Laparoscopic Management of Abdominal Apoplexy.

Abdominal apoplexy, otherwise known as intraperitoneal idiopathic spontaneous haemorrhage, is a rare condition that presents as a diagnostic dilemma and is associated with high mortality. Symptoms and signs typically are similar to other conditions presenting with upper abdominal peritonitis. Intraabdominal haemorrhage can occur from many different causes, including trauma, iatrogenic, ruptured aneurysm, gynaecological conditions, malignancy, and inflammatory or autoimmune processes. Spontaneous or idiopathic causes are much rarer. Prompt diagnosis and ligation of the bleeding vessel usually result in a good outcome. Most cases described involve males in the fifth and sixth decade of life who present in the setting of hypertension and known atherosclerotic disease and are managed with laparotomy or are diagnosed at autopsy. We present a case of abdominal apoplexy managed laparoscopically in a healthy 20-year-old male with no pre-existing medical conditions. This case highlights the importance to consider abdominal apoplexy in any demographic.

Combined hepatectomy and hepatic pedicle lymphadenectomy in colorectal liver metastases is justified.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to describe the outcome of patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) and radiological or clinical evidence of metastatic hepatic lymph node involvement who underwent combined hepatectomy and hepatic pedicle lymphadenectomy. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained audit of 2082 patients undergoing liver resection for CRLM between 1994 and 2014. Age, type of resection, CT/MRI/PET detection, location, disease recurrence and survival were analysed. RESULTS: Combined hepatectomy and hepatic pedicle lymphadenopathy was performed on 76 patients who met the inclusion criteria. 46% of enlarged lymph nodes were located in the hepatic ligament, with 38% retroportal, 38% common hepatic and 33% coeliac nodes. 50% of lymph node resections were positive for metastatic tumour. Pre-operative CT, MRI and CT/PET failed to detect histologically proven lymph node disease in 25/38 patients. Patients with negative nodal histology had a significant overall (44 vs 20 months, p = 0.008) and disease free (20 vs 11 months, p < 0.001) survival advantage. CONCLUSION: Combined hepatectomy and lymph node resection for CRLM in the setting of enlarged or suspicious lymphadenopathy is justified as imaging and operative findings are poor guides in determining positive lymph node disease.

Selective embolization for bleeding visceral artery pseudoaneurysms in patients with pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatitis is associated with arterial complications in 4%-10% of patients, with untreated mortality approaching 90%. Timely intervention at a specialist center can reduce the mortality to 15%. We present a single institution experience of selective embolization as first line management of bleeding pseudoaneurysms in pancreatitis. METHODS: Sixteen patients with pancreatitis and visceral artery pseudoaneurysms were identified from searches of the records of interventional angiography from January 2000 to June 2007. True visceral artery aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms arising as a result of post-operative pancreatic or biliary leak were excluded from the study. RESULTS: In 50% of the patients, bleeding complicated the initial presentation of pancreatitis. Alcohol was the offending agent in 10 patients, gallstones in 3, trauma, drug-induced and idiopathic pancreatitis in one each. All 16 patients had a contrast CT scan and 15 underwent coeliac axis angiography. The pseudoaneurysms ranging from 0.9 to 9.0 cm affected the splenic artery in 7 patients: hepatic in 3, gastroduodenal and right gastric in 2 each, and left gastric and pancreaticoduodenal in 1 each. One patient developed spontaneous thrombosis of the pseudoaneurysm. Fourteen patients had effective coil embolization of the pseudoaneurysm. One patient needed surgical exclusion of the pseudoaneurysm following difficulty in accessing the coeliac axis radiologically. There were no episodes of re-bleeding and no in-hospital mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Pseudoaneurysms are unrelated to the severity of pancreatitis and major hemorrhage can occur irrespective of their size. Co-existent portal hypertension and sepsis increase the risk of surgery. Angiography and selective coil embolization is a safe and effective way to arrest the hemorrhage.

Liver resection in liver transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Liver resection after liver transplantation is a relatively uncommon procedure. Indications for liver resection include hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT), non-anastomotic biliary stricture (ischemic biliary lesions), liver abscess, liver trauma and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Organ shortage and lower survival after re-transplantation have encouraged us to make attempts at graft salvage. METHODS: Eleven resections at a mean of 59 months after liver transplantation were made over 18 years. Indications for liver resection included HCC recurrence in 4 patients, ischemic cholangiopathy, segmental HAT, sepsis and infected hematoma in 2 each, and ischemic segment IV after split liver transplantation in 1. RESULTS: There was no perioperative mortality. Morbidity included one re-laparotomy for small bowel perforation, one bile leak treated conservatively, one right subphrenic collection, one wound infection and 5 episodes of Gram-negative sepsis. One patient underwent re-transplantation 4 months after resection for chronic rejection. There were 3 deaths, two from HCC recurrence and one from post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder. The overall mean follow-up after resection was 48 months. CONCLUSIONS: Liver resection in liver transplant recipients is safe, and has good outcome in selected patients and avoids re-transplantation in the majority of patients. Recipients with recurrent HCC in graft may benefit from resection, but cure is uncommon.

Pancreaticoduodenectomy with radical lymphadenectomy is not contraindicated for patients with established chronic liver disease and portal hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Chronic liver disease has been considered a contraindication to radical surgery for intra-abdominal tumors because of the risk of decompensation. METHODS: In a retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancer treated from January 2000 to December 2006 at our center, 4 patients were identified with operable pancreatic tumors and well-compensated chronic liver disease. The preoperative staging, decompression of the biliary tree, liver biopsy, Child-Turcot-Pugh and MELD scores were described. RESULTS: All patients underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy successfully with minimal blood loss, and no peri-operative blood transfusions or liver decompensation. There was no postoperative mortality. Two patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. One patient died with recurrent disease at 18 months, one is alive with disease recurrence, and two are alive and disease free. CONCLUSION: Patients with pancreatic cancer and well-compensated chronic liver disease should routinely be considered for radical surgery at specialist hepatobiliary centres with expertise available to manage complex liver disease.

Non-functioning well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor of the extrahepatic bile duct: an unusual suspect?

BACKGROUND: Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) arising in the biliary tree are extremely rare, and 37 cases were identified in the English literature. METHODS: A well-differentiated NET was found arising from the junction of the cystic and common hepatic ducts, in a 51-year-old male presenting with pedal edema and weight loss with abnormal liver enzymes and a normal serum bilirubin level. No mass was seen on radiological imaging and biopsy of the liver was suggestive of an early cholangiopathy. A bile leak complicating the liver biopsy led to an ERCP that demonstrated a filling defect suggestive of a mass in the common bile duct (CBD). RESULTS: He underwent a successful excision of the tumor with a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy. The diagnosis of NET was made on histological and immunohistochemical analysis of the resected specimen. He remains well and disease free 22 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Recognition of biliary NET continues to be a challenge and an increased awareness of these tumors in rare sites will result in optimal management of these tumors.

Pseudoaneurysm following laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the operation of choice for removal of the gallbladder. Unrecognized bile duct injuries present with biliary peritonitis and systemic sepsis. Bile has been shown to cause damage to the vascular wall and therefore delay the healing of injured arteries leading to pseudoaneurysm formation. Failure to deal with bile leak and secondary infection may result in pseudoaneurysm formation. This study was to report the incidence and outcomes of pseudoaneurysm in patients with bile leak following LC referred to our hospital. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of our prospectively maintained liver database using key words pseudoaneurysm, bile leak and bile duct injury following laparoscopic cholecystectomy from January 2000 to December 2005 was performed. RESULTS: A total of 86 cases were referred with bile duct injury and bile leak following LC and of these, 4 patients (4.5%) developed hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm (HAP) presenting with haemobilia in 3 and massive intra-abdominal bleed in 1. Selective visceral angiography confirmed pseudoaneurysm of the right hepatic artery in 2 cases, cystic artery stump in one and an intact but ectatic hepatic artery with surgical clips closely applied to the right hepatic artery at the origin of the cystic artery in the fourth case. Effective hemostasis was achieved in 3 patients with coil embolization and the fourth patient required emergency laparotomy for severe bleeding and hemodynamic instability due to a ruptured right hepatic artery. Of the 3 patients treated with coil embolization, 2 developed late strictures of the common hepatic duct (CHD) requiring hepatico-jejunostomy and one developed a stricture of left hepatic duct. All the 4 patients are alive at a median follow up of 17 months (range 1 to 65) with normal liver function tests. CONCLUSIONS: HAP is a rare and potentially life-threatening complication of LC. Biloma and subsequent infection are reported to be associated with pseudoaneurysm formation. Late duct stricture is common either due to unrecognized injury at LC or secondary to ischemia after embolization.

Spontaneous common bile duct perforation in adult: a case report and review.

Common bile duct perforation has been reported in adults after invasive procedures. Spontaneous common bile duct perforation is a rare entity as a cause of acute abdomen in adults. A few cases due to choledocholithiasis have been reported as a cause of spontaneous perforation. We report an adult patient who presented with acute abdomen after spontaneous common bile duct perforation due to unknown etiology who was treated successfully.