Characterization of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after curative resection: outcome, prognostic factor, and recurrence.

BACKGROUND: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is a relatively rare subtype of cholangiocarcinoma. The study herein gathered experience of surgical treatment for ICC, and aimed to analyze the prognosis of patients who had received curative-intent liver resection. METHODS: A total of 216 patients who had undergone curative-intent liver resection for ICC between January 1977 and December 2014 was retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Overall, the rates of 5-years recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were 26.1 and 33.9% respectively. Based on multivariate analysis, four independent adverse prognostic factors including morphology patterns, maximum tumor size > 5 cm, pathological lymph node involvement, and vascular invasion were identified as affecting RFS after curative-intent liver resection for ICC. Among patients with cholangiocarcinoma recurrence, only 27 (16.9%) were able to receive surgical resection for recurrent cholangiocarcinoma that had a significantly better outcome than the remaining patients. CONCLUSION: Despite curative resection, the general outcome of patients with ICC is still unsatisfactory because of a high incidence of cholangiocarcinoma recurrence after operation. Tumor factors associated with cholangiocarcinoma remain crucial for the prognosis of patients with ICC after curative liver resection. Moreover, aggressive attitude toward repeat resection for the postoperative recurrent cholangiocarcinoma could provide a favorable outcome for patients.

Palliative gastrectomy is beneficial in selected cases of metastatic gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Salvage chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment for metastatic gastric cancer (mGC). This study aimed to clarify the effects of palliative gastrectomy (PG) and identify prognostic factors in mGC patients undergoing PG. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of 333 mGC patients receiving PG or a non-resection procedure (NR) between 2000 and 2010. Clinicopathological factors affecting the prognosis of these patients were collected prospectively and analyzed. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-three patients underwent PG and 140 NR. The clinicopathological characteristics were comparable between the two groups except for metastatic pattern. There were no significant differences in postoperative morbidity and mortality between the two groups. The PG group had a significantly longer median overall survival compared with the NR group (7.7 months vs. 4.9 months). In the PG group, age ≤58 years, preoperative albumin level >3 g/dL, ratio of metastatic to examined lymph nodes ≤0.58, and administration of chemotherapy were independent prognostic factors in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing PG had better outcomes than those undergoing NR. Among the patients undergoing resection, age ≤58 years, a better preoperative nutritional status, less nodal involvement and postoperative chemotherapy independently affected patient survival.

Expression profile of microRNA-200 family in hepatocellular carcinoma with bile duct tumor thrombus.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the role of the miR-200 family in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma with bile duct tumor thrombus (HCC-BDTT). BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma with bile duct tumor thrombus is a challenging condition because of its rarity and dismal prognosis. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is considered a critical step in the progression and metastasis of HCC and is regulated by the microRNA-200 (miR-200) family. METHODS: Thirty patients with HCC-BDTT were enrolled and 1240 patients with conventional HCC (cHCC) served as clinicopathologic controls. Sixty age- and sex-matched cHCC patients were selected to compare the miR-200 family expression profile and immunohistochemical characteristics. Gain- and loss-of-function studies of the miR-200 family were conducted using the hepatoma cell lines. RESULTS: Although the mean size of HCC-BDTT was smaller than that of cHCC, the former had a higher incidence of vascular invasion and a poorer long-term survival. The expressions of miR-200c and miR-141 were downregulated in HCC-BDTT (4.5- and 4.8-fold decrease, respectively). Downregulation of both miR-200c and miR-141 independently predicted disease-free survival. The HCC-BDTT, but not cHCC, exhibited overexpression of ZEB1, Twist, transforming growth factor-ß receptor type II, and vimentin, and aberrant E-cadherin expression, indicating EMT. The HCC-BDTT demonstrated increased expression in IL-6 and stemness factor Bmi1, but reduced level of metastasis-suppressive protein, insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 4. The invasive ability of the highly aggressive Mahlavu cell was attenuated by pre-miR-200c+141, whereas the invasive ability of the less aggressive Huh7 cell was enhanced by anti-miR-200c+141. CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous silencing of miR-200c and miR-141 was likely to be responsible for the development of HCC-BDTT via ZEB1-directed EMT activation and Sec23a-mediated secretome.

Pain relief from combined wound and intraperitoneal local anesthesia for patients who undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has become the treatment of choice for gallbladder lesions, but it is not a pain-free procedure. This study explored the pain relief provided by combined wound and intraperitoneal local anesthetic use for patients who are undergoing LC. METHODS: Two-hundred and twenty consecutive patients undergoing LC were categorized into 1 of the following 4 groups: local wound anesthetic after LC either with an intraperitoneal local anesthetic (W + P) (group 1) or without an intraperitoneal local anesthetic (W + NP) (group 2), or no local wound anesthetic after LC either with intraperitoneal local anesthetic (NW + P) (group 3) or without an intraperitoneal local anesthetic (NW + NP) (group 4). A visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess postoperative pain. The amount of analgesic used and the duration of hospital stay were also recorded. RESULTS: The VAS was significantly lower immediately after LC for the W + P group than for the NW + NP group (5 vs. 6; p = 0.012). Patients in the W + P group received a lower total amount of meperidine during their hospital stay. They also had the shortest hospital stay after LC, compared to the patients in the other groups. CONCLUSION: Combined wound and intraperitoneal local anesthetic use after LC significantly decreased the immediate postoperative pain and may explain the reduced use of meperidine and earlier discharge of patients so treated.

The Clinical Impact of Different Types of Preoperative Biliary Intervention on Postoperative Biliary Tract Infection of Patients Undergoing Pancreaticoduodenectomy.

Background: For patients with obstructive jaundice and who are indicated for pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) or biliary intervention, either endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and drainage (PTCD) may be indicated preoperatively. However, the possibility of procedure-related postoperative biliary tract infection (BTI) should be a concern. We tried to evaluate the impact of ERCP and PTCD on postoperative BTI. Methods: Patients diagnosed from June 2013 to March 2022 with periampullary lesions and with PD indicated were enrolled in this cohort. Patients without intraoperative bile culture and non-neoplastic lesions were excluded. Clinical information, including demographic and laboratory data, pathologic diagnosis, results of microbiologic tests, and relevant infectious outcomes, was extracted from medical records for analysis. Results: One-hundred-and-sixty-four patients from the cohort (164/689) underwent preoperative biliary intervention, either ERCP (n = 125) or PTCD (n = 39). The positive yield of intraoperative biliary culture was significantly higher in patients who underwent ERCP than in PTCD (90.4% vs. 41.0%, p < 0.001). Although there was no significance, a trend of higher postoperative BTI (13.8% vs. 2.7%) and BTI-related septic shock (5 vs. 0, 4.0% vs. 0%) in the ERCP group was noticed. While the risk factors for postoperative BTI have not been confirmed, a trend suggesting a higher incidence of BTI associated with ERCP procedures was observed, with a borderline p-value (p = 0.05, regarding ERCP biopsy). Conclusions: ERCP in patients undergoing PD increases the positive yield of intraoperative biliary culture. PTCD may be the favorable option if preoperative biliary intervention is indicated.

K-ras mutation is strongly associated with perineural invasion and represents an independent prognostic factor of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after hepatectomy.

BACKGROUND: Unsatisfying long-term survival of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) triggers the clinicians searching for molecular markers, such as K-ras mutation, to tailor management strategy. Additionally, emergence of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) brings new hope to palliate advanced ICC; whether the efficacy of TKIs is influenced by k-ras mutation is largely unknown. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of k-ras mutation and its clinical significance in ICC, as well as to pave the reference for future application of TKIs. METHODS: A total of 86 patients with ICC who underwent hepatectomy were retrospectively recruited. K-ras mutation was determined by using laser capture microdissection and direct sequencing method. Association among clinicopathological variables and K-ras mutation was analyzed. Prognostic factors of ICC after hepatectomy also were determined. RESULTS: Nineteen (22%) patients exhibited K-ras mutations. Seventeen had their K-ras mutations occurring at codon 12, and the remaining two occurring at codon 13 and codon 61 in one each. Perineural invasion was exclusively the variable associated with K-ras mutation (odds ratio, 6.9) using logistic regression analysis. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that resection margin, T-status, nodal metastasis, and K-ras mutation were independent prognostic factors. The median survival of ICC patients with K-ras mutation was 5.7 months compared with 19.0 months in those without K-ras mutation (P = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of K-ras mutations in a considerably large cohort of ICC was 22%. K-ras mutation is strongly associated with perineural invasion phenotypically. K-ras mutation is an independent prognostic factor of ICC after hepatectomy.

Integrating bioinformatics and clinicopathological research of gastrointestinal stromal tumors: identification of aurora kinase A as a poor risk marker.

BACKGROUND: For completely resected primary gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), mitotic rate, tumor size, and tumor location are important risk factors for recurrence. However, molecular markers for recurrence are still lacking. METHODS: We reanalyzed GIST gene expression profile GSE8167 available from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and confirmed the prognostic influence of one selected gene, aurora kinase A (AURKA), in another cohort of 142 patients using immunohistochemistry (IHC). RESULTS: Thirty-two cases in GSE8167 were classified into two risk groups with distinct recurrence-free survival (RFS) and expression profiles using modified criteria of Miettinen et al. from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP-Miettinen). AURKA was among the 19 genes common to the top 50 features of the high-risk phenotype and a 67-gene signature called the complexity index in sarcomas. AURKA was significantly overexpressed in the high-risk group, and patients with high AURKA expression had significantly worse RFS than those with low expression. In the IHC-validated cohort, AURKA expression was significantly higher in nongastric tumors than in gastric tumors and was significantly correlated with AFIP-Miettinen risk group. Univariate analysis showed that RFS was significantly influenced by tumor size, mitotic count, AFIP-Miettinen risk group classification, and AURKA expression. However, only tumor size (P = 0.017), mitotic count (P = 0.007), and AURKA expression (P = 0.039) were identified as independent unfavorable prognostic factors for RFS in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: By integrating bioinformatics and clinicopathological studies, AURKA was identified as a marker for high-risk GIST.

Melatonin prevents hemorrhagic shock-induced liver injury in rats through an Akt-dependent HO-1 pathway.

Although melatonin treatment following trauma-hemorrhage or ischemic reperfusion prevents organs from dysfunction and injury, the precise mechanism remains unknown. This study tested whether melatonin prevents liver injury following trauma-hemorrhage involved the protein kinase B (Akt)-dependent heme oxygenase (HO)-1 pathway. After a 5-cm midline laparotomy, male rats underwent hemorrhagic shock (mean blood pressure approximately 40 mmHg for 90 min) followed by fluid resuscitation. At the onset of resuscitation, rats were treated with vehicle, melatonin (2 mg/kg), or melatonin plus phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor wortmannin (1 mg/kg). At 2 hr after trauma-hemorrhage, the liver tissue myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde, adenosine triphosphate, serum alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase levels were significantly increased compared with sham-operated control. Trauma-hemorrhage resulted in a significant decrease in the Akt activation in comparison with the shams (relative density, 0.526 ± 0.031 versus 1.012 ± 0.066). Administration of melatonin following trauma-hemorrhage normalized liver Akt phosphorylation (0.993 ± 0.061), further increased mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation (5.263 ± 0.338 versus 2.556 ± 0.225) and HO-1 expression (5.285 ± 0.325 versus 2.546 ± 0.262), and reduced cleaved caspase-3 levels (2.155 ± 0.297 versus 5.166 ± 0.309). Coadministration of wortmannin abolished the melatonin-mediated attenuation of the shock-induced liver injury markers. Our results collectively suggest that melatonin prevents hemorrhagic shock-induced liver injury in rats through an Akt-dependent HO-1 pathway.

Relationships between serum HER2 ECD, TIMP-1 and clinical outcomes in Taiwanese breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Serum levels of the extracellular domain of HER2/neu (HER2 ECD) have been demonstrated to be associated with clinical outcomes. A disintegrin and metalloproteinase-10, a sheddase of HER2/neu, can drive cancer progression and its activity is inhibited by tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1). However, elevated TIMP-1 expression has been associated with a poor prognosis of breast cancer. Therefore, this study was performed to explore the relationships between serum HER2 ECD, TIMP-1 and clinical outcomes. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-five female breast cancer patients, who received curative mastectomy without neo-adjuvant chemotherapy at Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, were recruited with informed consent for this study. Pre-operative serum levels of HER2 ECD and TIMP-1 were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Twenty-three cases (12.4%) were classified HER2 ECD positive. HER2 ECD positivity was significantly associated with age, lymph node involvement, histological grade, estrogen receptor status, progesterone receptor status, tissue HER2/neu overexpression, and disease-free survival (DFS). In an age, stage, ER and HER2/neu status matched subgroup (N = 41), the serum level of TIMP-1 was significantly associated with HER2 ECD positivity and DFS. CONCLUSIONS: A high serum TIMP-1 was significantly associated with HER2 ECD positivity and a poorer DFS among Taiwanese primary breast cancer patients with HER2 overexpression.

Clinical practice guidelines for patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor in Taiwan.

For many years, the understanding of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), which are the most common mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, has been very limited. However, it is now possible to provide a more precise definition through the use of pathology classification and molecular techniques. Coupled with the advancement of clinical practice, especially the development of targeted therapy, there is now a much better insight into its treatment. At present, organizations such as the National Comprehensive Cancer Network in the USA and the European Society for Medical Oncology in Europe have established a consensus and drawn up guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of GISTs.With experts coming from various districts in Taiwan and combining the most recent clinical data and experiences, the Taiwan Surgical Society of Gastroenterology drafted the first national GIST treatment guidelines after a consensus meeting in 2007. Following subsequent advances in GIST diagnosis and treatment, further revisions and modifications have been made to the original guidelines. We present here the updated consensus and recommendations of the Taiwan Surgical Society of Gastroenterology for the diagnosis and treatment of GIST. We hope these guidelines can help enhance the quality of diagnosis, treatment, and care of patients with GIST in Taiwan.

Clinicodemographic aspect of resectable pancreatic cancer and prognostic factors for resectable cancer.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PCA) is one of the most lethal human malignancies, and radical surgery remains the cornerstone of treatment. After resection, the overall 5-year survival rate is only 10% to 29%. At the time of presentation, however, about 40% of patients generally have distant metastases and another 40% are usually diagnosed with locally advanced cancers. The remaining 20% of patients are indicated for surgery on the basis of the results of preoperative imaging studies; however, about half of these patients are found to be unsuitable for resection during surgical exploration. In the current study, we aimed to determine the clinicopathological characteristics that predict the resectability of PCA and to conduct a prognostic analysis of PCA after resection to identify favorable survival factors. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical files of 688 patients (422 men and 266 women) who had undergone surgery for histopathologically proven PCA in the Department of Surgery at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan from 1981 to 2006. We compared the clinical characteristics of patients who underwent resection and patients who did not undergo resection in order to identify the predictive factors for successful resectability of PCA, and we conducted prognostic analysis for PCA after resection. RESULTS: A carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) level of 37 U/ml or greater and a tumor size of 3 cm or more independently predicted resectability of PCA. In terms of survival after resection, PCA patients with better nutritional status (measured as having an albumin level greater than 3.5 g/dl), radical resection, early tumor stage and better-differentiated tumors were associated with favorable survival. CONCLUSIONS: Besides traditional imaging studies, preoperative CA 19-9 levels and tumor size can also be used to determine the resectability of PCA. Better nutritional status, curative resection, early tumor stage and well-differentiated tumors predict the favorable prognosis of PCA patients after resection.

Hepatectomy or/with Metastatectomy for Recurrent Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Of Promise for Selected Patients.

Introduction: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) has devastating outcomes owing to its advanced stage at diagnosis and high recurrence after hepatectomy. There is no preferred treatment for recurrent ICC. We retrospectively reviewed our patients who underwent repeated operations for recurrent ICCs based on their different indications to appraise the outcomes. Methods: In all, 160 out of 216 patients with ICC (71.4%) experienced recurrence after curative resection from 1977 to 2014. The patterns of recurrence were categorized according to the locations and numbers of recurrent tumors. Results: Patients with merely intrahepatic recurrence (n = 38) had superior overall survival (OS) compared with those with beyond intrahepatic recurrence (p < 0.0001). Twenty-seven out of 160 patients (16.8%) underwent repeat hepatectomy or/with metastatectomy for recurrence and had superior OS when compared to the remaining 133 patients who received nonoperative treatment/palliation (85.6 months versus 20.9 months, p < 0.001). Furthermore, patients suitable for repeat hepatectomy in the intrahepatic recurrent group (n = 12) had superior post-recurrence overall survival (PROS) than the remaining 26 patients receiving nonoperative treatment (61.6 months versus 14.7 months, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Liver is the most commonly involved site of recurrent ICC. However, merely intrahepatic recurrence may have a favorable prognosis compared to recurrence involving other sites. Aggressive hepatectomy may provide a survival benefit in selected patients.

Optimal Timing of Cholecystectomy for Patients with Concurrent Acute Cholecystitis and Acute Cholangitis after Successful Biliary Drainage by Interventional Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography.

Background: Concurrent acute cholecystitis and acute cholangitis is a unique clinical situation. We tried to investigate the optimal timing of cholecystectomy after adequate biliary drainage under this condition. Methods: From January 2012 to November 2017, we retrospectively screened all in-hospitalized patients undergoing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and then identified patients with concurrent acute cholecystitis and acute cholangitis from the cohort. The selected patients were stratified into two groups: one-stage intervention (OSI) group (intended laparoscopic cholecystectomy at the same hospitalization) vs. two-stage intervention (TSI) group (interval intended laparoscopic cholecystectomy). Interrogated outcomes included recurrent biliary events, length of hospitalization, and surgical outcomes. Results: There were 147 patients ultimately enrolled for analysis (OSI vs. TSI, 96 vs. 51). Regarding surgical outcomes, there was no significant difference between the OSI group and TSI group, including intraoperative blood transfusion (1.0% vs. 2.0%, p = 1.000), conversion to open procedure (3.1% vs. 7.8%, p = 0.236), postoperative complication (6.3% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.342), operation time (118.0 min vs. 125.8 min, p = 0.869), and postoperative days until discharge (3.37 days vs. 4.02 days, p = 0.643). In the RBE analysis, the OSI group presented a significantly lower incidence of overall RBE (5.2% vs. 41.2%, p < 0.001) than the TSI group. Conclusions: Patients with an initial diagnosis of concurrent acute cholecystitis and cholangitis undergoing cholecystectomy after ERCP drainage during the same hospitalization period may receive some benefit in terms of clinical outcomes.

Impact of HER-2 overexpression/amplification on the prognosis of gastric cancer patients undergoing resection: a single-center study of 1,036 patients.

BACKGROUND: Opinions regarding the impact of human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2 overexpression or HER-2 amplification on the prognosis of gastric cancer patients are mixed. The present study attempted to clarify this issue by investigating a large cohort of surgical patients. METHODS: We investigated 1,036 gastric cancer patients undergoing curative-intent resection. Their surgical specimens were evaluated for HER-2 expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC), and those with HER-2 expression levels of 2+ were additionally subjected to fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Data on demographic and clinicopathological features and relevant prognostic factors in these patients were analyzed. RESULTS: HER-2 positivity was noted in 64 (6.1%) of 1,036 gastric cancer patients, including 46 patients whose HER-2 expression level was 3+ on IHC and 18 patients whose FISH results were positive. On univariate analysis, HER-2 positivity was more often associated with differentiated histology, intestinal type, and negative resection margins, whereas only differentiated histology was independently associated with HER-2 positivity in a logistic regression model. For stage I-IV gastric cancer, HER-2 was not a prognostic factor. In a subpopulation study, although HER-2 positivity emerged as a favorable prognostic factor for stage III-IV gastric cancer on univariate analysis, it failed to be an independent prognostic factor after multivariate adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HER-2 positivity, determined using standardized assays and scoring criteria in a large cohort of gastric cancer patients after resection, was 6.1%. HER-2 positivity was phenotypically associated with differentiated histology. HER-2 is not an independent prognostic factor for gastric cancer.

Aggressive surgical approach for patients with T4 gastric carcinoma: promise or myth?

BACKGROUND: Surgical outcomes of multiorgan resection (MOR) for T4 gastric carcinoma reported in the literature are widely variable. We herein report a large surgical series of T4 gastric carcinoma. METHODS: One hundred seventy-nine patients with cT4 gastric carcinoma were recruited onto the study. Patient characteristics, surgical strategy and related complications, long-term survival, and prognostic factors of T4 gastric carcinoma were analyzed. RESULTS: Of 179 cT4 gastric carcinoma, there were 57 cT4 (pT3) with MOR, 91 pT4 with MOR, and 31 cT4 without MOR. pT4 with MOR were more likely to be associated with nodal metastasis, cellular dedifferentiation, and lymphoperineural infiltration compared to those of pT0-3 (P < 0.01 for all). For 91 pT4 with MOR, their surgical mortality and morbidity rates were 4.4 and 28.6%, respectively; their 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 55.2, 22.4, and 12.2%, respectively. The long-term survival of cT4 (pT3) with MOR was superior to pT4 with MOR (P = 0.006) and cT4 without MOR (P = 0.004). There was a striking difference between pT4 with MOR, R0 and pT4 with MOR, and R1 or R2 (P = 0.007). By means of multivariate analysis, lymph node status, liver invasion, and positive surgical margin were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Aggressive surgical management of pT4 gastric carcinoma should be limited to patients without adverse prognostic factors such as advanced nodal involvement and pancreatic invasion.

Early signet ring cell gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Signet ring cell carcinoma (SRC) is defined as a histological entity. The clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of gastric SRC remain controversial. METHODS: From 1994 to 2006, 2,439 patients with gastric carcinoma who underwent gastrectomy were enrolled. Of these, 505 patients (20.7%) had SRC and were compared to 1,934 patients with other histological types. RESULTS: Twenty-nine percent of patients in the SRC group (n = 149) had early gastric cancer, with tumor invasion limited to the mucosa or submucosa, compared to 22.2% of patients in the non-SRC group (n = 430). The proportion of regional LN metastases was 10.7 and 16.0% in early SRC and early non-SRC, respectively, (p = 0.115). The 5-year survival rates for patients with early SRC were better than those for patients with early non-SRC (96.1 vs. 89.6%, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Early gastric SRC has favorable prognosis. There is no significant difference in terms of LN metastasis between SRC histologic type and other histological types. Less-invasive strategies may be acceptable in selected patients with early gastric SRC.

Management of Gallstones and Acute Cholecystitis in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis: What Should We Consider When Performing Surgery?

Acute cholecystitis and several gallbladder stone-related conditions, such as impacted common bile duct stones, cholangitis, and biliary pancreatitis, are common medical conditions in daily practice. An early cholecystectomy or drainage procedure with delayed cholecystectomy is the current standard of treatment based on published clinical guidelines. Cirrhosis is not only a condition of chronically impaired hepatic function but also has systemic effects in patients. In cirrhotic individuals, several predisposing factors, including changes in the bile acid composition, increased nucleation of bile, and decreased motility of the gallbladder, contribute to the formation of biliary stones and the possibility of symptomatic cholelithiasis, which is an indication for surgical treatment. In addition to these predisposing factors for cholelithiasis, systemic effects and local anatomic consequences related to cirrhosis lead to anesthesiologic risks and perioperative complications in cirrhotic patients. Therefore, the treatment of the aforementioned biliary conditions in cirrhotic patients has become a challenging issue. In this review, we focus on cholecystectomy for cirrhotic patients and summarize the surgical indications, risk stratification, surgical procedures, and surgical outcomes specific to cirrhotic patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis.

The optimal timing of interval laparoscopic cholecystectomy following percutaneous cholecystostomy based on pathological findings and the incidence of biliary events.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of biliary events (BE) following percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) in acute cholecystitis (AC) patients is high. Therefore, definitive laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is recommended. We aimed to investigate the optimal timing of LC following PC with regard to the clinical course and pathological findings. METHODS: All 744 AC patients with PC were included. The incidence and median number of BE were investigated with the concept of competing risks. The 344 patients with interval LC were divided into two groups based on the pathological findings of resected gallbladders: the acute/acute-and-chronic group (AANC group) (n = 221) and the chronic group (n = 123). A comparative analysis of the demographic data and perioperative outcomes was performed. RESULTS: Among the 744 AC patients with PC, 142 patients experienced recurrent BE. The cumulative incidence of BE was 26.6%, and the median time to recurrence was 67.5 days. The PC-to-LC days of the chronic group were longer than those of the AANC group (73.51 vs 63.00, P < .001). The multivariate analysis indicated that the operation time was longer in the AANC group than in the chronic group (P = .040). CONCLUSION: In terms of the clinical course and sequential pathological changes in the gallbladder, a 9- to 10-week interval after PC is the optimal timing for LC.

Management of Patients With Acute Cholecystitis After Percutaneous Cholecystostomy: From the Acute Stage to Definitive Surgical Treatment.

Percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC) has become an important procedure for the treatment of acute cholecystitis (AC). PC is currently applied for patients who cannot undergo immediate laparoscopic cholecystectomy. However, the management following PC has not been well-reviewed. The efficacy of PC tubes has already been indicated, and compared to complications of other invasive biliary procedures, complications related to PC are rare. Following the resolution of AC, patients who can tolerate anesthesia and the surgical risk should undergo interval cholecystectomy to reduce the recurrence of biliary events. For patients unfit for surgery, whether owing to comorbidities, anesthesia risks, or surgical risks, expectant management may be applied; however, a high incidence of recurrence has been noted. In addition, several interesting issues, such as the indications for cholangiography via the PC tube, removal or maintenance of the PC catheter before definitive treatment, and timing of elective surgery, are all discussed in this review, and a relevant decision-making flowchart is proposed. PC is an effective and safe intervention, whether as expectant treatment or bridge therapy to definitive surgery. High-level evidence of post-PC care is still necessary to modify current practices.

Surgical outcome of Mirizzi syndrome: Value of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and laparoscopic procedures.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) with associated procedures and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) have been the standard treatments for both common and rare biliary diseases. Mirizzi syndrome (MS) is a rare and complex biliary condition. We report our experience with MS treatment and investigate the value of laparoscopic procedures and ERCP in patient management. METHODS: From 2004 to 2017, 100 consecutive patients with MS were diagnosed by ERCP and underwent surgery in a referral center. Sixty patients were treated with intended LC, and 40 patients were treated with open cholecystectomy (OC). The clinical manifestations, ERCP and associated procedures, surgical procedures, and postoperative outcomes were investigated. RESULTS: The surgical mortality rate was 1%, while the surgical morbidity rate was 15%. The patients treated with intended LC suffered from less morbidity (5%). The percentage of postoperative residual biliary stones was 32% (n = 32), and only three patients underwent re-operation (laparotomy) for stone removal. The laparotomy conversion rate in the intended LC group was 16.7% (10/60). The length of hospitalization for the patients with successful LC was significantly shorter than that for the patients with conversion and intended OC. Csendes classification was a risk factor for conversion from LC to OC (type I vs types II to V, P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: A combination of a laparoscopic procedure and ERCP may provide therapeutic benefits for patients with MS.