To drain or not to drain? That is the question

Initial experience with endoscopic retrograde cholangiography and endoscopic retrograde biliary stenting for treatment of extrahepatic bile duct obstruction in dogs

OBJECTIVE

To describe techniques for endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) and endoscopic retrograde biliary stenting of the common bile duct (CBD) for minimally invasive treatment of extrahepatic bile duct obstruction (EHBDO) in dogs.

DESIGN

Experimental study and clinical report.

ANIMALS

7 healthy research dogs and 2 canine patients.

PROCEDURES

ERC and endoscopic retrograde biliary stenting were performed in healthy purpose-bred research dogs and client-owned dogs with a diagnosis of EHBDO that underwent an attempted biliary stent procedure. Research dogs were euthanized after completion of the procedure and underwent necropsy. With dogs under general anesthesia, the pylorus was cannulated with a side-view duodenoscope, and the duodenum was entered. The major duodenal papilla (MDP) and minor duodenal papilla were then identified, and the MDP was cannulated. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography and endoscopic retrograde biliary stenting were attempted with the aid of endoscopy and fluoroscopy in all dogs. Procedure time, outcome for duodenal and MDP cannulation, and success of stent placement were recorded.

RESULTS

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography was successfully performed in 5 of 7 research dogs and in 1 of 2 patients. Biliary stenting was achieved in 4 of 7 research dogs and 1 of 2 patients, with a polyurethane (n = 4) or self-expanding metallic stent (1). One patient had a mass such that visualization of the MDP was impossible and no attempt at biliary cannulation could be made. After placement, stent patency was documented by means of contrast cholangiography and visualization of biliary drainage into the duodenum intra-operatively. No major complications occurred during or after the procedure in any patient. Follow-up information 685 days after stent placement in 1 patient provided evidence of biliary patency on serial repeated ultrasonography and no evidence of complications. CONCLUSIONS and

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

ERC and endoscopic retrograde biliary stenting were successfully performed in a small group of healthy dogs and 1 patient with EHBDO, but were technically challenging procedures. Further investigation of this minimally invasive technique for the treatment of EHBDO in dogs is necessary before this may be considered a viable alternative to current treatment methods.

Cholangiocarcinoma and malignant bile duct obstruction: A review of last decades advances in therapeutic endoscopy

In the last decades many advances have been achieved in endoscopy, in the diagnosis and therapy of cholangiocarcinoma, however blood test, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography scan may fail to detect neoplastic disease at early stage, thus the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma is achieved usually at unresectable stage. In the last decades the role of endoscopy has moved from a diagnostic role to an invaluable therapeutic tool for patients affected by malignant bile duct obstruction. One of the major issues for cholangiocarcinoma is bile ducts occlusion, leading to jaundice, cholangitis and hepatic failure. Currently, endoscopy has a key role in the work up of cholangiocarcinoma, both in patients amenable to surgical intervention as well as in those unfit for surgery or not amenable to immediate surgical curative resection owing to locally advanced or advanced disease, with palliative intention. Endoscopy allows successful biliary drainage and stenting in more than 90% of patients with malignant bile duct obstruction, and allows rapid reduction of jaundice decreasing the risk of biliary sepsis. When biliary drainage and stenting cannot be achieved with endoscopy alone, endoscopic ultrasound-guided biliary drainage represents an effective alternative method affording successful biliary drainage in more than 80% of cases. The purpose of this review is to focus on the currently available endoscopic management options in patients with cholangiocarcinoma.