Endoscopic papillary balloon dilation causes transient pancreatobiliary and duodenobiliary reflux.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic papillary balloon dilation reduces sphincter function at least transiently or partially, which may allow pancreatobiliary and duodenobiliary reflux to occur. This study prospectively evaluated pancreatobiliary and duodenobiliary reflux after endoscopic papillary balloon dilation. METHODS: In 12 patients with choledocholithiasis, ductal bile was sampled for amylase concentration and bacterial culture during ERCP, before and at 7 days to 5 years after endoscopic papillary balloon dilation. To provide comparative and control data, ductal bile was sampled in 12 patients with gallbladder cholesterol polyps and 6 with anomalous pancreaticobiliary junction who did not undergo endoscopic papillary balloon dilation. RESULTS: Amylase concentrations in ductal bile from patients with choledocholithiasis before endoscopic papillary balloon dilation were marginally significantly higher (before Bonferroni correction) compared with concentrations in bile from patients with gallbladder polyps. The concentration of amylase in bile was significantly increased at 7 days after endoscopic papillary balloon dilation compared with that before endoscopic papillary balloon dilation; the level was comparable with that of patients with an anomalous pancreaticobiliary junction. Subsequently, the amylase concentration gradually decreased and was approximately equal to the pre-endoscopic papillary balloon dilation level at 1 year. Bacteriocholia was frequent (67%-92%) for up to 3 months after endoscopic papillary balloon dilation but was rare thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic papillary balloon dilation causes transient pancreatobiliary and duodenobiliary reflux. However, reflux is no longer present at 1 year after endoscopic papillary balloon dilation.

Large cystic lesions of the liver in adults: a 15-year experience in a tertiary center.

BACKGROUND: Cystic lesions of the liver consist of a heterogeneous group of disorders and may present a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Large hepatic cysts tend to be symptomatic and can cause complications more often than smaller ones. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective review of adults diagnosed with large (> or = 4 cm) hepatic cystic lesions at our center, over a period of 15 years. Polycystic disease and abscesses were not included. RESULTS: Seventy-eight patients were identified. In 57 the lesions were simple cysts, in 8 echinococcal cysts, in 8 hepatobiliary cystadenomas, and in 1 hepatobiliary cystadenocarcinoma. In four patients, the precise diagnosis could not be ascertained. Mean size was 12.1 cm (range, 4 to 30 cm). Most simple cysts were found in women (F:M, 49:8). Bleeding into a cyst (two patients) and infection (one patient) were rare manifestations. Percutaneous aspiration of 28 simple cysts resulted in recurrence in 100% of the cases within 3 weeks to 9 months (mean 4(1/2) months). Forty-eight patients were treated surgically by wide unroofing or resection (laparoscopically in 18), which resulted in low recurrence rates (11% for laparoscopy and 13% for open unroofing). Four of the eight patients with echinococcal cysts were symptomatic. All were treated by open resection after irrigation of the cavity with hypertonic saline. There was no recurrence during a followup period of 2 to 14 years. Hepatobiliary cystadenomas occurred more commonly in women (F:M, 7:1) and in the left hepatic lobe (left:right, 8:0). Seven were multiloculated. All were treated by open resection, with no recurrence, and none had malignant changes. Cystadenocarcinoma was diagnosed in a 77-year-old man, and was treated by left hepatic lobectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Large symptomatic simple cysts invariably recur after percutaneous aspiration. Laparoscopic unroofing can be successfully undertaken, with a low recurrence rate. Open resection after irrigation with hypertonic saline is a safe and effective treatment for echinococcal cysts. Hepatobiliary cystadenomas have predilection for women and for the left hepatic lobe. Malignant transformation is an uncommon but real risk. Open resection is a safe and effective treatment for hepatobiliary cystadenoma, and is associated with a low recurrence rate.

Cistoadenoma biliar: reporte de un caso / Biliary cystadenoma: report of a case

El Cistoadenoma biliar es una identidad muy poco frecuente, que afecta fundamentalmente a mujeres jóvenes. Las manifestaciones clínicas incluyen dolor abdominal y obstrucción biliar. El diagnóstico se sospecha mediante la historia clínica y los métodos radiológicos, pero requiere el estudio anatomopatológico. El tratamiento es quirúrgico. Presentamos el caso de una paciente femenina de 30 años, con manifestaciones clínicas de obstrucción biliar. Los estudios ecosonográficos, tomográficos y colangiográficos reportaron una neoplasia localizada en el conducto hepático izquierdo y hepático común, la cual fue removida quirúrgicamente. El estudio histológico correspondió a cistoadenoma biliar. Se discuten los hallazgos clínicos, radiológicos y patológicos

Colangiocarcinoma / Cholangiocarcinoma

El colangiocarcinoma es una neoplasia de baja prevalencia, pero que representa un gran desafío médico, tanto en el diagnóstico como en el tratamiento, en vista de lo insidioso de sus manifestaciones clínicas. Su aparición se ha asociado en su origen celular con otros tumores hepáticos y relacionado con múltiples factores congénitos o adquiridos (infecciones, medicamentos u otras patologías). La variedad histológica más frecuente es el adenocarcinoma y la ubicación más común en el conducto colédeco; las metástasis regionales son un hallazgo usual al momento de la necropsia. Los hallazgos clínicos más frecuentes son: prurito, pérdida de peso, anorexia, acompañados de ictericia y hepatomegalia. Los avances inmunohistoquímicos en cuanto a los oncogenes (ras y C-er B-1) y marcadores tumorales (factor de crecimiento epidérmico o integrinas, entre otros) permiten hacer diagnóstico diferencial con otros cánceres hepáticos y en un futuro proporcionar información valiosa en relación a su biología celular. La aproximación inicial a los pacientes con esta patología se realiza a través de la ecosonografía, que puede asociarse a doopler, la tomografía axial computarizada y la Resonancia Magnética Nuclear tienen similar sensibilidad y especificidad, y se prefieren la anterior en caso de ancianos con historia de pérdida de peso. La colangiografía transhepática percutánea se prefiere cuando es posible, a la pancreatocolangiografía retrógrada endoscópica ya que permite una mayor visualización de las vias biliares. El tratamiento incluye la resección y la colocación de endoprótesis. El primero, asociado a la radioterapia y la quimioterapia, es el que permite alcanzar la mejor sobrevida; la unión de estas modalidades terapeúticas abre una puerta para nuevas estrategias en cuanto al manejo de ésta patología

Treatment of primary hepatobiliary cancers with conformal radiation therapy and regional chemotherapy.

PURPOSE: To develop more effective regional therapy for patients with unresectable primary hepatobiliary cancer using concurrent conformal radiation therapy and intraarterial hepatic (IAH) fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-six patients with unresectable, nonmetastatic primary hepatobiliary cancer were treated with concurrent IAH FdUrd (0.2 mg/kg/d) and conformal hepatic radiation therapy (1.5 to 1.65 Gy per fraction twice per day). The total dose of radiation administered to the tumor depended on the fraction of normal liver excluded from the high-dose volume. All patients were assessed for toxicity, hepatobiliary relapse, and survival; 17 patients were assessable for response (eight had cholangiocarcinoma not assessable by computed tomographic [CT] scan and one progressed distantly during treatment). The median potential follow-up duration was 27 months. RESULTS: Whole-liver radiation was administered to six patients with diffuse hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Eleven patients with localized HCC and nine with cholangiocarcinoma received focal radiation to a dose of 48 to 72.6 Gy. An objective response for assessable patients was observed in 11 of 11 patients treated with focal radiation, but only one of six patients treated with whole-liver radiation. Whole-liver radiation accounted for five of seven patients with > or = grade 3 toxicity and four of six local treatment failures. Two patients had nonfatal radiation hepatitis. The median survival duration for patients with localized hepatobiliary cancer was 19 months, while patients with diffuse HCC had a median survival duration of 4 months. The rate of actuarial freedom from hepatobiliary progression in patients with localized disease was 72% at 24 months. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that three-dimensional planned focal liver radiation and IAH FdUrd can produce a high, durable response rate and an encouraging median survival duration in patients with nondiffuse, unresectable primary hepatobiliary cancer.

[Benign tumors of the liver]. / Tumori benigni del fegato.

Diagnostic and therapeutic findings of benign hepatic tumors are analysed. In particularly the authors describe the more frequent tumors such as angioma, adenoma and FNH, but also give a guidelines on how to approach less frequent lesions.

[Long-term results of chemoembolization of primary liver cancer with epirubicin-lipiodol]. / Langzeitergebnisse nach Chemoembolisation primärer Leberkarzinome mit Epirubicin-Lipiodol.

This pilot study deals with the long-term results from lipiodol-epirubicin chemo-embolisation in 25 patients with hepatocellular or cholangiocellular carcinomas. In a three-and-a-half year follow-up period 16 of these 25 patients died, maximum survival time being 28.4 months. Survival varied from 9.2 to 28.4 months compared with a survival time of 2-8 months in untreated patients. In this case hypervascular tumours have a better prognosis than the rarer hypovascular tumours due to the improved deposition and activity of the chemotherapeutic agent inside the tumour itself.

[Palliative therapy of primary liver tumors]. / Palliative Therapie primärer Lebertumoren.

In Europe and North America, primary liver tumors are rare. Resection is the only means of cure, but is possible in only 20-30% of the patients affected, so that in all other patients, i.e. the vast majority, only palliative treatment is possible. In a retrospective analysis we investigated the 68 patients we had treated for hepatocellular or cholangiocellular carcinoma of the liver. In 14 patients resection was possible, while 28 patients were treated by chemoembolization and 26 by intraarterial regional chemotherapy to the liver. There was no difference in tumor stage between the two groups receiving different palliative treatments. The patients in whom resection was performed, in contrast, mostly had less advanced tumors. For chemoembolization we used a mixture of Ethibloc, mitomycin, Adriamycin and cisplatin. Up to 1986, the intraarterial chemotherapy was performed with mitomycin and 5-FU. Since 1986 we have used Adriamycin and cisplatin. The overall median survival time was 8 months: after resection 17 months, after chemoembolization 6.5 months, and after intraarterial chemotherapy 6.5 months. There was a significant difference in survival between patients with tumor stage II and those with tumor stages III and IV. On comparing the survival time achieved with our treatments and that ensuing in the natural course of patients with liver tumor we found no improvement.

Current management of hilar cholangiocarcinoma.

The goal in the treatment of hilar cholangiocarcinoma is the relief of biliary obstruction with the quality survival. The choice of therapy for an individual patient requires complete preoperative staging to determine the resectability. This is best accomplished in a multidisciplinary setting with radiologists, gastroenterologists and surgeons participating in the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Operative removal of the tumor can be performed with low mortality and, when possible, provides the longest palliation and offers potential for cure. For tumors found at operation to be unresectable, biliary enteric bypass provides a durable method of palliation. The relative merits of the newer methods of radiologic stenting are encouraging, but further study will require prospective trials in comparison to operative biliary enteric bypass.

Four year experience with cholangiocarcinoma: a survey of patients, clinical presentation, management and prognosis in two hospitals.

Seventeen patients with cholangiocarcinoma diagnosed in Toa Payoh and Tan Tock Seng Hospitals from 1986-90 were studied retrospectively. There was a male preponderance (male:female = 12:5) with a mean age of 58 years (range 28-82 years). All presented with obstructive jaundice. Three had cholangitis. Biliary stones were associated in 3 (18%). Two patients (12%) had choledochal cysts. The level of obstruction was identified at the hilum in 12 (70.5%), lower third in 4 (23.5%) and at a choledochojejunostomy anastomosis in 1 (6%). Ultrasound and percutaneous cholangiography (PTC) were the commonest investigations used. Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) was performed in 7 (41%) and computer tomography (CT) of abdomen in 6 (35%). Biochemically, a raised alkaline phosphatase (1.5-9 x normal) was typical. Biliary bypass surgery was performed in 7 (41%); Whipple's procedure in 2 (12%) and drainage only in 6 (35%). Nine operated upon survived an average of 6 months (range 2-11 months) and six by drainage survived an average of 62 days (range 13-155 days). Three (of which two declined treatment) were lost to follow up. Cholangiocarcinoma is an uncommon cancer occurring in the older age group. In younger patients, choledochal cyst seems to be an association. Survival is dismal with palliative treatment.

Complications of hepatolithiasis.

Hepatolithiasis or intrahepatic stone is associated with a variety of complications of which biliary sepsis is one. Left untreated, infection results in formation of micro-abscesses, portal thrombophlebitis and fistulation into adjacent structures. With repeated infection, biliary strictures and severe destruction of liver parenchyma occur. Biliary cirrhosis, portal hypertension and bleeding varices are the terminal manifestations. Early recognition and proper treatment are essential for the prevention of severe complications and functional deterioration.

Evaluation of liver tumors using fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET: characterization of tumor and assessment of effect of treatment.

To evaluate glucose metabolism in patients with tumors involving the liver, 35 patients with liver lesions had PET using 18F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG). FDG (148 MBq) was injected and radioactivity of the tumor was scanned dynamically by PET. The rate constants (k1, k2, k3, k4) of FDG in a metabolic model were calculated. The results were compared to hexokinase activity in the excised tumor specimens. k3 was found to reflect tumor hexokinase activity. When k3 was used as an index (cut-off value: 0.025), it was possible to distinguish benign and malignant tumors. k4 was significantly higher in hepatocellular carcinoma. By using k3 and k4 as indices, one could assess the degree of differentiation of hepatocellular carcinoma. After treatment, k3 decreased according to the effectiveness of therapy and thus may be a useful index for quantitatively assessing tumor viability.

[Liver abscess formation after treatment of liver cancer by arterial injection using adriamycin/mitomycin C oil suspension (ADMOS)].

Of 210 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 135), metastatic liver cancer (n = 71) and cholangiocarcinoma (n = 4) who underwent intra-arterial infusion of adriamycin and/or mitomycin C oil suspension (ADMOS) and cisplatin, and both regimens, pyogenic liver abscess occurred in seven (3.3%). The percentages of abscess formation in the respective types of liver cancer were 0.8, 7.0 and 25%. These differences among the three types of liver cancer were attributed to the volume of the tumor vascular beds to be embolized, which might determine the relative amount or regional Lipiodol retention in the tumor and normal liver tissue. Four of seven patients with hepatic abscess had received the intra-arterial infusion of ADMOS, and their angiographic findings showed sequential decreases in the vascular beds of the tumor in comparison with those of previous infusion procedures; all had hypovascular liver tumors angiographically. We have never experienced this complication in other treatments such as embolization of the hepatic arteries and intra-arterial infusion of water-soluble anticancer drugs alone. These results suggest that the most important factor leading to abscess formation is the ischemic destruction of the intrahepatic ducts secondary to occlusion of the peribiliary arterial plexus by Lipiodol and/or the direct effects of anticancer drugs on these vessels. To avoid this complication, the volume of Lipiodol used for intraarterial infusion therapy should be carefully determined, especially when the patient has hypovascular tumors of the liver and a history of multiple previous intraarterial infusion procedures of anticancer drug. The use of ADMOS should be avoided in patients with hypovascular tumors of the liver such as secondary deposits and cholangiocarcinoma.

[Chemoembolization of primary liver cancer using epirubicin-lipiodol]. / Chemoembolisation primärer Leberkarzinome mit Epirubicin-Lipiodol.

The double supply of the liver allows one to perform specific embolisation of liver carcinomas since these are mostly supplied arterially. According to their occlusion characteristics--central, peripheral, capillary--different embolising materials are suitable for tumour embolisation under varying conditions. Oily substances cause capillary occlusion and can be used in conjunction with chemotherapeutic agents. This study deals with the results from lipiodol-epirubicin embolisation in 25 patients with hepatocarcinomas and cholangiocarcinomas. In a three-and-a-half year follow-up period 16 of these 25 patients died, maximum survival time being 28.4 months. Survival varied from 9.2 to 28.4 months compared with a survival time of 2-8 months in untreated patients. In this case hypervascular tumours have a better prognosis than the rarer hypovascular tumours because of improved deposition and activity of the chemotherapeutic agent.

New possibilities for major liver surgery in patients with Klatskin tumors or primary hepatocellular carcinoma--an old problem revisited.

An impaired liver function secondary to liver disease is considered a contra-indication for extensive liver resection because of the risk of liver failure. Selective embolization of the portal branch corresponding to the part of the liver that is considered for resection, carried out three to four weeks before surgery, reportedly induced atrophy of the embolized part of the liver with hypertrophy of the nonembolized part. This policy showed satisfactory early results in 46 patients who had extended liver resection. One patient with severe cholangitis died in the first 30 days. Seven patients had minor complications, which responded well to conservative management (subphrenic abscesses 3, wound infections 3, pulmonary infection 1). Selective portal embolization was well tolerated and was associated with temporary mild side effects. Liver functions before and after embolization returned to pre-embolization values. The present results support the policy of selective portal embolization in patients with impaired liver function in whom extensive liver resection is necessary. Embolization is a promising ancillary preoperative alternative.

Accurate intraoperative transhepatic U tube placement.

Cholangiocarcinoma of the main hepatic duct junction is best treated by curative resection, although this is not often possible as most lesions are associated with local infiltration, portal vein invasion or metastases. For unresectable lesions, we advocate the use of a wide bore U tube followed by radiotherapy. Placement of the U tube must be accurate and meticulous. This paper describes a simplified method allowing accurate intraoperative transhepatic U tube placement.

[Embolization of the hepatic artery in the treatment of malignant tumors of the liver]. / Embolizatsiia pechenochnoi arterii v lechenii zlokachestvennykh opukholei pecheni.

The results of therapeutic hepatic artery embolization (HAE) in 25 patients with malignant unresectable tumors of the liver are discussed. The proximal segments of the hepatic artery were occluded by metal spirals. Thrombosis of the portal vein was accepted as an absolute contraindication for HAE, and a tumor involving more than 50% of the volume of the liver and chronic hepatic insufficiency were considered relative contraindications. After the intervention signs of subjective improvement were noted in 73.9% and signs of objective improvement in 65.2% of cases. The mortality after HAE was 4.2%. The obtained results are evidence of the efficacy of proximal HAE as a method for the treatment of inoperable malignant tumors of the liver.