Unilateral versus bilateral drainage using self-expandable metallic stent for unresectable hilar biliary obstruction.

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus on the choice of either unilateral or bilateral drainage in stent placement for patients with unresectable hilar biliary obstruction. The aim of the present study was to clarify which drainage method is superior. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 82 patients with hilar biliary obstruction who underwent metallic stenting. These patients were divided into a unilateral drainage group (Uni group) and a bilateral drainage group (Bi group). RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the groups in median survival time, median stent patency period, and median complication-free survival time. The most frequent complication was stent obstruction, followed by cholangitis. Liver abscess was found at a higher frequency in the Bi group (17.6%) than in the Uni group (1.5%) (P=0.0266). There was no significant difference between the groups in the occurrence of two or more complications (P=0.247), life-threatening severe complications (P=0.0577), and stent obstruction by sludge (P=0.0912). CONCLUSION: When compared with bilateral biliary drainage, unilateral biliary drainage is associated with a lower incidence of liver abscess as well as a comparable outcome of stent patency time and complication-free survival. We therefore propose that hilar biliary obstruction can be treated first by unilateral drainage with a metallic stent and by bilateral drainage only in patients who develop cholangitis in the contralateral biliary tree.

Double balloon endoscope facilitates endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in roux-en-y anastomosis patients.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is the gold standard for the treatment of patients with pancreaticobiliary disorders, but endoscopic therapy is very difficult to carry out in patients with a Roux-en-Y anastomosis. We herein present the results of ERCP for patients with a Roux-en-Y anastomosis using a double-balloon endoscope. Six patients (six men with a mean age of 69 years) who had undergone prior gastric resection with Roux-en-Y reconstruction were enrolled in the present study and underwent ERCP and associated procedures. ERCP was carried out with a double balloon endoscope, which has one balloon attached to the tip of the endoscope and another attached to the distal end of the soft overtube. In all patients, entering the Y loop was successfully accomplished, and the papilla of Vater was also reached in all cases (100%). Cannulation was successful in four patients (66.7%). The final diagnosis was choledocholithiasis in two patients, biliary fistula in one patient and pancreatic cancer in one patient. A needle-knife precut papillotomy was carried out after placement of a bile duct stent in two patients, and injection of N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate into a biliary fistula was carried out in one patient. None of the patients suffered from any complications. A double balloon endoscope is therefore considered to be useful for carrying out ERCP and associated procedures in patients with a Roux-en-Y anastomosis.

[A case of advanced gastric cancer with histological complete response after S-1 chemotherapy].

A 58-year-old man of unresectable gastric cancer was treated with S-1 (120 mg/body/day) after gastrojejunostomy. After 5 courses of orally administration of S-1 for 4 weeks and withdrawal for 2 weeks, partial response (PR) was obtained clinically and distal gastrectomy was performed. The histological diagnosis showed no residue of carcinoma with both HE and immunohistochemical staining. The patient has been in good health and no recurrence has occurred for about 4 years and 4 months after resection.

ERCP using double-balloon endoscopes in patients with Roux-en-Y anastomosis.

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and associated procedures are difficult to perform in patients with a Roux-en-Y reconstruction. Therefore, at present, at many institutions, ERCP is not generally performed for those with a Roux-en-Y anastomosis. METHODS: However, double-balloon endoscopes (DBEs) have dramatically changed this situation. RESULTS: The use of a DBE enables an endoscopic approach into the deeply situated small intestine, which has been difficult with a conventional endoscope. Therefore, ERCP for patients with a Roux-en-Y anastomosis has been attempted using a DBE, and good results have been reported. CONCLUSION: The development of DBEs has created the possibility of performing ERCP for patients with Roux-en-Y reconstruction in whom an endoscopic approach has conventionally been believed to be difficult.

Continuos intravenous infusion of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) prevented liver fibrosis in rat.

The atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) are used as the acute heart failure treatment in clinical and reported the suppression of fibrosis in the heart, lung recently. The aim of this study was to analyze the suppressive effect of liver fibrosis about ANP. In vitro, rat hepatic stellate cell line (HSC-T6) were treated with ANP. In vivo, Wister rats were injected with dimethylnitrosamine (DMN) twice a week via intra-peritoneal for 4 weeks. ANP group was given by continuance intravenous dosage system used 24h infusion pump for 3 weeks after 1 week of DMN administration. In vitro, ANP suppressed alpha-SMA expression and was inhibited the growth of HSC, and reduced the expression of type 1 procollagen, TIMP-1, -2 expression. In vivo, The ANP group showed lower serum AST, ALT, HA level. Liver fibrosis was suppressed by ANP. ANP also decreased gene expression of type 1 procollagen, TIMP-1, -2 and alpha-SMA, TGF-beta1 expression. Our results showed that continuous ANP infusion has the specific capacity of inhibiting HSC activation and protecting hepatocytes and the useful capacity to suppress the liver fibrosis.