OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided radiofrequency (RF) ablation in patients with incompletely treated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) and to evaluate possible prognostic factors for this therapy. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty nine patients with incompletely treated single HCC (< or = 5 cm) after TACE were treated with RF ablation. All patients were evaluated for complete tumor ablation rate, local recurrence-free rate, overall survival rate, and complications. Local recurrence-free rate and overall survival rate were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The possible prognostic factors of local recurrence-free rate and survival rate were analyzed using Cox proportional-hazards regression model. RESULTS: The complete tumor ablation rate was 92.3%. Local recurrence-free rates for 1-, 2-, 3-, and 5-years were 81.7%, 63.1%, 53.6%, and 35.7%, respectively. One-, 2-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival rates were 96.9%, 82.9%, 67.8%, and 48.4%, respectively. Among prognostic factors included in the analysis, only tumor diameter (< or = 2 cm versus > 2 cm) was statistically significant in terms of predicting local recurrence. Complications were observed in two patients, one with liver abscess and the other with portal venous thrombosis. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided RF ablation could be effective and safe in treating incompletely treated HCC after TACE. The diameter of HCC was a significant prognostic factor for local recurrence.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/pathology/*therapy/ultrasonography ; Catheter Ablation/*methods ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic/*methods ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms/pathology/*therapy/ultrasonography ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Postoperative Complications ; Prognosis ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Treatment Outcome ; *Ultrasonography, Interventional

OBJECTIVE: To assess the technical success, ability to eat, complications and clinical outcomes of patients with self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) placed for malignant upper gastrointestinal (GI) obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data was collected retrospectively on patients who underwent SEMS placement for palliation of malignant upper GI obstruction by reviewing hospital charts from June 1998 to May 2011. Main outcome measurements were technical success, gastric outlet obstruction scoring system (GOOSS) score before and after treatment, complications, and survival. RESULTS: A total of 82 patients underwent SEMS placement with malignant upper GI obstruction. The initial SEMS placement was successful in 77 patients (93.9%). The mean GOOSS score was 0.56 before stenting and 1.92 (p < 0.001) after treatment. Complications arose in 12 patients (14.6%): stent migration in 1 patient (1.2%), perforation in 1 (1.2%), and obstruction of stent due to tumor ingrowth in 10 (12.2%). The median survival time after stenting was 52 days (6-445). CONCLUSION: SEMS placement is an effective and safe treatment for palliation of malignant upper GI obstruction. It provides lasting relief in dysphagia and improves the QOL of patients.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Deglutition Disorders/physiopathology/prevention & control ; Equipment Design ; Female ; Humans ; Intestinal Neoplasms/physiopathology/*surgery ; Intestinal Obstruction/physiopathology/*surgery ; Male ; Metals ; Middle Aged ; *Palliative Care ; Postoperative Complications ; Retrospective Studies ; *Stents ; Survival Rate ; Treatment Outcome ; *Upper Gastrointestinal Tract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to prospectively compare pre-operative computed tomography (CT) perfusion parameters with tumor grade from colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRC) and to correlate pre-operative CT perfusion parameters with microvessel density (MVD) to evaluate angiogenesis in CRC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pre-operative perfusion CTs were performed with a 64-channel multidetector row CT in 27 patients (17 women and 10 men; age range 32-82 years) who were diagnosed with CRC involving the sigmoid and rectum between August 2006 and November 2007. All patients underwent surgery without pre-operative chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Dynamic perfusion CTs were performed for 65 seconds after intravenous injection of contrast medium (100 mL, 300 mg of iodine per mL, 5 mL/sec). Before surgery, blood flow (BF), blood volume, mean transit time (MTT), and permeability-surface area product were measured in the tumor. After surgery, one gastrointestinal pathologist evaluated tumor grade and performed immunohistochemical staining using CD 34 to determine MVD in each tumor. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare CT perfusion parameters with tumor grade, and Pearson's correlation analysis was used to correlate CT perfusion parameters with MVD. RESULTS: In 27 patients with CRC, tumor grading was as follows: well differentiated (n = 8); moderately differentiated (n = 15); and poorly differentiated (n = 4). BF was higher in moderately differentiated CRC than well differentiated and poorly differentiated CRCs (p = 0.14). MTT was shorter in moderately differentiated than well differentiated and poorly differentiated CRCs (p = 0.039). The MVD was greater in poorly differentiated than well differentiated and moderately differentiated CRCs (p = 0.034). There was no significant correlation between other perfusion parameters and tumor grade. There was no significant correlation between CT perfusion parameters and MVD. CONCLUSION: BF and MTT measurement by perfusion CT is effective in predicting moderately differentiated CRCs. However, perfusion CT is limited in distinguishing well differentiated and poorly differentiated CRCs. Pre-operative perfusion CT does not reflect the MVD of CRCs.
Adenocarcinoma/pathology/*radiography ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology/*radiography ; Contrast Media/diagnostic use ; Female ; Humans ; Iohexol/analogs & derivatives/diagnostic use ; Male ; Microcirculation ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Grading ; Neovascularization, Pathologic/*radiography ; Prospective Studies ; Statistics, Nonparametric ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/*methods

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the technical feasibility, clinical usefulness, and safety of a guiding sheath in fluoroscopic stent placement for patients with malignant colorectal obstructions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between June 2007 and January 2011, fluoroscopic placement of a dual colorectal stent was attempted in a total of 97 patients with malignant colorectal obstructions. A polytetrafluoroethylene guiding sheath was used in patients in whom a stent delivery system failed to reach the obstruction. Usefulness of the sheath was evaluated depending on whether the sheath could successfully assist the stent delivery system reach its area of interest. RESULTS: The guiding sheath was needed in 22 patients (15 men, 7 women; age range, 33-77 years; mean age, 59 years). The overall success rate for passing the sheath to the area of interest was 100%. There were no procedure-related deaths or major complications. The majority of the patients reported mild discomfort. In 2 of 22 patients with successful passing of the sheath to the area of interest, stent placement failed because of failure in the negotiation of a guide wire through the obstruction. CONCLUSION: Using a guiding sheath seems to be easy, safe and useful in fluoroscopic stent placement for patients with malignant colorectal obstructions.
Adult ; Aged ; Colorectal Neoplasms/*surgery ; Equipment Safety ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Fluoroscopy ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction/*surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Polytetrafluoroethylene ; *Stents ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate a comprehensive review of published articles regarding endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided biliary drainage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Review of studies regarding EUS-guided biliary drainage including case reports, case series and previous reviews. RESULTS: EUS-guided hepaticogastrostomy, coledochoduodenostomy and choledoantrostomy are advanced biliary and pancreatic endoscopy procedures, and together make up the echo-guided biliary drainage. Hepaticogastrostomy is indicated in cases of hilar obstruction, while the procedure of choice is the coledochoduodenostomy or choledochoantrostomy in distal lesions. Both procedures must be performed only after unsuccessful ERCPs. The indication of these procedures must be made under a multidisciplinary view while sharing information with the patient or legal guardian. CONCLUSION: Hepaticogastrostomy and coledochoduodenostomy or choledochoantrostomy are feasible when performed by endoscopists with expertise in biliopancreatic endoscopy. Advanced echo-endoscopy should currently be performed under a rigorous protocol in educational institutions.
Bile Duct Diseases/*surgery/ultrasonography ; Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde ; Choledochostomy/methods ; Drainage/*methods ; Endosonography/*methods ; Gastrostomy/methods ; Humans ; *Ultrasonography, Interventional

Endoscopic therapy by balloon dilation and placement of multiple large-bore plastic stents is the treatment of choice for benign biliary stricture. This approach is effective but it typically requires multiple endoscopic sessions given the short duration of stent patency. The endoscopic approach for treatment of bile leak involves the placement of a stent with or without biliary sphincterotomy. The self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) has traditionally been used for palliation of malignant biliary strictures given the long duration of stent patency owing to their larger stent diameter. Recently, SEMS has been used in a variety of benign biliary strictures and leaks, especially with the design of the covered self-expandable metal stent (CSEMS), which permits endoscopic-mediated stent removal. The use of CSEMS in benign biliary stricture could potentially result in a decrease in endoscopic sessions and it is technically easier when compared to placement of multiple plastic stents. However, complications such as cholecystitis due to blockage of cystic duct, stent migration, infection and pancreatitis have been reported. The potential subsegmental occlusion of contralateral intrahepatic ducts also limits the use of CSEMS in hilar stricture. Certain techniques and improvement of stent design may overcome these challenges in the future. Thus, CSEMS may be appropriate in only highly selected conditions, such as refractory benign biliary stricture, despite multiple plastic stent placement or difficult to treat bile duct stricture from chronic pancreatitis, and should not be used routinely. This review focuses on the use of fully covered self-expandable metal stent for benign biliary strictures and bile leaks.
*Bile ; Biliary Tract Diseases/diagnosis/etiology/*surgery ; Coated Materials, Biocompatible ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Equipment Design ; Foreign-Body Migration ; Humans ; Metals ; Plastics ; Postoperative Complications ; Sphincterotomy, Endoscopic ; *Stents

Recent progress in chemotherapy has prolonged the survival of patients with malignant biliary strictures, leading to increased rates of stent occlusion. Even we employed metallic stents which contributed to higher rates and longer durations of patency, and occlusion of covered metallic stents now occurs in about half of all patients during their survival. We investigated the complication and patency rate for the removal of covered metallic stents, and found that the durations were similar for initial stent placement and re-intervention. In order to preserve patient quality of life, we currently recommend the use of covered metallic stents for patients with malignant biliary obstruction because of their removability and longest patency duration, even though uncovered metallic stents have similar patency durations.
Biliary Tract Diseases/*surgery ; Coated Materials, Biocompatible ; Device Removal ; Drainage/methods ; Endoscopy ; Foreign-Body Migration/surgery ; Humans ; Metals ; Postoperative Complications/surgery ; *Stents/adverse effects

As recent advances in chemotherapy and surgical treatment have improved outcomes in patients with biliary cancers, the search for an optimal strategy for relief of their obstructive jaundice has become even more important. Without satisfactory relief of biliary obstruction, many patients would be ineligible for treatment. We review all prospective randomized trials and recent retrospective non-randomized studies for evidence that would support such a strategy. For distal malignant biliary obstruction, an optimal strategy would be insertion of metallic stents either endoscopically or percutaneously. Evidence shows that a metallic stent inserted percutaneously has better outcomes than plastic stents inserted endoscopically. For malignant hilar obstruction, percutaneous biliary drainage with or without metallic stents is preferred.
Bile Duct Neoplasms/pathology/surgery ; Biliary Tract Diseases/pathology/*surgery ; Cholangiocarcinoma/pathology/surgery ; Decompression, Surgical ; Drainage/methods ; Endoscopy ; *Evidence-Based Medicine ; Hepatic Duct, Common ; Humans ; Jaundice, Obstructive/pathology/*surgery ; Klatskin's Tumor/pathology/surgery ; Stents

Major vascular complications related to pancreatitis can cause life-threatening hemorrhage and have to be dealt with as an emergency, utilizing a multidisciplinary approach of angiography, endoscopy or surgery. These may occur secondary to direct vascular injuries, which result in the formation of splanchnic pseudoaneurysms, gastrointestinal etiologies such as peptic ulcer disease and gastroesophageal varices, and post-operative bleeding related to pancreatic surgery. In this review article, we discuss the pathophysiologic mechanisms, diagnostic modalities, and treatment of pancreatic vascular complications, with a focus on the role of minimally-invasive interventional therapies such as angioembolization, endovascular stenting, and ultrasound-guided percutaneous thrombin injection in their management.
Diagnostic Imaging ; Embolization, Therapeutic/methods ; Hemostasis, Endoscopic ; Hemostatics/administration & dosage ; Humans ; Pancreatitis/*complications ; Stents ; Thrombin/administration & dosage ; Ultrasonography, Interventional ; Vascular Diseases/diagnosis/*etiology/physiopathology/*therapy ; Vascular Surgical Procedures/*methods

Bleeding from gastric varices is generally more severe than bleeding from esophageal varices, although it occurs less frequently. Recently, new endoscopic treatment options and interventional radiological procedures have broadened the therapeutic armamentarium for gastric varices. This review provides an overview of the classification and pathophysiology of gastric varices, an introduction to current endoscopic and interventional radiological management options for gastric varices, and details of a practical approach to endoscopic variceal obturation using N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate.
Enbucrilate/*therapeutic use ; Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal/*methods ; Esophageal and Gastric Varices/*diagnosis/physiopathology/*therapy ; Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage/*diagnosis/physiopathology/*therapy ; Hemostasis, Endoscopic/*methods ; Humans ; Sclerotherapy/methods