Hepaticoduodenostomy for Recurrent Biliary Anastomotic Stricture after Liver Transplant.

Biliary strictures afterlivertransplant are amenable to endoscopic dilatation or percutaneous dilatation and stenting in most cases. In rare cases, for recurrence or tight stricture, surgery is required, and hepaticojejunostomy is the favored procedure. We report a case of posttransplant stricture in a duct-to-duct anastomosis that could not be accessed due to prior gastric bypass. Despite multiple percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography dilatations, the stricture recurred, and the patient was taken up for bilioenteric bypass. During surgery, dense adhesions in the infracolic compartment with chronically twisted jejunal loops, due to prior mini gastric bypass, were encountered, which prevented the creation of a jejunal Roux limb. Hepaticoduodenostomy was performed with no recurrence of stricture at 12 months. Hepaticoduodenostomy is a viable option for surgical management of recurrent biliary strictures, especially in a setting of prior bariatric/diversion procedures.

Multiscale X-ray phase-contrast CT unveils the evolution of bile infarct in obstructive biliary disease.

Bile infarct is a pivotal characteristic of obstructive biliary disease, but its evolution during the disease progression remains unclear. Our objective, therefore, is to explore morphological alterations of the bile infarct in the disease course by means of multiscale X-ray phase-contrast CT. Bile duct ligation is performed in mice to mimic the obstructive biliary disease. Intact liver lobes of the mice are scanned by phase-contrast CT at various resolution scales. Phase-contrast CT clearly presents three-dimensional (3D) images of the bile infarcts down to the submicron level with good correlation with histological images. The CT data illustrates that the infarct first appears on day 1 post-BDL, while a microchannel between the infarct and hepatic sinusoids is identified, the number of which increases with the disease progression. A 3D model of hepatic acinus is proposed, in which the infarct starts around the portal veins (zone I) and gradually progresses towards the central veins (zone III) during the disease process. Multiscale phase-contrast CT offers the comprehensive analysis of the evolutionary features of the bile infarct in obstructive biliary disease. During the course of the disease, the bile infarcts develop infarct-sinusoidal microchannels and gradually occupy the whole liver, promoting the disease progression.

Percutaneous biliary stent removal for benign biliary stricture post hepaticojejunostomy.

This case report presents the percutaneous extraction of a biliary stent in a patient with a history of liver transplant and Whipple procedure, suffering from benign biliary stricture post hepaticojejunostomy. After failed management with conventional benign biliary protocol, a fully covered WallFlex biliary stent was percutaneously placed and later removed using a balloon catheter technique. The procedure demonstrated anastomosis patency without complications, providing a drain-free option for complex anatomy where endoscopic management was not feasible. This case contributes valuable insights to the limited literature on percutaneous stent removal for benign biliary strictures, emphasising the importance of considering alternative approaches in challenging clinical scenarios.

A therapeutic ERCP in an only 5.9 kg infant with obstruction jaundice using JF-260V duodenoscope.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has found extensive use in pediatric patients; however, challenges persist in the application of therapeutic ERCP in infants. CASE PRESENTATION: This case report details the presentation of a 5.9-kilogram infant with obstructive jaundice and suspected hemolytic anemia who underwent ERCP to alleviate biliary obstruction. The infant was admitted due to clay-colored stools, jaundice, and liver injury. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) revealed dilation of the common bile duct (CBD) accompanied by the presence of stones. ERCP was conducted using a JF-260V duodenoscope under general anesthesia. Successful stone extraction and biliary drainage were achieved. CONCLUSIONS: In centers with considerable expertise in ERCP and pediatric anesthesia, the use of a conventional adult duodenoscope for therapeutic ERCP in infants can be considered safe and feasible, provided careful and stringent patient selection criteria are applied. In the future, clear guidelines and standardized protocols for the indications and procedures of pediatric ERCP should be established.

Management of anastomotic biliary stricture through utilizing percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy.

AIM: Occurrence of anastomotic biliary stricture (AS) remains an essential issue following hepatobiliary surgeries, and percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy (PTCS) has great therapeutic significance in handling refractory AS for patients with altered gastrointestinal anatomy after cholangio-jejunostomy. This present study aimed to investigate feasibility of PTCS procedures in AS patients for therapeutic indications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a single-center, retrospective cohort study with a total number of 124 consecutive patients who received therapeutic PTCS due to AS. Clinical success rate, required number, and adverse events of therapeutic PTCS procedures as well as patients survival state were reviewed. RESULTS: These 124 patients previously underwent choledochojejunostomy or hepatico-jejunostomy, and there was post-surgical altered gastrointestinal anatomy. Overall, 366 therapeutic PTCS procedures were performed for these patients through applying rigid choledochoscope, and the median time of PTCS procedures was 3 (1-11). Among these patients, there were 34 cases (27.32%) accompanied by biliary strictures and 100 cases (80.65%) were also combined with biliary calculi. After therapeutic PTCS, most patients presented with relieved clinical manifestations and improved liver functions. The median time of follow-up was 26 months (2-86 months), and AS was successfully managed through PTCS procedures in 104 patients (83.87%). During the follow-up period, adverse events occurred in 81 cases (65.32%), most of which were tackled through supportive treatment. CONCLUSION: PTCS was a feasible, safe and effective therapeutic modality for refractory AS, which may be a promising alternative approach in clinical cases where the gastrointestinal anatomy was changed after cholangio-jejunostomy.

A Novel Method of Calculating the Drained Liver Volume Using a 3D Volume Analyzer for Biliary Drainage of Unresectable Malignant Hilar Biliary Obstruction.

OBJECTIVES: In patients with unresectable malignant hilar biliary obstruction (UMHBO), drainage of ≥ 50% liver volume correlates with better clinical outcomes. Accurately measuring the liver volume to be drained by biliary stents is required. We aimed to develop a novel method for calculating the drained liver volume (DLV) using a 3D volume analyzer (3D volumetry), and assess the usefulness for drainage in patients with UMHBO. METHODS: Three-dimensional volumetry comprises the following steps: (1) manual tracing of bile duct using 3D imaging system; (2) 3D reconstruction of bile duct and liver parenchyma; and (3) calculating DLV according to the 3D distribution of bile ducts. Using 3D volumetry, we reviewed data of patients who underwent biliary drainage for UMHBO, calculated the DLV, and determined the association between DLV and biliary drainage outcome. RESULTS: There were 104 eligible cases. The mean DLV was 708 ± 393 ml (53% ± 21%). and 65 patients (63%) underwent drainage of ≥50% liver volume. The clinical success rate was significantly higher in patients with DLV ≥ 50% than in patients with DLV < 50% (89% vs. 28%, P < 0.001). The median time to recurrence of biliary obstruction (TRBO) and survival time were significantly longer in patients with DLV ≥ 50% than in patients with DLV < 50% (TRBO, 292 vs. 119 days, P = 0.03; survival, 285 vs. 65days, P = 0.004, log-rank test, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional volumetry, a novel method to calculate DLV accurately according to bile duct distribution was useful for drainage in UMHBO patients.

Trans Enteric Rendezvous ERCP in a Patient with Loop Duodenal Switch.

Introduction: Performing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in duodenal switch (DS) patients is challenging given their surgically altered anatomy. There have been very few reported cases of trans enteric rendezvous ERCP to relieve biliary obstruction in DS patients. More specifically, there has not been any reported cases of this procedure being performed in loop DS, also known as SADI (single anastomosis duodeno-ileostomy) or SIPS (stomach intestinal pylorus sparing procedure). Case Description: This case reports describes a 50-year-old male with prior loop DS who presented with gallstone pancreatitis. He underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy with positive intraoperative cholangiogram requiring the need for trans enteric rendezvous ERCP. Discussion: Although never reported, trans enteric rendezvous ERCP is a feasible approach in relieving biliary obstruction in patients with loop DS anatomy.

Brain imaging in children with neonatal cholestatic liver disease: A systematic review.

AIM: To determine if children with neonatal cholestatic liver disease had concurrent and later findings on brain imaging studies that could be attributed and the cholestasis to contribute to the understanding of the impaired neuropsychological development. METHODS: Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched on July 21, 2022, and updated on March 26, 2023. Studies with children under 18 years of age with neonatal cholestasis and a brain scan at the time of diagnosis or later in life were included. Excluded studies were non-English, non-human, reviews or conference abstracts. Data were extracted on demographics, brain imaging findings, treatment and outcome. The results were summarised by disease categories. Risk of bias was assessed using JBI critical appraisal tools. RESULTS: The search yielded 12 011 reports, of which 1261 underwent full text review and 89 were eligible for inclusion. Haemorrhage was the most common finding, especially in children with bile duct obstruction, including biliary atresia. Some findings were resolved after liver transplantation. CONCLUSION: Children with neonatal cholestasis had changes in brain imaging, which might play a role in impaired neuropsychological development, but longitudinal clinical research with structured assessment is needed to better qualify the aetiology of the impairment.