effective procedure.

Emergency ERCP may be required in patients with severe cholangitis who rapidly deteriorate with multi-organ dysfunction and who cannot wait until the next available elective list. A significant proportion of patients require ventilatory and inotropic support. We describe our experience on the outcome of emergency ERCP in this cohort of critically ill patients. Medical records of cases undergoing ERCP between November 2008 and November 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who were in intensive care unit or required general anaesthesia due to haemodynamic compromise at the time of ERCP were included. Total of 2237 ERCPs were performed during this period, of which 36 (2%) emergency ERCP's were performed in 33 patients. The median age was 79 years. All procedures were performed under general anaesthesia in emergency operating room. In 27/36 procedures (75%), the patients required inotropes. Indications included cholangitis (78%), pancreatitis (14%) and post-operative bile leak (8%). Biliary cannulation was achieved in 100% of cases. Endoscopic findings included CBD stones (64%), CBD stones and an additional pathology (8%), bile leak (8%), CBD stricture (5%), Mirizzi's (3%) and blocked plastic stent (3%). In 23/36 (64%) procedures a stent was inserted. In 11/36 (30%) procedures a balloon trawl was sufficient to clear the bile duct. Thirty-day mortality was 25%. Although the 30-day mortality remains high due to multi-organ failure, ERCP is successful and effective in the majority of patients and results in a good outcome for this cohort of critically ill patients, in whom the prognosis is inevitably poor without emergency biliary drainage.

Diagnostic and therapeutic utility of single-operator peroral cholangioscopy for indeterminate biliary lesions and bile duct stones.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utility of single-operator peroral cholangioscopy (SOC) for indeterminate biliary lesions and its usefulness in electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL) of biliary stones not amenable to conventional endoscopic therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients undergoing SpyGlass SOC in four UK tertiary centres between 2008 and 2010 were retrospectively enrolled. Patients were followed up until death or the last clinic visit until May 2011. The operating characteristics of SOC for detecting malignant lesions and the stone clearance rate after SOC-guided EHL were calculated. RESULTS: A total of 165 patients underwent 179 SOC procedures. Sixty-six percent were referred for indeterminate biliary strictures, 13% for filling defects and 21% for SOC-guided EHL. Cannulation with the SOC system was successful in 95% but visualization was inadequate in 13%. Primary sclerosing cholangitis was a risk factor for failed cannulation and conscious sedation (vs. general anaesthesia) for inadequate visualization (P<0.05). The accuracy of SOC for diagnosing malignant lesions was 87%. SOC-guided biopsies were adequate in 72%. Obtaining at least four versus less than four biopsy specimens resulted more often in adequate samples (90 vs. 64%, P=0.037). Complete stone clearance could be achieved in 73% of patients. The adverse event rate was 9.6%. Cholangitis was the most common event (56%, one fatal). CONCLUSION: SOC is useful for the differential diagnosis of indeterminate biliary lesions and the treatment of 'difficult' biliary stones. The adequacy of SOC-guided biopsies is related to the number of specimens obtained. Primary sclerosing cholangitis is related to failed cannulation with the SOC system, whereas general anaesthesia is related to adequate visualization.