Validation and improvement of a proposed scoring system to detect retained common bile duct stones in gallstone pancreatitis. Surgery. 2015;157:1073-1079. [PMID: 25712200 DOI: 10.1016/j.surg.2015.01.005]

Current Gallstone Treatment Methods, State of the Art

This study aims to provide valuable references for clinicians in selecting appropriate surgical methods for biliary tract stones based on patient conditions. In this paper, the advantages and disadvantages of various minimally invasive cholelithiasis surgical techniques are systematically summarized and innovative surgical approaches and intelligent stone removal technologies are introduced. The goal is to evaluate and predict future research priorities and development trends in the field of gallstone surgery. In recent years, the incidence of gallstone-related diseases, including cholecystolithiasis and choledocholithiasis, has significantly increased. This surge in cases has prompted the development of several innovative methods for gallstone extraction, with minimally invasive procedures gaining the most popularity. Among these techniques, PTCS, ERCP, and LCBDE have garnered considerable attention, leading to new surgical techniques; however, it must be acknowledged that each surgical method has its unique indications and potential complications. The primary challenge for clinicians is selecting a surgical approach that minimizes patient trauma while reducing the incidence of complications such as pancreatitis and gallbladder cancer and preventing the recurrence of gallstones. The integration of artificial intelligence with stone extraction surgeries offers new opportunities to address this issue. Regarding the need for preoperative preparation for PTCS surgery, we recommend a combined approach of PTBD and PTOBF. For ERCP-based stone extraction, we recommend a small incision of the Oddi sphincter followed by 30 s of balloon dilation as the optimal procedure. If conditions permit, a biliary stent can be placed post-extraction. For the surgical approach of LCBDE, we recommend the transduodenal (TD) approach. Artificial intelligence is involved throughout the entire process of gallstone detection, treatment, and prognosis, and more AI-integrated medical technologies are expected to be applied in the future.

Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis: If a Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words, How Many Images Do We Need?

Introduction Accurate diagnosis and prompt definitive management of choledocholithiasis are vital in acute gallstone pancreatitis. The sensitivity of detection of choledocholithiasis varies across imaging modalities. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is the most sensitive but may not be necessary, resulting in both delayed definitive management and increased costs. We aimed to evaluate the range of radiological investigations patients with acute gallstone pancreatitis underwent and the clinical appropriateness of MRCP when performed. Methods This was an observational study of patients diagnosed with acute gallstone pancreatitis between January 1, 2019 and November 30, 2021 in a district general hospital in London, UK. A detailed review of patient records, laboratory and radiological results, and endoscopic and/or operative intervention was undertaken. Results One hundred consecutive patients diagnosed with acute gallstone pancreatitis (median age 57 years) were included. Seventy-nine had a transabdominal ultrasound (USS), 46 had CT, and 40 patients had MRCP. The median waiting time for these investigations was 1, 0, and 4 days, respectively. Choledocholithiasis was identified in 21 patients (4 on USS, 5 on CT, and 12 on MRCP). As definitive management, 37% underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and 57% underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy. A total of 19% of patients were readmitted with pancreatitis prior to definitive management. Conclusions First-line imaging investigations such as USS and CT can detect some cases of choledocholithiasis in patients with acute gallstone pancreatitis, but not all. Despite expenses in terms of cost and length of hospital stay, MRCP remains an essential resource to detect cases of choledocholithiasis not captured by USS or CT. We recommend establishing a guideline to streamline imaging in assessing acute gallstone pancreatitis.

Test Performance Characteristics of Dynamic Liver Enzyme Trends in the Prediction of Choledocholithiasis

(1) Background: Various methods to predict the presence or absence of choledocholithiasis (CDL) have been proposed. We aimed to assess the performance characteristics of dynamic liver enzyme trends in the prediction of CDL. (2) Methods: This was a single-center retrospective cohort study. All adult in-patients undergoing endoscopy for suspected CDL between 1 January 2012 and 7 October 2018 were identified, with patients with prior cholecystectomy, prior sphincterotomy, or indwelling biliary prostheses were excluded. Available laboratory parameters within 72 h preceding the procedure were recorded, allowing for the assessment of trends. Dynamic enzyme trends were defined as any increase or decrease by 30% and 50% within 72 h of the index procedure. (3) Results: A total of 878 patients were included. Mean age was 61.8 years, with 58.6% female. Increases in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) of at least 30% or 50% were both specific for the presence of CDL, with specificities of 82.7% (95% CI 69.7–91.8%) and 88.5% (95% CI 76.6–95.6%), respectively. Decreases in bilirubin or ALP of at least 50% were highly specific for the absence of CDL, with specificities of 91.7% (95% CI 85.7–95.8%) and 100.0% (97.2–100.0%), respectively. (4) Conclusions: Several liver enzyme trends appear to be specific for the absence or presence of stones; in particular, significant decreases in total bilirubin or ALP of at least 30–50% over the prior 72 h appear to be especially predictive of an absence of intraductal findings during endoscopy.

Prevalence of Persistent Common Bile Duct Stones in Acute Biliary Pancreatitis Remains Stable Within the First Week of Symptoms

BACKGROUND

Acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP) is often associated with persistent common bile duct (CBD) stones. The best strategy in terms of timing of surgery is still controversial. The aim of the current study is to describe the prevalence of persistent common bile duct (CBD) stones in ABP during the first week of symptoms at a high-volume referral center.

STUDY DESIGN

Single-institution retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database. Patients with diagnosis of ABP who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) between January 2009 and December 2019 were extracted.

RESULTS

Two hundred thirty-one patients were included. Cholecystectomy was performed laparoscopically in 230 (99.57%) patients. Intraoperative cholangiogram was performed in all patients. Two hundred nine (90%) patients had surgery within the first 7 days. Global prevalence of persistent CBD stones during IOC was 19.91% (95% CI 14.96-25.65). No significant association between timing to surgery and presence of CBD stones was found for the first week since the initial attack (p=0.28). Prevalence of CBD stones was significantly higher after day 7 (p=0.007 and 0.005). Positive findings in preoperative MRCP are significantly related to intraoperative CBD stones (p=0.0001). Mild postoperative complications (CD I/II) were present in 21 patients (9.09%). No difference was found in morbidity between CBD stones group and non-CBD stones group (p=0.48). We observed no severe complications nor mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with mild acute biliary pancreatitis, the prevalence of persistent CBD stones does not change within the first 7 days since the onset of symptoms. This fact may have major clinical relevance when deciding the optimal therapeutic strategy in this population.

The utilization of perfused cadaver simulation in urologic training: a pilot study

Background

We sought to determine if participating in a surgical training session using perfused fresh human cadavers (PFHC) had a positive effect on urology residents’ confidence in performing open and endoscopic procedures.

Methods

Urology residents at our institution participated in a surgical training session in the West Virginia University Fresh Tissue Training Program, which utilized fresh cadavers with vascular perfusion. The session consisted of performing different urologic procedures (open and endoscopic) on the perfused fresh human cadavers (PFHC). Residents were given a survey to rate their confidence in different urologic procedures before, after, and 6 months after the session. Each procedure on the survey had 3–6 questions associated with it, with scores ranging from 0 (no confidence) to 4 (great confidence). Scores for each procedure before and after the session were compared.

Results

Six residents participated in the session. There was an increase in the score for every procedure performed after the session. Scores at 6 month follow up remained higher than the pre-session scores.

Conclusion

PFHCs offer an excellent opportunity to teach a wide variety of urologic procedures to residents. Incorporation of PFHCs may be very useful in urologic training, and further studies on its use are warranted.

A prospective multicenter analysis from the Pediatric ERCP Database Initiative: predictors of choledocholithiasis at ERCP in pediatric patients

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The management of suspected choledocholithiasis remains a challenge in pediatric endoscopy. Several recommendations are available for adult patients; however, it is unknown which pediatric patients are most likely to benefit from ERCP for evaluation of choledocholithiasis. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate adult-based criteria in the evaluation of pediatric patients with choledocholithiasis. A secondary aim was to evaluate the role of conjugated (or direct) bilirubin to improve the sensitivity of detecting choledocholithiasis.

METHODS

This was a prospective multicenter study in pediatric patients as part of the Pediatric ERCP Database Initiative (PEDI) with additional post-hoc analysis of updated guidelines. Patients <19 years of age undergoing ERCP for suspected choledocholithiasis or gallstone pancreatitis were enrolled at participating sites.

RESULTS

Ninety-five patients were enrolled (69 with choledocholithiasis confirmed at ERCP and 26 with no stones at ERCP). Adverse event rates were similar in both groups. Specificity ranged from 27% to 91% using adult guidelines, but a sensitivity of only 20% to 69%. The were no significant differences between the 2 groups using preprocedure transabdominal US (P = 1.0). Significant differences between groups were identified using either the total or conjugated bilirubin (P = .02). There was also a significant difference between the stone and no-stone groups when conjugated bilirubin was dichotomized to >2 mg/dL (P = .03).

CONCLUSIONS

Abdominal imaging and laboratory indices may be used to predict pediatric choledocholithiasis with varying sensitivity and specificity. Pediatric-specific guidelines may allow for improved stone prediction compared with existing adult recommendations.

The Role of Laparoscopic Ultrasonography in the Evaluation of Suspected Choledocholithiasis. A Single-Center Experience

Background and objectives: Opinions differ regarding the optimal diagnostic methods for patients with suspected choledocholithiasis. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of laparoscopic ultrasonography (LUS) and compare it to pre-operative magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatography (MRCP); Materials and Methods: In all patients with suspected choledocholithiasis LUS was performed during laparoscopic cholecystectomy to evaluate biliary stones. According to availability, part of the patients had pre-operative MRCP. Data for diagnostic accuracy and main outcomes were collected prospectively and analyzed retrospectively; Results: Choledocholithiasis was detected in 178 of 297 patients by LUS (59.93%) and in 39 of 87 patients by MRCP (44.8%), p = 0.041. LUS yielded a sensitivity of 99.4%, a specificity of 94.3%, a positive predictive value of 96.1% and a negative predictive value of 99.1%. However, pre-operative MRCP had a sensitivity of 61.7%, a specificity of 92.3%, a positive predictive value of 94.9% and a negative predictive value of 51.1%. Moreover, of the 47 patients with no choledocholithiasis by MRCP, in 23 cases it was later detected by LUS (a false negative MRCP finding—38.3%), p < 0.001. Median duration of hospitalization was significantly shorter in patients evaluated without pre-operative MRCP—8 days (interquartile range – IQR 11–6) vs. 11 days (IQR 14–9), p = 0.001; Conclusions: LUS may reduce the role of pre-operative MRCP and can become a rational alternative to MRCP as a primary imaging technique for the detection of choledocholithiasis.

Bedside score predicting retained common bile duct stone in acute biliary pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Retained common bile duct (CBD) stone after an acute episode of biliary pancreatitis is of paramount importance since stone extraction is mandatory.

AIM

To generate a simple non-invasive score to predict the presence of CBD stone in patients with biliary pancreatitis.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective study including patients with a diagnosis of biliary pancreatitis. One hundred and fifty-four patients were included. Thirty-three patients (21.5%) were diagnosed with CBD stone by endoscopic ultrasound (US).

RESULTS

In univariate analysis, age (OR: 1.048, P = 0.0004), aspartate transaminase (OR: 1.002, P = 0.0015), alkaline phosphatase (OR: 1.005, P = 0.0005), gamma-glutamyl transferase (OR: 1.003, P = 0.0002) and CBD width by US (OR: 1.187, P = 0.0445) were associated with CBD stone. In multivariate analysis, three parameters were identified to predict CBD stone; age (OR: 1.062, P = 0.0005), gamma-glutamyl transferase level (OR: 1.003, P = 0.0003) and dilated CBD (OR: 3.685, P = 0.027), with area under the curve of 0.8433. We developed a diagnostic score that included the three significant parameters on multivariate analysis, with assignment of weights for each variable according to the co-efficient estimate. A score that ranges from 51.28 to 73.7 has a very high specificity (90%-100%) for CBD stones, while a low score that ranges from 9.16 to 41.04 has a high sensitivity (82%-100%). By performing internal validation, the negative predictive value of the low score group was 93%.

CONCLUSION

We recommend incorporating this score as an aid for stratifying patients with acute biliary pancreatitis into low or high probability for the presence of CBD stone.

ASGE guideline on the role of endoscopy in the evaluation and management of choledocholithiasis

Each year choledocholithiasis results in biliary obstruction, cholangitis, and pancreatitis in a significant number of patients. The primary treatment, ERCP, is minimally invasive but associated with adverse events in 6% to 15%. This American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) Standard of Practice (SOP) Guideline provides evidence-based recommendations for the endoscopic evaluation and treatment of choledocholithiasis. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework was used to rigorously review and synthesize the contemporary literature regarding the following topics: EUS versus MRCP for diagnosis, the role of early ERCP in gallstone pancreatitis, endoscopic papillary dilation after sphincterotomy versus sphincterotomy alone for large bile duct stones, and impact of ERCP-guided intraductal therapy for large and difficult choledocholithiasis. Comprehensive systematic reviews were also performed to assess the following: same-admission cholecystectomy for gallstone pancreatitis, clinical predictors of choledocholithiasis, optimal timing of ERCP vis-à-vis cholecystectomy, management of Mirizzi syndrome and hepatolithiasis, and biliary stent therapy for choledocholithiasis. Core clinical questions were derived using an iterative process by the ASGE SOP Committee. This body developed all recommendations founded on the certainty of the evidence, balance of risks and harms, consideration of stakeholder preferences, resource utilization, and cost-effectiveness.

Colicky pain and related complications after cholecystectomy for mild gallstone pancreatitis

BACKGROUND

Same-admission cholecystectomy is advised after gallstone pancreatitis to prevent recurrent pancreatitis, colicky pain and other complications, but data on the incidence of symptoms and complications after cholecystectomy are lacking.

METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study during the previously published randomized controlled PONCHO trial on timing of cholecystectomy after mild gallstone pancreatitis. Data on healthcare consumption and questionnaires focusing on colicky pain and biliary complications were obtained during 6 months after cholecystectomy. Main outcomes were (i) postoperative colicky pain as reported in questionnaires and (ii) medical treatment for postoperative symptoms and gallstone related complications.

RESULTS

Among 262 patients who underwent cholecystectomy after mild gallstone pancreatitis, 28 of 191 patients (14.7%) reported postoperative colicky pain. The majority of these were reported within 2 months after surgery and were single events. Overall, 25 patients (9.5%) required medical treatment for symptoms or gallstone related complications. Acute readmission was required in seven patients (2.7%). No predictors for the development of postoperative colicky pain were identified.

DISCUSSION

Some 15% of patients experienced colicky pain after cholecystectomy for mild gallstone pancreatitis, which were mostly single events and rarely required readmission. These data may be used to better inform patients undergoing cholecystectomy for mild gallstone pancreatitis.

Laparoscopic ultrasonography as an alternative to intraoperative cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

AIM

To assess the role of laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS) as a substitute for intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) during cholecystectomy.

METHODS

We present a MEDLINE and PubMed literature search, having used the key-words “laparoscopic intraoperative ultrasound” and “laparoscopic cholecystectomy”. All relevant English language publications from 2000 to 2016 were identified, with data extracted for the role of LUS in the anatomical delineation of the biliary tract, detection of common bile duct stones (CBDS), prevention or early detection of biliary duct injury (BDI), and incidental findings during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Data for the role of LUS vs IOC in complex situations (i.e., inflammatory disease/fibrosis) were specifically analyzed.

RESULTS

We report data from eighteen reports, 13 prospective non-randomized trials, 5 retrospective trials, and two meta-analyses assessing diagnostic accuracy, with one analysis also assessing costs, duration of the examination, and anatomical mapping. Overall, LUS was shown to provide highly sensitive mapping of the extra-pancreatic biliary anatomy in 92%-100% of patients, with more difficulty encountered in delineation of the intra-pancreatic segment of the biliary tract (73.8%-98%). Identification of vascular and biliary variations has been documented in two studies. Although inflammatory disease hampered accuracy, LUS was still advantageous vs IOC in patients with obscured anatomy. LUS can be performed before any dissection and repeated at will to guide the surgeon especially when hilar mapping is difficult due to fibrosis and inflammation. In two studies LUS prevented conversion in 91% of patients with difficult scenarios. Considering CBDS detection, LUS sensitivity and specificity were 76%-100% and 96.2%-100%, respectively. LUS allowed the diagnosis/treatment of incidental findings of adjacent organs. No valuable data for BDI prevention or detection could be retrieved, even if no BDI was documented in the reports analyzed. Literature analysis proved LUS as a safe, quick, non-irradiating, cost-effective technique, which is comparatively well known although largely under-utilized, probably due to the perception of a difficult learning curve.

CONCLUSION

We highlight the advantages and limitations of laparoscopic ultrasound during cholecystectomy, and underline its value in difficult scenarios when the anatomy is obscured.

Analysis of Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography after Positive Intraoperative Cholangiogram: Is it Necessary?

The necessity of routine endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) after positive intraoperative cholangiogram (IOC) during laparoscopic cholecystectomy is not well defined. We aimed to examine the incidence of positive IOC among patients who undergo IOC during cholecystectomy and the rate of subsequent ERCP stone extraction. The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was reviewed for all patients undergoing cholecystectomy with IOC from 2002 to 2012. Patients were then analyzed for ERCP and stone extraction. A total of 73,508 patients who underwent cholecystectomy with IOC for a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis and found to have a bile duct stone were identified. Of these patients, 5915 underwent subsequent ERCP. In the patients that underwent subsequent ERCP, 1478 had a documented stone extraction during ERCP. The rate of stone extraction in the ERCP subset is 25 per cent, which is 2 per cent of all patients who had a positive IOC. The rate of stone extraction after positive IOC is low. Positive IOC may not warrant a routine postoperative ERCP. Our results suggest that clinical monitoring of patients with positive IOC is reasonable, as the majority of patients with a positive IOC ultimately have no stone extraction.

Scoring System for the Management of Acute Gallstone Pancreatitis: Cost Analysis of a Prospective Study

Predicting the presence of a persistent common bile duct (CBD) stone is a difficult and expensive task. The aim of this study is to determine if a previously described protocol-based scoring system is a cost-effective strategy. The protocol includes all patients with gallstone pancreatitis and stratifies them based on laboratory values and imaging to high, medium, and low likelihood of persistent stones. The patient's stratification then dictates the next course of management. A decision analytic model was developed to compare the costs for patients who followed the protocol versus those that did not. Clinical data model inputs were obtained from a prospective study conducted at The Mount Sinai Medical Center to validate the protocol from Oct 2009 to May 2013. The study included all patients presenting with gallstone pancreatitis regardless of disease severity. Seventy-three patients followed the proposed protocol and 32 did not. The protocol group cost an average of $14,962/patient and the non-protocol group cost $17,138/patient for procedural costs. Mean length of stay for protocol and non-protocol patients was 5.6 and 7.7 days, respectively. The proposed protocol is a cost-effective way to determine the course for patients with gallstone pancreatitis, reducing total procedural costs over 12 %.

Scoring system to preoperatively predict choledocholithiasis

BACKGROUND

The incidence of common bile duct (CBD) calculi has been reported to be 8 % to 20 % among the patients with cholelithiasis. Failure to detect CBD stones on the part of the surgeon not only fails to relieve symptoms but also subjects them to potentially life-threatening complications such as cholangitis, pancreatitis or obstructive jaundice. Modalities for detection of CBD stones have evolved over time from CBD exploration based on clinical and operative findings to intraoperative cholangiography (IOC), to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP) and, recently, to magnetic resonance cholangiopancreaticography (MRCP) and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). We felt a need for a scoring system to predict a patient population having a higher risk of choledocholithiasis so that these modern interventions can be selectively utilized.

SETTING

This study was performed in a tertiary care medical college hospital in a metropolitan city.

DESIGN

This is a prospective observational study.

METHODS

All patients with symptomatic cholelithiasis admitted to the hospital were included. Patients were diagnosed as having choledocholithiasis either by ultrasonography (USG), computed tomography scan, MRCP, EUS or ERCP and were followed up for at least 6 weeks.

RESULTS

The prevalence of choledocholithiasis among the 275 patients with symptomatic biliary colic in our study was 18.9 % (n = 77). On bivariate analysis, dilated bile duct on USG (>6 mm), raised total bilirubin, raised alkaline phosphatase (ALP), raised amylase, raised SGPT and SGOT were significantly associated with choledocholithiasis (p < 0.05). On multivariate analysis also, all these factors except amylase and SGPT showed a significant correlation with choledocholithiasis (p < 0.05). These observations were used to build a scoring system consisting of four factors: dilated bile duct on USG (>6 mm), total bilirubin >2 mg/dL, ALP >190 IU/L and SGOT >40 IU/L.

CONCLUSION

A positive predictive value of 3 or more factors was over 95 %, necessitating an endoscopic intervention. A negative predictive value of the absence of any factor was 100 %, which ruled out CBD calculi. If only one or two factors are positive, then further evaluation is recommended preferably using non-minimal or minimal invasive investigations like EUS or MRCP.

A scoring system for the prediction of choledocholithiasis: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Techniques for diagnosing choledocholithiasis pose significant morbidity and mortality risks.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to develop and validate a clinical scoring system for predicting choledocholithiasis.

DESIGN

Data from a prospectively maintained database of all patients with gallstones.

SETTING

Patients were admitted to the general surgery department of a military hospital.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We enrolled consecutive patients with symptomatic gallstones, biliary pancreatitis, obstructive jaundice, or cholangitis, who subsequently underwent biochemical testing and ultrasonography. A predictive model was developed from a scoring system using their imaging and laboratory data. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) or intraoperative cholangiography were used for confirmatory diagnoses. The predictive efficacy of the scoring system was validated using a retrospective cohort of 272 patients.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Predictive accuracy of the scoring system.

RESULTS

We enrolled 155 patients in the development group. The common bile duct diameter, alkaline phosphatase of >=200 IU, elevated bilirubin levels, alanine transaminase of >=220 IU, and male age of >=50 years were significantly associated with choledocholithiasis and were included in the scoring system. Ninety-six patients (35%) had scores of >=8 (high risk), 86 patients (32%) had scores of 4-7 (intermediate risk), and 27 patients (10%) had scores of 1-3 (low risk). In the validation cohort, the positive predictive value for a score of >=8 was 91.7%, and the scoring system had an area under the curve of 0.896.

CONCLUSION

Scores of >=8 were strongly correlated with choledocholithiasis in the developmental and validation groups, which indicates that our scoring system may be useful for predicting the need for therapeutic ERCP. However, prospective validation in a large multicenter cohort is needed to fully understand the benefits of the system.

LIMITATIONS

The retrospective validation cohort might have introduced selection and observational biases. The study may have been underpowered because of the sample size of the developmental cohort. The delay between admission and the time of ERCP theoretically may have increased the number of negative ERCP results, but our false negative rate for ERCP was consistent with the previously reported rates.