Incidence of underlying biliary neoplasm in patients after major hepatectomy for preoperative benign hepatolithiasis

Backgrounds/Aims

Despite hepatolithiasis being a risk factor for biliary neoplasm including cholangiocarcinoma, the incidence of underlying biliary neoplasm is unknown in patients with preoperative benign hepatolithiasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of underlying biliary neoplasm in patients who underwent major hepatectomy for preoperative benign hepatolithiasis.

Methods

Between March 2005 and December 2015, 73 patients who underwent major hepatectomy for preoperative benign hepatolithiasis were enrolled in this study. The incidence and pathological differentiation of concomitant biliary neoplasm were retrospectively determined by review of medical records. Postoperative complications after major hepatectomy were evaluated.

Results

Concomitant biliary neoplasm was pathologically confirmed in 20 patients (27.4%). Biliary intraepithelial neoplasia (BIN) was detected in 12 patients (16.4%), and 1 patient (1.4%) had intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), as the premalignant lesion. Cholangiocarcinoma was pathologically confirmed in 7 patients (9.6%). Preoperative imaging of the 73 patients revealed biliary stricture at the first branch of bile duct in 31 patients (42.5%), and at the second branch of bile duct in 39 patients (53.4%). Postoperative complications developed in 14 patients (19.1%). Almost all patients recovered from complications, including intra-abdominal abscess (9.6%), bile leakage (4.1%), pleural effusion (2.7%), and wound infection (1.4%). Only 1 patient (1.4%) died from aspiration pneumonia.

Conclusions

The incidence of underlying biliary neoplasm was not negligible in the patients with hepatolithiasis, despite meticulous preoperative evaluations.

Vascular complications in percutaneous transhepatic management of complicated hepatolithiasis with difficult intrahepatic biliary strictures: are they avoidable?

Little has been reported about hemobilia in the management of complicated residual or recurrent hepatolithiasis with intrahepatic biliary strictures by percutaneous stricture dilation and percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopic lithotomy. To analyze retrospectively the incidence, possible factors, and management of hemobilia in such patients, a consecutive series of 177 patients was studied from 1983 to 2001: 90 patients in the early, 7.5-year period and 87 patients in the later period, in which some procedures were modified. Minor hemobilia occurred during percutaneous puncture in 6 patients: 4 (4.4%) in the early period and 2 (2.3%) in the later period. Massive hemobilia developed in 14 patients (15.5%) in only the early period, during stricture dilation, lithotripsy, or lithotomy. Immediate arteriography revealed arterial bleeding (7), extravasation (3), pseudoaneurysm (3), or an undetermined source (1). Transcatheter arterial intervention enabled successful hemostasis. Massive hemobilia is a potential serious complication of percutaneous stricture dilation and percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopic lithotomy but is avoidable.