Hepatic atrophy-hypertrophy complex due to Echinococcus granulosus.

Obstruction of a major hepatic vein, or major portal vein, or biliary tree branch causes atrophy of the related hepatic region, and frequently, hypertrophy in the remaining liver-the atrophy-hypertrophy complex (AHC). Whether hydatid cysts can cause AHC is controversial. The records of 370 patients who underwent surgery for hepatic hydatid disease between August 1993 and July 2002 were evaluated retrospectively. Excluding six patients with previous interventions on the liver, AHC had been recorded in the operative notes of 16 patients (4.4%); for all patients, a cyst located in the right hemiliver had caused atrophy of the right hemiliver and compensatory hypertrophy of the left hemiliver. The computed tomography images of seven patients were suitable for volumetric analysis. The median (range) right and left hemiliver volumes were 334 (0-686) ml and 1084 (663-1339) ml, respectively. The median (range) cyst volume was 392 (70-1363) ml. AHC due to Echinococcus granulosus was confirmed by objective volumetric analysis. The presence of AHC should alert the surgeon to two implications. First, pericystectomy may be hazardous due to association with major vascular and biliary structures. Second, in patients with AHC, the hepatoduodenal ligament rotates around its axis; this should be considered to avoid vascular injury if a common bile duct exploration is to be performed.

Endoscopic and radiologic interventions as the leading causes of severe cholangitis in a tertiary referral center.

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic factors became the leading mechanisms of severe cholangitis in a referral center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The records of the 58 patients treated for severe cholangitis between 1996 and May 2004 (inclusive) were evaluated. RESULTS: The most frequent underlying diseases were periampullary tumors and mid-bile duct carcinomas (22), followed by proximal cholangiocarcinomas (14). The triggering mechanism was an incomplete endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in 32 patients, incomplete or inappropriate percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) in 6, apparently successful ERCP and stenting in 1, and percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography in 1. PTBD was the treatment of choice (38). Mortality was 29% (17/58); the major causes were refractory sepsis (8) and incomplete biliary drainage (advanced tumor, technical failure, or hemobilia) (8). CONCLUSIONS: In this series composed predominantly of patients referred after development of sepsis, ERCP and PTBD complications were the leading mechanisms of severe cholangitis. Nonoperative biliary manipulations are invasive procedures with potentially fatal complications. The decisions to perform such procedures and periprocedural management are responsibilities of an experienced multidisciplinary team.

Definitive treatment of traumatic biliary injuries.

BACKGROUND: We presented our experience with definitive treatment of traumatic biliary injuries. METHODS: Six male patients (mean age 13 years; range 2 to 32 years) who were referred to our unit for definitive treatment of traumatic biliary injuries were retrospectively evaluated. Data were analyzed in terms of demographic characteristics, mechanisms of injuries, associated injuries, previous treatments, symptoms on admission, treatment at our unit, and the results of treatment. Outcome was assessed using modified Schweiser and Blumgart criteria. RESULTS: The injuries were due to blunt abdominal trauma in all the patients but one who had a gunshot wound. In three patients, biliary injuries were missed at the initial operation. On admission, three patients had external biliary fistulas, two had biliary strictures. One patient was sent following inadvertent ligation of the hepatoduodenal ligament during attempts to control hemorrhage. Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy was performed in three patients. Percutaneous biloma drainage was performed in two patients, resulting in fistula closure in 13 and 40 days, respectively. One patient was treated by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and papillotomy, which enabled fistula closure in three days. One patient was lost to follow-up. One patient died from hepatic failure 11 years after the trauma. At the end of a mean follow-up of 49 months (range 15 to 75 months), three patients were in excellent condition, while one patient experienced occasional attacks of cholangitis. CONCLUSION: In patients with undetected biliary injuries and in those with unsuccessful repair attempts, biliary reconstruction should be performed in experienced hepatopancreatobiliary surgery units.

Intraductal growth-type mucin-producing peripheral cholangiocarcinoma associated with biliary papillomatosis.

A 64-year-old woman with upper abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting was admitted. The magnetic resonance imaging revealed marked dilation and "crowding" of the segment 4 bile ducts with an area suspicious for a stone or tumor. Ultrasonography-guided percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography revealed multiple filling defects in the segment 4 bile ducts, the left and common hepatic ducts. A left hepatectomy and cholecystectomy was performed. Dilated bile ducts containing mucinous material and a mass in the cystically dilated bile ducts of segment 4 were detected in the gross examination. It showed continuity within the surrounding dilated bile ducts. The dilated bile ducts of the segments 2 and 3 contained mucinous material without any apparent mass formation. Microscopically, the bile ducts were lined by biliary epithelium displaying simple and complex papillary structures with moderate to severe degree of dysplastic changes. The mass was composed of complex papillary structures filling the bile duct with a few foci of invasion. The papillary structures were composed of mucin-producing columnar cells as well as cells with oncocytic appearance. Patchy cytokeratin 7, cytokeratin 19, hepatocyte paraffin 1, MUC2, and CDX2 immunopositivities were observed. Biliary papillomatosis, mucin-producing intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and intraductal papillary-type peripheral cholangiocarcinoma are in the same disease spectrum of papillary biliary neoplasm and termed as intraductal papillary neoplasm of the liver. Mucinous hypersecretion and signs of mucobilia are considered specific and should raise the suspicion of lesions in this spectrum.

Bile duct injury during cholecystectomy requiring delayed liver transplantation: a case report and literature review.

Major bile duct injury during cholecystectomy represents potentially severe complications with unpredictable long-term results. If these lesions are not treated adequately, they can lead to hepatic failure or secondary biliary cirrhosis therefore requiring liver transplantation. We report a patient who required liver transplantation 15 years after open cholecystectomy. A l0-year old girl underwent open cholecystectomy and duodenal repair for cholelithiasis and cholecystoduodenal fistula. She required two surgical interventions, hepaticojejunostomy which was performed in another center and portoenterostomy for biliary stricture at our institution seven years after the cholecystectomy. Eight years after the third operation, she required recurrent hospitalization for treatment of hepatic abscesses. The extremely short intervals between the three life threatening episodes and the rapid progression to severe sepsis were taken into consideration and liver transplantation was performed at the age of 25. She is leading a healthy life at 4 years post transplantation. Although iatrogenic biliary injury can usually be treated successfully by a combination of surgery, radiological and endoscopic techniques, patients with severe injuries develop irreversible liver disease. This case report and review of the literature suggest that liver transplantation is a treatment modality for a selected group of patients with end-stage liver disease secondary to bile duct injury.

The effect of concomitant vascular disruption in patients with iatrogenic biliary injuries.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To evaluate treatment results in iatrogenic biliary injuries with concomitant vascular injuries. PATIENTS/METHODS: Between January 1998 and May 2002 (inclusive), angiography was performed in 45 of the 105 patients treated for iatrogenic biliary tract injury. The charts of these 45 patients and 5 other patients in whom vascular injury was diagnosed at operation were evaluated retrospectively. Twenty-nine patients had concomitant vascular injury, the biliovascular injury group (BVI), and the remaining 21 patients had isolated biliary tract injury (IBTI). RESULTS: The most frequent initial operation was a cholecystectomy. The frequency of high-level (Bismuth III or IV) strictures was 90% in the BVI group and 62% in the IBTI group ( P<0.05). Perioperative mortality was 7% in the BVI group and 5% in the IBTI group ( P>0.05). The morbidity in the BVI group was significantly higher ( P<0.05). Two patients in each group were lost to follow up. During a median (range) follow up of 31 months (5-51 months), a successful functional outcome was achieved in 96% of the BVI group and 100% of the IBTI group with a multimodal approach ( P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of high-level biliary injury and morbidity were significantly higher in the BVI group. However, concomitant vascular injury had no significant effect on mortality and medium-term outcome of biliary reconstruction. Thus, routine preoperative angiography is not recommended.

Alveolar echinococcosis in Turkey. Experience from an endemic region.

BACKGROUND: Radical resection is the only potentially curative treatment for hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (AE). Although Turkey is an endemic region, population screening is not performed and early diagnosis is rare. Consequently, surgeons are compelled to explore possibilities such as near-total resection and biliodigestive anastomosis for palliation of jaundice. METHODS: Surgery was performed in 32 patients with hepatic AE with the following indications: (1) resection; (2) palliation of jaundice; (3) definite assessment of operability; (4) failure in the management of cavity infection by percutaneous methods. Curative resection (R0 = complete resection of all parasitic mass [n = 9], and R1 = a resection in which a small remnant was left on a vital structure [n = 8]) were performed in 17 patients, intrahepatic cholangiojejunostomy in 7, laparotomy-external drainage in 7, and debulking in 1. RESULTS: Perioperative mortality rates were 2/17, 0/7, 2/7 and 1/1, respectively. Twelve patients in the curative resection group are alive without recurrence/progression of the small remnant during a median follow-up of 59 (range 27-116) months. One patient developed an inoperable recurrence that was treated with albendazole. One patient was lost to follow-up. Long-term albendazole treatment was effective in all R1 patients except a patient who had slow asymptomatic progression. Successful palliation of jaundice was achieved in 5 of the 7 intrahepatic cholangiojejunostomy patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results of R1 resection in alveolar hydatid disease are similar to those of R0 resection; a small remnant is successfully controlled by albendazole. In patients with jaundice due to hilar invasion, biliary diversion from segment 3 or 5 is effective for palliation of the jaundice and facilitates albendazole treatment.