Diagnostic utility of EUS-guided tissue acquisition in children: A tertiary care center experience

Background and Objectives:

EUS is frequently utilized for tissue acquisition in adult patients. However, the literature is limited regarding the utility of EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration or biopsy (FNA or FNB) in children. In this study, we aim to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and diagnostic utility of EUS-FNA/FNB in children with various gastrointestinal diseases.

Methods:

The data of children (≤18 years) who underwent EUS-FNA/FNB from March 2014 to June 2020 were analyzed, retrospectively. The following parameters were analyzed: technical success, adverse events, and impact on the final diagnosis.

Results:

Sixty-seven children (32 – boys, 14.8 ± 2.9 years, range 8–18 years), underwent EUS-guided tissue acquisition procedures using standard therapeutic echoendoscope during the study period. The indications included solid pancreatic lesions in 29 (43.3%), mediastinal or abdominal lymphadenopathy in 30 (44.7%), cystic pancreatic lesions in 5 (7.5%), subepithelial lesions in 2 (3%), and retroperitoneal mass in 1 (1.5%). EUS-FNA and-FNB were performed in 42 and 25 children, respectively. All the procedures could be successfully performed and there was no major procedure-related adverse event. Minor adverse events included self-limiting throat pain (10) and abdominal pain (3), self-limited bleeding at puncture site (3), and transient fever (1). EUS-FNA/FNB provided a histopathological diagnosis in 59 (88.1%) children.

Conclusion:

EUS-guided tissue acquisition using standard echoendoscope is feasible and safe in the pediatric age group. EUS-FNA/FNB establishes diagnosis in majority of the children when performed for appropriate clinical indication.

Rare Case of Intestinal-Type Adenocarcinoma Arising in Cervical Oesophageal Heterotopic Gastric Mucosa

Heterotopic Gastric Mucosa (HGM) also termed gastric inlet patch or inlet patch, is a rare and benign phenomenon in cervical oesophagus and can be missed during endoscopy. It has an average incidence of 2.5%. Adenocarcinoma arising in the background of gastric heterotopia is very rare and uncommon in the upper oesophagus. A 46-year-old male presented with hoarseness and progressive dysphagia for solids for the past one month. Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (UGIE) revealed a tight stricture at 19-20 cm from the incisors. Initial mucosal biopsies were not conclusive. With high clinical suspicion of malignancy, patient underwent bougie dilation of oesophageal stricture followed by repeat biopsy. Histology revealed an intestinal type of adenocarcinoma, arising in a background of gastric heterotopia of the cervical oesophagus. Alcian Blue/Periodic Acid Schiff (AB/PAS) staining was positive in both the heterotopic glands and in the cancer, indicating the presence of intestinal metaplasia. Tumour cells were immunopositive for cytokeratin-7. A Positron Emission Tomography – Computed Tomography scan revealed a metabolically active lesion located in the upper third of the oesophagus along with uptake in right supraclavicular node. This case report describes a patient with primary intestinal type adenocarcinoma of the cervical oesophagus in the background of HGM not related to Barrett’s oesophagus.

An international study of interobserver variability of "string sign" of pancreatic cysts among experienced endosonographers

Background and Objectives:

No single optimal test reliably determines the pancreatic cyst subtype. Following EUS-FNA, the “string sign” test can differentiate mucinous from nonmucinous cysts. However, the interobserver variability of string sign results has not been studied.

Methods:

An experienced endosonographer performed EUS-FNA of pancreatic cysts on different patients and was recorded on video performing the string sign test for each. The videos were shared internationally with 14 experienced endosonographers, with a survey for each video: “Is the string sign positive?” and “If the string sign is positive, what is the length of the formed string?” Also asked “What is the cutoff length for string sign to be considered positive?” Interobserver variability was assessed using the kappa statistic (κ).

Results:

A total of 112 observations were collected from 14 endosonographers. Regarding string sign test positivity, κ was 0.6 among 14 observers indicating good interrater agreement (P < 0.001) while κ was 0.38 when observers were compared to the index endosonographer demonstrating marginal agreement (P < 0.001). Among observations of the length of the string in positive samples, 89.8% showed >5 mm of variability (P < 0.001), indicating marked variability. There was poor agreement on the cutoff length for a string to be considered positive.

Conclusion:

String sign of pancreatic cysts has a good interobserver agreement regarding its positivity that can help in differentiating mucinous from nonmucinous pancreatic cysts. However, the agreement is poor on the measured length of the string and the cutoff length of the formed string to be considered a positive string sign.

Endoscopic Management of Obstructive Jaundice in Pregnancy Due to Hepatic Hydatid Disease

Liver is one of the most common site of hydatid infection. Intra-biliary rupture of the hydatid cyst is a common and serious complication that can occur during course of pregnancy. Early diagnosis and treatment as mortality is high due to cholangitis. Surgical treatment is the definitive option, however but in the presence of cholangitis and pregnancy, ERCP with biliary drainage is the preferred management option.

Clinical Impact of Universal Screening for COVID-19 before Therapeutic Endoscopy

Introduction The Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has led to drastic change in gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy practice. Endoscopy is an aerosol-generating procedure. COVID-19 testing prior to endoscopy can reduce transmission by delaying non-emergency endoscopies in positive patients. There is scarcity of literature to support such protocols. We aimed to study the clinical impact of universal testing for COVID-19 before therapeutic endoscopy.

Methods This is retrospective analysis of prospectively maintained data. All patients requiring therapeutic endoscopy were enrolled between June 15 to July 15, 2020. Clinical profile, indication, endoscopic intervention, and outcome of patients tested positive for COVID-19 real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR) or CT chest suggestive of CO-RADS 3 or more were included for analysis.

Results Out of 772 patients scheduled for endoscopic interventions, 26 (3.34%) patients had COVID-19 infection with mean age (range) of 48.19 (3–75) years. Eight (30.8%) were females. Of them, seven (26.9%) patients underwent emergency endoscopy, and another seven (26.9%) patients underwent endoscopy after minimum of 2 weeks waiting period. Two deaths were seen in patients who underwent emergency interventions which were unrelated to endoscopy. One patient, who was planned for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) for choledocholithiasis, developed acute biliary pancreatitis in the waiting period.

Conclusion We suggest use of universal testing for COVID-19 by RT-PCR before endoscopic intervention. Endoscopy can be postponed for 2 weeks with marginal risk of adverse events during the waiting period in nonemergency indications. However, this approach needs to be tailored as per local needs, resources availability, and indication of endoscopy.

Safety and efficacy of lumen-apposing metal stents versus plastic stents to treat walled-off pancreatic necrosis: systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and study aims  Lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS) are increasingly used for drainage of walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WON). Recent studies suggested greater adverse event (AE) rates with LAMS for WON. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the safety and efficacy of LAMS with double-pigtail plastic stents (DPPS) for endoscopic drainage of WON. The primary aim was to evaluate stent-related AEs. Methods  In October 2019, we searched the Ovid (Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane) and Scopus databases for studies assessing a specific LAMS or DPPS for WON drainage conducted under EUS guidance. Safety outcomes were AE rates of bleeding, stent migration, perforation, and stent occlusion. Efficacy outcomes were WON resolution and number of procedures needed to achieve resolution. A subanalysis including non-EUS-guided cases was performed. Results  Thirty studies including one randomized controlled trial (total 1,524 patients) were analyzed. LAMS were associated with similar bleeding (2.5 % vs. 4.6 %, P =  0.39) and perforation risk (0.5 % vs. 1.1 %, P =  0.35) compared to DPPS. WON resolution (87.4 % vs. 87.5 %, P =  0.99), number of procedures to achieve resolution (2.09 vs. 1.88, P =  0.72), stent migration (5.9 % vs. 6.8 %, P =  0.79), and stent occlusion (3.8 % vs. 5.2 %, P =  0.78) were similar for both groups. Inclusion of non-EUS-guided cases led to significantly higher DPPS bleeding and perforation rates. Conclusions  LAMS and DPPS were associated with similar rates of AEs and WON resolution when limiting analysis to EUS-guided cases. Higher bleeding rates were seen in historical studies of DPPS without EUS guidance. Additional high-quality studies of WON treatment using consistent outcome definitions are needed.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition with or without macroscopic on-site evaluation: randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

The use of macroscopic on-site evaluation (MOSE) to estimate the adequacy of a specimen for histological diagnosis during endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine-needle tissue acquisition (FNTA) has recently been advocated. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic yield of MOSE compared with conventional EUS-FNTA without rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE).

METHODS

This was an international, multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled study. After providing informed consent, consecutive adult patients referred for EUS-FNTA for solid lesions larger than 2 cm were randomized to a MOSE arm or to a conventional arm without ROSE. A designated cytopathologist from each center performed all cytopathological examinations for that center and was blinded to the randomization results. The primary outcome measure was the diagnostic yield, and the secondary outcomes included sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, diagnostic accuracy, and the rate of procedure-related complications.

RESULTS

244 patients (122 conventional, 122 MOSE) were enrolled during the study period. No significant differences between the two arms were found in procedure time or rate of procedure-related adverse events. The diagnostic yield for the MOSE technique (92.6 %) was similar to that for the conventional technique (89.3 %; P  = 0.37), with significantly fewer passes made (median: conventional 3, MOSE 2; P  < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

EUS-FNTA with the MOSE technique provided a similar diagnostic yield to conventional EUS-FNTA technique in the absence of ROSE but with fewer passes. This technique can be used when ROSE is not available.

Outcomes of over-the-scope clip application in various gastrointestinal indications: experience from a tertiary care in India

Background

Recent advances in endoscopic tools and techniques have allowed the minimally invasive management of iatrogenic gastrointestinal (GI) perforations and bleedings. However, surgery may be required in cases with larger defects and bleeding refractory to conventional endoscopic modalities. The use of over-the-scope clips (OTSC) has been shown to improve the outcomes in these patients compared with conventional treatment modalities. In this study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of OTSC for different indications in the GI tract.

Methods

The data of consecutive patients in whom OTSC was utilized for different indications between February 2017 and October 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. The following outcomes were recorded: technical and clinical success, and adverse events related to the procedure.

Results

Thirty-six patients (22 male, mean age 52.673±14.97 years, range 11-72 years) underwent OTSC application. Indications for OTSC were: GI defects (perforation n=13, fistula n=5); esophageal metallic stent fixing n=9; GI bleeding n=8; and neuroendocrine tumor endotherapy n=1. The average size of the defect was 15.88±8.01 mm. The technical and clinical success rates were 88.89% and 83.33%, respectively. There were 4 (11.1%) technical failures: colonic perforations n=2; duodenal ulcer bleeding n=1; and esophageal metal stent fixation n=1. There were 2 (9.5%) adverse events, including 1 partial duodenal obstruction and 1 delayed bleeding.

Conclusions

The use of OTSC is safe, easy and effective for various indications in the GI tract. Prospective trials are required to see if the use of OTSC is cost effective as a primary endoscopic treatment method in these cases.

Fluid type and volume reduce risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis and length of hospital stay in high-risk patients: a secondary analysis of the INDIEH trial

Background and study aims  Impact of intravenous fluid administration on prophylaxis against post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis (PEP) has not been rigorously evaluated among patients at high-risk for PEP. Patients and methods  Effect of volume and type of fluid administered on PEP incidence was studied through a secondary analysis of high-risk patients who underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangopancreatography (ERCP) as a part of a randomized controlled trial in which all patients received rectal indomethacin. Periprocedural fluid was defined as fluid infused during and after ERCP. Results  A total 960 patients were randomized during the trial, of whom 476 (49.6 %) received periprocedural fluids (mean volume = 1245 mL [± 629]). There was a trend towards a lower incidence of PEP in patients who received periprocedural fluid vs. those who did not (5.2 % vs. 8.0 %, P  = 0.079). Among those receiving fluids, those who did not develop PEP received a higher mean volume of fluid vs. who developed PEP (1012 ± 725 mL vs. 752 ± 783 mL, P  = 0.036). Among 174 patients (37 %) who received LR, patients who did not develop PEP received a higher mean volume of LR vs. those who developed PEP (570 ± 559 mL vs. 329 ± 356 mL, P  = 0.006). Length of hospital stay decreased as the volume of periprocedural volume administration increased (r = 0.16, P  < 0.001). Conclusion  Higher fluid volume and lactated Ringer's use during the periprocedural period was associated with a decreased risk of PEP and length of hospital stay beyond rectal indomethacin in high risk patients.

Using single-operator cholangioscopy for endoscopic evaluation of indeterminate biliary strictures: results from a large multinational registry

BACKGROUND

Peroral cholangioscopy (POCS) of indeterminate biliary strictures aims to achieve a diagnosis through visual examination and/or by obtaining targeted biopsies under direct visualization. In this large, prospective, multinational, real-life experience of POCS-guided evaluation of indeterminate biliary strictures, we evaluated the performance of POCS in this difficult-to-manage patient population.

METHODS

This prospective registry enrolled patients, with indeterminate biliary strictures across 20 centers in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The primary end points were the ability to visualize the lesion, obtain histological sampling when intended, and an assessment of the diagnostic accuracy of POCS for malignant strictures. Patients were followed for 6 months after POCS or until a definitive malignant diagnosis was made, whichever occurred first.

RESULTS

289 patients underwent 290 POCS procedures with intent to biopsy in 182 cases. The stricture/filling defect was successfully visualized in 286/290 (98.6 %), providing a visual diagnostic impression in 253/290 (87.2 %) and obtaining adequate biopsies in 169/182 (92.9 %). Procedure-related adverse events occurred in 5/289 patients (1.7 %). POCS influenced patient management principally by elucidating filling defects or the causes of bile duct stricture or dilation. The visual impression of malignancy showed 86.7 % sensitivity, 71.2 % specificity, 65.8 % positive and 89.4 % negative predictive value, and 77.2 % overall accuracy compared with final diagnosis. Histological POCS-guided samples showed 75.3 % sensitivity, 100 % specificity, 100 % positive and 77.1 % negative predictive value, and 86.5 % overall accuracy.

CONCLUSION

In this large, real-life, prospective series, POCS was demonstrated to be an effective and safe intervention guiding the management of patients with indeterminate biliary strictures.

International consensus statements for endoscopic management of distal biliary stricture

Distal biliary strictures (DBS) are common and may be caused by both malignant and benign pathologies. While endoscopic procedures play a major role in their management, a comprehensive review of the subject is still lacking. Our consensus statements were formulated by a group of expert Asian pancreatico-biliary interventional endoscopists, following a proposal from the Digestive Endoscopy Society of Taiwan, the Thai Association for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and the Tokyo Conference of Asian Pancreato-biliary Interventional Endoscopy. Based on a literature review utilizing Medline, Cochrane library, and Embase databases, a total of 19 consensus statements on DBS were made on diagnosis, endoscopic drainage, benign biliary stricture, malignant biliary stricture, and management of recurrent biliary obstruction and other complications. Our consensus statements provide comprehensive guidance for the endoscopic management of DBS.

Triaging Patients Undergoing Endoscopy During COVID-19 Pandemic

"Triaging for endoscopy" is the process to determine the most deserving patients after careful scrutiny amongst a pool of patients who report for Gastrointestinal (GI) Endoscopy diagnostic or interventional procedures that include Esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (OGD), Colonoscopy, ERCP, EUS and Enteroscopy. The purpose of triaging at endoscopy is to prevent transmission of SARS-COV2 infection from suspected patient to the health care workers involved at endoscopy. The three professional Indian Gastroenterology bodies namely Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy of India (SGEI), Indian Society of Gastroenterology (ISG) & Indian Association for the study of the liver (INASL) have recently provided guidance of scheduling of endoscopic procedures in the current Covid-9 pandemic. Similar suggestions have been promulgated by other international bodies.

Combined extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and endoscopic treatment for pain in chronic pancreatitis (SCHOKE trial): study protocol for a randomized, sham-controlled trial

Background

Pain is the primary symptom of chronic pancreatitis (CP) and remains a considerable therapeutic challenge. In patients with obstruction of the pancreatic duct, including stones and strictures, endoscopic treatment with or without preceding extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has been used for pancreatic duct decompression. The rationale for these procedures is based on the assumption that obstruction of the pancreatic duct leads to ductal hypertension and pain. However, clinical pain symptoms correlate poorly with pancreatic duct morphology, and the evidence for pancreatic duct decompression as an effective treatment for pain is based on case series and comparison between different procedures. No randomized, prospective, sham-controlled trials are currently available. The SCHOKE (Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy and Endotherapy for Pain in Chronic Pancreatitis) trial is a randomized, sham-controlled trial designed to determine if pancreatic duct decompression is an effective treatment for pain in patients with CP.

Methods

The SCHOKE trial is a randomized, single-blind, parallel-group, sham-controlled trial designed to evaluate the effect of combined ESWL and endoscopic treatment for pain in patients with CP. In total, 106 adult patients with painful CP and pancreatic duct obstruction will be randomized to combined ESWL and subsequent endoscopic treatment or corresponding sham procedures. The primary outcome is pain relief during the 3-month postrandomization period as documented in a pain diary. Secondary outcomes include quality of life and functional scores, patient global impression of change, change in use of analgesics, frequency of hospitalization, and complications. Standard follow-up is at 3 and 6 months after randomization. In an experimental substudy, quantitative sensory testing obtained before and after intervention will be used to obtain information on central pain processing and to develop models for prediction of treatment outcome.

Discussion

The SCHOKE trial investigates if pancreatic duct decompression, obtained by combined ESWL and endoscopic treatment, is effective for pain treatment in patients with CP.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03966781. Registered on May 25, 2019.

Protocol date and version identifier: March 1, 2020; version 3.0.

Sponsor: Rupjyoti Talukdar, Department of Medical Gastroenterology, Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

Prospective multicenter international study on the outcomes of a newly developed self-approximating lumen-apposing metallic stent for drainage of pancreatic fluid collections and endoscopic necrosectomy

BACKGROUND

A novel self-approximating lumen-apposing metallic stent (LAMS; Niti-S Spaxus, Taewoong Medical, Gyeonggi-do, Korea) has recently become available. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the outcomes for drainage of pancreatic fluid collections (PFC).

METHODS

This was a prospective international multicentered study conducted in six high-volume institutions across Asia. Consecutive patients suffering from pancreatic pseudocyst or walled-off pancreatic necrosis (WOPN) requiring endoscopic ultrasonography-guided drainage were recruited. Outcomes included technical and clinical success, adverse events, procedural events, interventions through the stent and recurrence rates.

RESULTS

Between August 2016 and November 2017, 59 patients were recruited to this study. Thirty-nine patients (66.1%) had WOPN and mean (SD) size of PFC was 11.5 (5.1) cm. Technical and clinical success rates were 100%. Mean (SD) procedural time was 35.0 (17.2) minutes. Sixteen-millimeter stents were used in 66.1% of the patients. Fifty-four sessions of necrosectomy were carried out with the stent in situ in 17 patients. Stent-related adverse event (AE) rate was 6.8%. Three patients (5.1%) suffered from bleeding after stenting and one required angiographic embolization. Two patients (3.4%) suffered from recurrence during a mean (SD) follow-up time of 325.6 (355.5) days. There were no differences in outcomes between those with pseudocysts or WOPN except for the duration of hospital stay (P = 0.012).

CONCLUSION

Use of a self-approximating LAMS for drainage of PFC was safe and effective. Endoscopic necrosectomy could be carried out through the stent with ease. The device was associated with a low rate of stent-related AE.

Long-term outcomes after temporary placement of a self-expanding fully covered metal stent for benign biliary strictures secondary to chronic pancreatitis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Temporary single, fully covered self-expanding metal stent (FCSEMS) placement for benign biliary strictures (BBSs) associated with chronic pancreatitis (CP) may require fewer interventions than endotherapy with multiple plastic stents and may carry less morbidity than biliary diversion surgery. This study aimed to assess long-term outcomes in CP-associated BBSs after FCSEMS placement and removal.

METHODS

In this open-label, multinational, prospective study, subjects with CP and a BBS treated with FCSEMS placement with scheduled removal at 10 to 12 months were followed for 5 years after FCSEMS indwell. Kaplan-Meier analyses assessed BBS resolution and cumulative probability of freedom from recurrent stent placement to 5 years after FCSEMS indwell.

RESULTS

One hundred eighteen patients were eligible for FCSEMS removal. At a median of 58 months (interquartile range, 44-64) post-FCSEMS indwell, the probability of remaining stent-free was 61.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 52.5%-70.7%). In 94 patients whose BBSs resolved at the end of FCSEMS indwell, the probability of remaining stent-free 5 years later was 77.4% (95% CI, 68.4%-86.4%). Serious stent-related adverse events occurred in 27 of 118 patients (22.9%); all resolved with medical therapy or repeated endoscopy. Multivariate analysis identified severe CP (hazard ratio, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.0-5.6; P = .046) and longer stricture length (hazard ratio, 1.2; 95% CI, 1.0-1.4; P = .022) as predictors of stricture recurrence.

CONCLUSION

In patients with symptomatic BBSs secondary to CP, 5 years after placement of a single FCSEMS intended for 10 to 12 months indwell, more than 60% remained asymptomatic and stent-free with an acceptable safety profile. Temporary placement of a single FCSEMS may be considered as first-line treatment for patients with CP and BBSs. (Clinical trial registration number: NCT01014390.).

An international, multi-institution survey on performing EUS-FNA and fine needle biopsy

Background and Objectives

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) and fine needle biopsy (FNB) are effective techniques that are widely used for tissue acquisition. However, it remains unclear how to obtain high-quality specimens. Therefore, we conducted a survey of EUS-FNA and FNB techniques to determine practice patterns worldwide and to develop strong recommendations based on the experience of experts in the field.

Methods

This was a worldwide multi-institutional survey among members of the International Society of EUS Task Force (ISEUS-TF). The survey was administered by E-mail through the SurveyMonkey website. In some cases, percentage agreement with some statements was calculated; in others, the options with the greatest numbers of responses were summarized. Another questionnaire about the level of recommendation was designed to assess the respondents' answers.

Results

ISEUS-TF members developed a questionnaire containing 17 questions that was sent to 53 experts. Thirty-five experts completed the survey within the specified period. Among them, 40% and 54.3% performed 50-200 and more than 200 EUS sampling procedures annually, respectively. Some practice patterns regarding FNA/FNB were recommended.

Conclusion

This is the first worldwide survey of EUS-FNA and FNB practice patterns. The results showed wide variations in practice patterns. Randomized studies are urgently needed to establish the best approach for optimizing the FNA/FNB procedures.

Joint Guidance from SGEI, ISG and INASL for Gastroenterologists and Gastrointestinal Endoscopists on the Prevention, Care, and Management of Patients With COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which started in December 2019 in China, has resulted in a pandemic leading to significant morbidity and mortality across the globe. Although it mainly causes respiratory symptoms, respiratory failure and death due to multiorgan failure, there is evolving evidence to suggest gastrointestinal (GI) and liver involvement by this virus. Owing to this, health-care professionals taking care of GI and liver diseases are also at an increased risk of getting exposed. Hence, there is a need for protocols to be prepared to guide the handling of COVID-19 patients by the GI and liver specialists, as well as to manage the pre-existing GI and liver diseases during the ongoing pandemic. We present here the guidelines prepared jointly by the three Indian professional bodies in the field of GI diseases, namely the Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy of India, Indian Society of Gastroenterology, and Indian National Association for the Study of the Liver.

Treatment of post-cholecystectomy biliary strictures with fully-covered self-expanding metal stents - results after 5 years of follow-up

Background

Endoscopic treatment of post-cholecystectomy biliary strictures (PCBS) with multiple plastic biliary stents placed sequentially is a minimally invasive alternative to surgery but requires multiple interventions. Temporary placement of a single fully-covered self-expanding metal stent (FCSEMS) may offer safe and effective treatment with fewer re-interventions. Long-term effectiveness of treatment with FCSEMS to obtain PCBS resolution has not yet been studied.

Methods

In this prospective multi-national study in patients with symptomatic benign biliary strictures (N = 187) due to various etiologies received a FCSEMS with scheduled removal at 6–12 months and were followed for 5 years. We report here long-term outcomes of the subgroup of patients with PCBS (N = 18). Kaplan Meier analyses assessed long-term freedom from re-stenting. Adverse events were documented.

Results

Endoscopic removal of the FCSEMS was achieved in 83.3% (15/18) of patients after median indwell of 10.9 (range 0.9–13.8) months. In the remaining 3 patients (16.7%), the FCSEMS spontaneously migrated and passed without complications. At the end of FCSEMS indwell, 72% (13/18) of patients had stricture resolution. At 5 years after FCSEMS removal, 84.6% (95% CI 65.0–100.0%) of patients who had stricture resolution at FCSEMS removal remained stent-free. In addition, at 75 months after FCSEMS placement, the probability of remaining stent-free was 61.1% (95% CI 38.6–83.6%) for all patients. Stent or removal related serious adverse events occurred in 38.9% (7/18) all resolved without sequalae.

Conclusions

In patients with symptomatic PCBS, temporary placement of a single FCSEMS intended for 10–12 months indwell is associated with long-term stricture resolution up to 5 years. Temporary placement of a single FCSEMS may be considered for patients with PCBS not involving the main hepatic confluence.

Trial registration numbers

NCT01014390; CTRI/2012/12/003166; Registered 17 November 2009.