Bilateral pneumothoraces and subcutaneous emphysema after endoscopic sphincterotomy

Treatment results of gastrointestinal perforation after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography

INTRODUCTION

Duodenal perforation, damage to common bile duct or ampulla of Vater complicates from 0.7% to 10% of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures. This complication is associated with high risk of contracting fatal diseases and death. As the endoscopic and minimally invasive treatment methods develop and gain popularity, it becomes increasingly important to determine the correct procedure in the event of gastrointestinal perforation after ERCP.

AIM

To present the results of treatment of gastrointestinal perforation after ERCP and indicate the correct procedure for such cases.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The material includes 19 patients who underwent ERCP in the years 2008-2011 and were subsequently diagnosed with duodenal perforation (except for duodenal bulb) and common bile duct (CBD). Women accounted for 68% of patients (13/19), while men constituted 32% (6/19). The mean age of patients was 66.6 years old. Indications for ERCP included cholelithiasis in 95% of cases and bile duct strictures in the remaining 5%. Treatment was conditional on the result of X-ray examination of the abdominal cavity, followed by computed tomography with aqueous contrast medium administered orally.

RESULTS

Four patients were diagnosed with intraperitoneal perforation and 15 patients with retroperitoneal perforation. In the patient group with retroperitoneal perforation the contrast media leakage (10 patients) required surgical intervention - the perforation site was located in 5 cases; in the other 5 the site could not be found. With the absence of active contrast media leakage in computed tomography (CT) (5 patients) conservative treatment was applied. Four patients with intraperitoneal perforation were referred for operative treatment. In patients under conservative treatment no complications were observed and the average hospitalization time was 9 days. Among patients with retroperitoneal perforation, who had undergone surgical treatment, complications occurred in 3 cases. The average hospitalization time in the group in which the perforation site was located was 16 days, while in the group with an unidentified perforation site it was 17 days. Patients with intraperitoneal perforation were given operative treatment, with the average hospitalization time of 12 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Each patient with suspected post-ERCP perforation should undergo CT of the abdominal cavity with aqueous contrast medium administered orally. In the event of no contrast leak in patients with retroperitoneal duodenal perforation, conservative treatment should be applied. In the case of retroperitoneal perforation with active contrast media leakage outside the gastrointestinal tract, and in the case of intraperitoneal perforation, an immediate surgical intervention is recommended.

Tension pneumothorax complicating endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography: case report and systematic literature review

Perforation of the duodenum, which is usually retroperitoneal, is a known complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Association of the duodenal perforation with pneumothorax is rare and the development of tension pneumothorax is even rarer. We report a case of tension pneumothorax following an ERCP, which we successfully treated with chest tube insertion and laparotomy, and systematically review the other 10 cases reported in the literature. Four of these 10 cases had tension pneumothorax. All were to the right side of the chest. Patients were mainly female (7/10). The median (range) age was 70.5 (55-89) years. Four patients required surgery (40%) and one patient, who was not operated on, died (10%). Clinicians should be aware of this serious complication. Unexplained chest pain, dyspnoea, and oxygen desaturation with abdominal distension during ERCP must raise this possibility. Early clinical recognition and prompt management is essential to improve the outcome.

Subcutaneous Emphysema, Pneumothorax and Pneumomediastinum Following Endoscopic Sphincterotomy

Retroperitoneal perforation during therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is uncommon and is usually manifested by abdominal pain, fever and leukocytosis. We report the case of a patient with post-ERCP subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum and pneumothorax treated conservatively. A 79-year-old woman with a diagnosis of choledocholitiasis was referred to our institution for an elective outpatient therapeutic ERCP. At the end of the procedure, subcutaneous emphysema was observed, and a thoracic computed tomography revealed a right pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum. Supportive care was instituted and she was discharged asymptomatic after 10 days of hospitalization. Subcutaneous emphysema, pneumothorax and pneumomediastinum are potencial complications of ERCP and sphincterotomy. We review the other cases previously reported and discuss the management.

Bilateral Pneumothorax and Subcutaneous Emphysema following Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography: A Rare Complication

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is a widely used diagnostic and therapeutic modality in the management of biliary and pancreatic disease. Some of the complications of the procedure, although rare, may carry significant morbidity and mortality risks. We describe the case of a 68-year-old female who underwent elective ERCP for ductal stone clearance. Immediately postprocedure, the patient developed subcutaneous emphysema and bilateral pneumothoraces. Further imaging revealed the presence of free intra-abdominal air. The patient made a very quick recovery after bilateral chest drain insertion and no further intervention was required. We propose that pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, and subcutaneous emphysema during ERCP, in the absence of duodenal perforation may be explained by leakage of air from a site of low resistance such as the sphincterotomy site, or as a result of copious Valsalva manoeuvres performed by a patient tolerating the procedure poorly.

Safety of extension of a previous endoscopic sphincterotomy: a prospective study

OBJECTIVES

Data in the literature regarding complication risks after the extension of a previous endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy (repeat endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy) are limited and controversial. To explore this issue, we prospectively studied complications after repeat sphincterotomy and compared them with those of biliary endoscopic sphincterotomy in consecutive patients with choledocholithiasis.

METHODS

A total of 250 patients underwent endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy and 81 underwent extension of a previous one. All patients had choledocholithiasis and were enrolled using specific criteria, excluding parameters predisposing to increased postsphincterotomy complications.

RESULTS

The overall complication rate was 2.46% in the repeat sphincterotomy and 8.4% in the sphincterotomy group (p > 0.05). Complications for the repeat sphincterotomy and initial sphincterotomy groups, respectively, were as follows: bleeding, 2.46% and 2.8%; pancreatitis, 0% and 4.8% (p < 0.05); cholangitis, 0% and 0.4%; perforation, 0% and 0.4%; and hyperamylasemia, 3.7% and 12.8% (p < 0.05). There were no deaths. Bleeding episodes in the former group occurred when repeat sphincterotomy was performed early after the primary one.

CONCLUSIONS

Repeat sphincterotomy is a safe technique for the treatment of patients with choledocholithiasis and seems to be as safe as initial sphincterotomy. It is not associated with increased hemorrhage risk. There is a trend toward a higher risk of hemorrhage when repeat sphincterotomy is performed early. Repeat sphincterotomy is safer than the initial sphincterotomy with respect to pancreatic complications.

Subcutaneous emphysema in advanced cancer

Spontaneous subcutaneous emphysema is a rare and usually benign entity that may occasionally be symptomatic. We report a case of a patient with advanced cancer who developed extensive but asymptomatic subcutaneous emphysema shortly before death. Perforation of the lower gastrointestinal tract, perhaps as a result of straining due to severe unrelieved constipation or due to fistula formation, is suspected to have been the mechanism. The causes, treatment, and implications for management of this condition are discussed.

Tension pneumothorax complicating diagnostic upper endoscopy: a case report

Hypoxemia is common during various endoscopic procedures and may result from a variety of causes. These causes range from benign and otherwise easily reversible events like oversedation to potentially life threatening complications such as pneumothorax. Although pneumothorax has been reported secondary to gastrointestinal perforation as a complication of various therapeutic endoscopic procedures, there has been no report of pneumothorax without perforation. We report a case of a patient who developed severe hypoxemia and hemodynamic instability during diagnostic upper endoscopy as a result of pneumomediastinum and tension pneumothorax in the absence of any signs of gastrointestinal perforation and comment on various possible mechanisms. Immediate endotracheal intubation and bilateral chest tube placement resulted in prompt return of the patient's oxygenation and vital signs back to normal. This report enlarges the list of possible causes of hypoxemia during endoscopy and shows the importance of early and prompt recognition, which allowed directed therapy with a good outcome.

Benign pneumoperitoneum associated with pneumomediastinum and pneumoretroperitoneum in ambulatory outpatients

Perforation of a hollow viscus and other dangerous etiologies must always be considered in the evaluation of free peritoneal air. Pneumoperitoneum in the presence of pneumoretroperitoneum and pneumomediastinum, however, often results from air tracking from a pathologic source outside of the abdomen along the mesentery into the peritoneum. This syndrome is relatively benign, and should be considered when there are multiple sites of extraluminal air in order to minimize the risk of unnecessary exploratory laparotomy. Two cases of benign pneumoperitoneum associated with pneumomediastinum and pneumoretroperitoneum are presented.

Complications of diagnostic and therapeutic ERCP

Complications associated with ERCP have been well defined, clinically recognized, and effectively managed conservatively. Few patients require surgery or prolonged hospitalization. The morbidity and mortality associated with ERCP and sphincterotomy have remained low, and, although the outcome of endoscopy is equivalent or better than surgical or radiologic techniques, the complications are less. Despite the general acceptance of ERCP, its therapeutic applications, its more universal performance, and the morbidity and mortality rates have remained the same or lower since its introduction a quarter of a century ago.