Background: Magnetic resonance pancreatography (MRCP) is a safe noninvasive imaging technique that has proven to be accurate in the diagnosis of biliary tract diseases. Objective: To evaluate the role of MRCP in diagnosis of the anatomic variants of the biliary tree. Subjects and method: A retrospective study (from Augusts 2003 to April 2006, at Gia Dinh People Hospital) was conducted in 147 MRCP. All of anatomic variants of the biliary tract were classified. Results: MRCP had the sensitivity of 85.1%, the specificity of 92.1%, and the accuracy of 89.2%. Anatomic variants of the biliary tract included: type I (65%), type II (33.6%), type III (0%), type IV (1.4%). The anatomic variants of extrahepatic biliary tract that had high risk of damaged bile duct during laparoscopic cholecystectomy such as ectopic of right posterior hepatic duct (18.2%) and abnormal of junction of cystic duct and hepatic commune bile duct (2.9 - 44.6%). Conclusions: In this study, MRCP showed the modality of choices in the evaluation of hepatobiliary diseases and the anatomic variants of the biliary tree. MRCP helped the surgeons to avoid the injury of bile ducts during the operations.
Biliary Tract/metabolism ; pathology ;

OBJECTIVETo assess the efficacy and safety of bilateral versus unilateral biliary drainage in malignant hilar obstruction.

METHODSTopically relevant studies,regardless of randomized or observational design, were searched for in PubMed, EmBase and the Cochrane Library database. Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to compare the effect of the two treatments.

RESULTSThree randomized trials and 7 observational studies were included, involving 894 patients with malignant hilar obstruction. The meta-analysis assessment of primary outcomes showed that the stent patency rate was better in bilateral drainage than in unilateral drainage (Rr=2.03,95% CI [1.16-3.56], P=0.01), but there were no significant differences in successful drainage rate (Rr=1.07,95% CI [0.97-1.18], P=0.20) and patient survival rate (Rr=-0.16,95% CI [-0.40-0.08], P=0.20). In the analysis of secondary outcomes,there were also no significant differences in the technical success rate (Rr=1.05,95% CI [0.98-1.17], P=0.34),the early complication rate (Rr=1.15, 95% CI [0.75-1.76], P=0.52), late complication rate (Rr=1.09,95% CI [0.75-1.60], P=0.60) and 30-day mortality rate (Rr=0.68,95% CI [0.38-1.23], P=0.20).

CONCLUSIONAlthough the cumulative stent patency was better for the bilateral than the unilateral drainage approach, based on the available data, there is not enough data to support bilateral drainage for malignant hilar obstruction. Well-designed randomized controlled trials are necessary to confirm it.

No abstract available.
Aged ; Biliary Tract Neoplasms/*pathology/surgery ; Cell Nucleus/pathology ; Female ; Humans

Fourtyone patients fo gallbladder and bile duct diseases were studied clinically and sonographically.Tweentynine (Seventyone percent) patients were distributed between age fourty to fiftynine and male to femaleratio was 1:1.4. The order of frequency of biliary tract disease was cholelithiasis, acalculous cholecystitis, CBDstone and CBD cancer. Sonographic findings of cholelithiasis were strong echo with posterior shadowing, faintinternal echoes without shadowing, gallbladder wall thickneing and anechoicity of the gallbladder wall. Instead ofsmall proportion of gallbladder distension and wall anechoicity, faint internal echoes without shadowing were seenin ten of nineteen cases of cholelithiasis. On choledocholithiasis, meniscus sign at the junction of the stone andgallbladder wall was identified in most cases and was helpful to differentiation stone from malignancy. The degreeof CBD dilatation was more severe in malignancy than in CBD stones and ascaris in CBD. Sonographic examination wasuseful in detection of gallbladder and bilicary tree pathology and the cause of biliary tract obstruction could beidentified.
Acalculous Cholecystitis ; Ascaris ; Bile Duct Diseases ; Biliary Tract Diseases ; Biliary Tract ; Choledocholithiasis ; Cholelithiasis ; Dilatation ; Gallbladder ; Humans ; Male ; Pathology ; Shadowing (Histology) ; Trees ; Ultrasonography

Biliary Tract Diseases ; diagnosis ; pathology ; therapy ; Biliary Tract Surgical Procedures ; adverse effects ; Cholestasis ; diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Gallbladder ; pathology ; Gallbladder Diseases ; diagnosis ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Liver ; pathology ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; methods ; Postoperative Complications ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Syndrome

Bile Duct Neoplasms ; surgery ; Bile Ducts ; pathology ; surgery ; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic ; pathology ; surgery ; Biliary Tract Diseases ; surgery ; Biliary Tract Surgical Procedures ; methods ; trends ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic ; methods ; trends ; Cholelithiasis ; surgery ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy has become the gold-tandard treatment for symptomatic gallbladder diseases. The evaluation and the treatment of common duct pathology is an essential component in the surgical management of biliary tract disease. The purpose of the present study was to identify the value and the importance of laparoscopic cholangiography compared to endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) in a laparoscopic cholecystectomy and to suggest the role of laparoscopic cholangiography in the management of patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. METHODS: A laparoscopic cholecystectomy was attempted in two hundred six consecutive patients treated at Hallym University between January 1993 and December 1996. Patients were divided into three groups: In group I, 167 patients were examined with preoperative ERC while in group II, 17 patients were examined with laparoscopic cholangiography; Group III included 22 patients who were not examined with preoperative ERC or laparoscopic cholangiography. RESULTS: The average age was 52.78 years in group I, 45.62 years in group II, and 49.22 years in group III. The average operative time was 76.88 minutes in group I, 131.47 minutes in group II, and 85.22 minutes in group III. The operative time in group II was longer than that in group I (p<0.001). The duration of postoperative hospitalization was 4.9 days in group I and 4.11 days in group II, but this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.166). Conversion to an open cholecystectomy was 17/167 (10%) in group I, 1/17 (5%) in group II and 5/22 (22%). No complications or deaths occurred that were due to laparoscopic cholangiography. The postoperative complications in group I/II/III included bile leakage (3/0/2), bleeding in the bed of the gallbladder (5/0/0), wound bleeding (2/1/1), recurrent common duct stones (2/0/0), subcutaneous emphysema (4/1/0), shoulder pain (12/3/0), and wound infections (15/2/1). CONCLUSIONS: Although cholangiography may not be indicated for all patients undergoing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, it will eventually be required. We conclude that laparoscopic cholangiography, as well as ERC, is a good method for evaluating the biliary tree. Laparoscopic cholangiography is clinically useful in patients who have negative ultrasonography and a dilated bile duct. Also, laparoscopic cholangiography has many advantages, especially at a teaching hospital: it outlines the anatomy of the extrahepatic biliary tree, identifies anomalies of surgical importance in time before iatrogenic damage is inflicted, detects stones in the cystic duct, discovers unsuspected stones, and develops experience with the technique. However, it is technically diffult to cannulate cystic duct and extends the operating time.
Bile ; Bile Ducts ; Biliary Tract ; Biliary Tract Diseases ; Cholangiography* ; Cholecystectomy ; Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic* ; Cystic Duct ; Gallbladder ; Gallbladder Diseases ; Hemorrhage ; Hospitalization ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Operative Time ; Pathology ; Postoperative Complications ; Shoulder Pain ; Subcutaneous Emphysema ; Ultrasonography ; Wound Infection ; Wounds and Injuries

An 84-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with fever, jaundice, and itching. He had been diagnosed previously with chronic renal failure and diabetes, and had been taking allopurinol medication for 2 months. A physical examination revealed that he had a fever (38.8degrees C), jaundice, and a generalized maculopapular rash. Azotemia, eosinophilia, atypical lymphocytosis, elevation of liver enzymes, and hyperbilirubinemia were detected by blood analysis. Magnetic resonance cholangiography revealed multiple cysts similar to choledochal cysts in the liver along the biliary tree. Obstructive jaundice was suspected clinically, and so an endoscopic ultrasound examination was performed, which ruled out a diagnosis of obstructive jaundice. The patient was diagnosed with DRESS (Drug Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms) syndrome due to allopurinol. Allopurinol treatment was stopped and steroid treatment was started. The patient died from cardiac arrest on day 15 following admission.
Aged, 80 and over ; Allopurinol/adverse effects ; Biliary Tract/pathology ; Biliary Tract Diseases/diagnosis ; Bilirubin/blood ; Creatine/blood ; Drug Hypersensitivity Syndrome/*diagnosis/etiology ; Endosonography ; Eosinophils/cytology ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

An obstructed biliary system is usually drained by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and when this is unsuccessful, the standard alternative technique is percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage. Surgical biliary bypass may also be required. In recent years, endosonography has transformed from a solely diagnostic procedure to one with therapeutic capabilities. Endosonography-guided biliary drainage is now being performed as an alternative to percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage. This is an evolving field, with challenges that must be addressed before it can become a routine clinical practice. This review summarises the current status of endosonography-guided biliary drainage.
Bile Ducts ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Biliary Tract ; physiology ; Biliary Tract Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Cholangiography ; methods ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; methods ; Cholestasis ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Drainage ; methods ; Endosonography ; methods ; Humans ; Models, Biological ; Stents

Biliary cystic tumors, such as cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma, are rare cystic tumors of liver accounting for fewer than 5% of all intrahepatic cysts of biliary origin. Most biliary cystic tumors arise from intrahepatic bile duct and 10-20% arise from extrahepatic bile duct like common hepatic duct, common bile duct, and gallbladder. The first case report of biliary cystic neoplasm in Korea dated back to 1975 by Bae et al, and over 40 cases of cystadenoma and 35 cases of cystadenocarcinoma were reported since then. These tumors usually present in middle-aged women with a mean age of 50 years. Biliary cystadenomas are lined by single layer of cuboidal or columnar epithelium and are very often multilocular with septal or papillary foldings. Over 80% of cystadenoma have dense mesenchymal stroma composed of dense spindle cells, like ovary. The epithelial lining of cystadenocarcinoma exhibits cellular atypia, mitotic activity, and infiltrative growth, but part of lining epithelium retain the feature of cystadenoma, which support the adenoma-carcinoma sequence. The size of tumors varies from 1.5 to 35 cm. Many patients are asymptomatic, except for the presence of palpable mass. When symptoms are present, they include epigastric or right upper quadrant pain or jaundice by enlarged mass. Biliary cystic tumor should be considered when a single or multilocular cystic lesion with papillary infoldings is detected in the liver by computed tomogram (CT) or ultrasound (US). Cystic wall and internal foldings can be seen enhanced by enhanced CT. US reveals a hypoechoic cystic mass with echogenic septation or papillary infoldings. Cystadenocarcinoma should be suspected when there is elevated mass or nodule in the wall or foldings, or thickened cystic wall on CT or US. But it is extremely difficult to differentiate between cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma by imaging alone. Increased tumor markers, carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9, in serum or cystic fluid have been reported in biliary cystic tumor. But tumor markers cannot distinguish cystadenocarcinoma from cystadenoma or both from other cystic lesions of liver. Malignant cells are not usually recovered in patients with cystadenocarcinoma who underwent cystic fluid cytology before and during surgery. The treatment of choice is radical excision of the mass by means of lobectomy or wide tumor excision. Aspiration, marsupialization, and drainage must be avoided. Inadequate excision of both cystadenoma and cystadenocarcinoma may lead to recurrence. Prognosis after complete excision is excellent.
Adult ; Aged ; *Biliary Tract Neoplasms/diagnosis/pathology/surgery ; *Cystadenocarcinoma/diagnosis/pathology/surgery ; *Cystadenoma/diagnosis/pathology/surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged