Urgent liver retransplantation due to transmission of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma by donor: the first report in the literature / Retransplante de fígado urgente devido à transmissão de colangiocarcinoma intra-hepático pelo doador: o primeiro relato da literatura

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Liver transplantation represents the best therapeutic modality in end-stage chronic liver disease, severe acute hepatitis, and selected cases of liver tumors. AIMS: To describe a double retransplant in a male patient diagnosed with Crohn's disease and complicated with primary sclerosing cholangitis, severe portal hypertension, and cholangiocarcinoma diagnosed in the transplanted liver. METHODS: A 48-year-old male patient diagnosed with Crohn's disease 25 years ago, complicated with primary sclerosing cholangitis and severe portal hypertension. He underwent a liver transplantation in 2018 due to secondary biliary cirrhosis. In 2021, a primary sclerosing cholangitis recurrence was diagnosed and a liver retransplantation was indicated. Recipient's hepatectomy was very difficult by reason of complex portal vein thrombosis requiring extensive thromboendovenectomy. Intraoperative ultrasound with liver doppler evaluation was performed. Two suspicious nodules were incidentally diagnosed in the donor's liver and immediately removed for anatomopathological evaluation. RESULTS: After pathological confirmation of carcinoma, probable cholangiocarcinoma, at frozen section, the patient was re-listed as national priority and a new liver transplantation was performed within 24 hours. The patient was discharged after 2 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The screening for neoplasms in donated organs should be part of our strict daily diagnostic arsenal. Moreover, we argue that, for the benefit of an adequate diagnosis and the feasibility of a safer procedure, the adoption of imaging tests routine for the liver donor is essential, allowing a reduction of the costs and some potential risks of liver transplant procedure.

RESUMO RACIONAL: O transplante de fígado representa a melhor modalidade terapêutica na doença hepática crônica terminal, hepatite aguda grave e casos selecionados de tumores hepáticos. OBJETIVOS: Descrever um retransplante duplo em paciente do sexo masculino, diagnosticado com doença de Crohn e complicado com colangite esclerosante primária, hipertensão portal grave e colangiocarcinoma diagnosticado no fígado transplantado. MÉTODOS: Paciente do sexo masculino, 48 anos, diagnosticado com doença de Crohn há 25 anos e complicado com colangite esclerosante primária e hipertensão portal grave. Foi submetido a um transplante de fígado em 2018 devido a cirrose biliar secundária. Em 2021, foi diagnosticada recidiva de colangite esclerosante primária e indicado retransplante hepático. A hepatectomia do receptor foi de alta complexidade devido à trombose complexa da veia porta, exigindo extensa tromboendovenectomia. Foi realizada ultrassonografia intraoperatória com doppler hepático. Dois nódulos suspeitos foram diagnosticados incidentalmente no fígado do doador e imediatamente removidos para avaliação anatomopatológica. RESULTADOS: Após confirmação patológica de carcinoma, provável colangiocarcinoma, pela congelação, o paciente foi relistado como prioridade nacional, e novo transplante hepático foi realizado em 24 horas. O paciente teve alta após 2 semanas. CONCLUSÕES: O rastreamento de neoplasias em órgãos doados deve fazer parte de nosso estrito arsenal diagnóstico diário. Além disso, defendemos que, em benefício de um diagnóstico correto e da viabilidade de um procedimento mais seguro, a adoção de uma rotina de exames de imagem é essencial em doadores hepáticos, permitindo a redução dos custos e alguns riscos potenciais do procedimento de transplante hepático.

Terapias usuales y emergentes en colangitis biliar primaria / Conventional and emerging therapies in primary biliary cholangitis

La colangitis biliar primaria (CBP) es una enfermedad autoinmune caracterizada por daño de los conductos biliares intrahepáticos, que hasta ahora tiene mecanismos poco claros de respuesta celular inflamatoria, con la mitocondria como orgánulo blanco. Durante varias décadas han sido el control de los ácidos biliares y el tratamiento de la colestasis lo que ha permitido el manejo médico de los pacientes, logrando un impacto parcial en el curso y la progresión de la enfermedad, mejorando además la sobrevida de los individuos. Con el hallazgo de nuevos mecanismos fisiopatológicos se han iniciado estudios con terapias inmunomoduladoras, que podrían ser prometedoras en el mejoramiento de la calidad de vida de los pacientes que padecen la enfermedad. Aún los resultados son inciertos, y se hacen necesarios más estudios para aclarar el papel de los nuevos tratamientos en el arsenal terapéutico disponible para la CBP.

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease characterized by damage of intrahepatic bile ducts, so far with unclear mechanisms of inflammatory cellular response with the mitochondria as the target organelle. For several decades it has been the control of bile acids and the treatment of cholestasis what has allowed the management of patients, achieving a partial impact on the course and progression of the disease, also improving the survival of individuals. With the discovery of new pathophysiological mechanisms, studies have been initiated with new immunomodulatory therapies that could be promising in improving the quality of life of patients suffering from the disease. The results are still uncertain and further studies are needed to clarify the role of the new treatments in the therapeutic arsenal available for PBC.

Resultados del tratamiento quirúrgico del colangiocarcinoma intrahepático / Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: experience in 30 operated patients

background: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) corresponds to 10% of liver primary malignant tumors. Aim: To show the results of surgical treatment of ICC in a biliary surgery center. material and methods: Review of a prospective database of operated patients at a surgical service of a clinical hospital. Thirty operated patients with an ICC, aged 25 to 83 years (20 women), were identified. Results: Twenty six patients had symptoms, 12 of 19 had high levels of CA19-9 and in four the tumor was non resectable. Twenty four patients underwent major hepatectomy and two, a minor hepatectomy. Combined resections were performed in three patients. Lymphadenectomy was performed in 14 patients and five had lymph node metastases. Surgical time was 272 minutes, mean intensive care unit stay was 10 days and mean ventilatory support use was five days. Surgical mortality was 19% and complications appeared in 53% of patients. Tumors were stage I, II, III and IV in 11, 5, 3 and 11 patients respectively. Overall survival was 16 months. Survival in tumors stage I and II was 50% at five years. In stages III and IV, it was 11.2 months. Conclusions: Surgery for ICC has an acceptable mortality and complications rate with a five years survival of 25%.

Introducción: El colangiocarcinoma intrahepático (CCIH), corresponde al segundo cáncer primario hepático, representando alrededor del 10% de los cánceres primarios del hígado; el tratamiento es la hepatectomía. Objetivo: Mostrar los resultados del tratamiento quirúrgico de pacientes con CCIH en Chile en un centro de cirugía hepatobiliar. Pacientes y métodos: Análisis prospectivo de los pacientes con CCIH operados en nuestro centro entre 2005 y 2015. Resultados: 30 pacientes, 20 mujeres (67%), 10 hombres (33%). Edad promedio: 60 años (rango 25-83 ), 26 pacientes sintomáticos (87%), CA19-9 elevado en 12 (63,2%), 4 pacientes (13%) irresecables, 24 pacientes (80%) hepatectomías mayores y 2 resecciones menores. Resecciones combinadas en 3, linfadenectomía en 14 pacientes (47%), metástasis linfonodales en 5 (17%). Tiempo promedio quirúrgico 272 min (rango 45-480). UCI, mediana 10 días, ventilación mecánica mediana 5 días. Hospitalización, mediana 10 días y 7 días postoperatorio. Morbilidad 53%, mortalidad 19%. R0 en 19 pacientes (64%), R1 en 7 pacientes (23%) y R2 en 4 pacientes (13%). Estadio I en 11 pacientes, estadio II en 5 pacientes, estadio III en 3 pacientes, estadio IV en 11 pacientes. Sobrevida general de 16 meses. Sobrevida estadio I 58,4 meses, estadio II 31,1 meses, estadio III 5,9 meses y estadio IV 11,8 meses, p = 0,06. Sobrevida R0 16 meses, R1: 31,1 meses y R2: 9,25 meses, p = 0,53. Sobrevida estadios I y II 50% a 5 años, estadios III-IV 11,2 meses, p < 0,01. Discusión: Este es el primer reporte nacional de una serie importante de pacientes con CCIH, con morbilidad y mortalidad aceptables. Sobrevida de 25% a 5 años.

Therapeutic switching: from antidermatophytic essential oils to new leishmanicidal products

This study examined whether the antidermatophytic activity of essential oils (EOs) can be used as an indicator for the discovery of active natural products against Leishmania amazonensis. The aerial parts of seven plants were hydrodistilled. Using broth microdilution techniques, the obtained EOs were tested against three strains of dermatophytes (Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum gypseum and Microsporum canis). To compare the EOs antifungal and antiparasitic effects, the EOs activities against axenic amastigotes of L. amazonensis were concurrently evaluated. For the most promising EOs, their antileishmanial activities against parasites infecting peritoneal macrophages of BALB/c mice were measured. The most interesting antifungal candidates were the EOs from Cymbopogon citratus, Otacanthus azureus and Protium heptaphyllum, whereas O. azureus, Piper hispidum and P. heptaphyllum EOs exhibited the lowest 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values against axenic amastigotes, thus revealing a certain correspondence between both activities. The P. hispidum EO was identified as the most promising product in the results from the infected macrophages model (IC50: 4.7 µg/mL, safety index: 8). The most abundant compounds found in this EO were sesquiterpenes, notably curzerene and furanodiene. Eventually, the evaluation of the antidermatophytic activity of EOs appears to be an efficient method for identifying new potential drugs for the treatment of L. amazonensis.

Síndrome de Caroli: relato de caso clínico / Caroli´s syndrome: clinical case report

Objetivo: apresentar caso clínico de paciente internada em um hospital em Belém do Pará, no qual foi diagnosticado Síndrome de Caroli e sua evolução após terapêutica adequada. Relato do Caso: paciente do sexo feminino, 37 anos, com quadro de hemorragia digestiva alta volumosa, internada de urgência em hospital de grande porte. Ao exame apresentava-se desidratada, descorada, com distensão abdominal e hepatoesplenomegalia. À endoscopia digestiva detectaram-se varizes esofagianas com sangramento ativo, as quais foram submetidas à escleroterapia. A investigação hospitalar posterior constatou hepatopatia crônica e dilatações saculares das vias biliares intra-hepáticas, com fibrose hepática difusa, consolidando-se o diagnóstico de Síndrome de Caroli. A paciente atualmente está em seguimento ambulatórial, aguardando realização de transplante hepático. Considerações finais: o caso de Síndrome de Caroli estudado ratifica a importância da doença como diagnóstico diferencial em pacientes que apresentam quadro clínico compatível com síndrome de hipertensão portal e colangite, com necessidade de diagnóstico precoce devido ao risco caracteristicamente aumentado de colangiocarcinoma, sendo muitas vezes o transplante hepático a melhor opção terapêutica.

Objective: to report the clinical case of a patient admitted to a hospital in Belem, which was diagnosed Caroli's syndrome, and her evolution after appropriate therapy. Case report: A female patient, 37 years old with a massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding was referred for emergency admission in a large hospital. She was referred for gastrointestinal endoscopy, detecting active bleeding from esophageal varices, which were submitted to sclerotherapy. The subsequent investigation confirmed chronic liver disease and diffuse saccular dilatation of intrahepatic bile ducts with diffuse hepatic fibrosis, consolidating the diagnosis of Caroli`s Syndrome. Currently, the patient is in follow up, awaiting liver transplantation. Final considerations: the study of this Caroli's syndrome case confirms the importance of this disease as a differential diagnosis in patients presenting with clinical syndromecompatible with portal hypertension and cholangitis, requiring early diagnosis due to increased risk of cholangiocarcinoma, and often the liver transplant is the best treatment option.

Anomalous drainage of the common bile duct: demonstration by hepatobiliary imaging

El drenaje anómalo del ducto biliar común a la tercera porción del duodeno es un hallazgo raro que se había descrito previamente en autopsias y colangiografias operatorias. Aquí reportamos el primer caso de esta variante identificada por escintigrafía del sistema hepatobiliar utilizando técnicas de medicina nuclear