Prognostic value of endoscopic ultrasound in acute pancreatitis

Endoscopic Ultrasound to Identify the Actual Cause of Idiopathic Acute Pancreatitis: A Systematic Review

Idiopathic acute pancreatitis (IAP) presents a diagnostic challenge and refers to cases where the cause of acute pancreatitis remains uncertain despite a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has emerged as a valuable tool in the diagnostic workup of IAP. This review explores the pivotal role of EUS in detecting the actual cause of IAP and assessing its accuracy, timing, safety, and future technological improvement. In this review, we investigate the role of EUS in identifying the actual cause of IAP by examining the available literature. We aim to assess possible existing evidence regarding EUS accuracy, timing, and safety and explore potential trends of future technological improvements in EUS for diagnostic purposes. Following PRISMA guidelines, 60 pertinent studies were selected and analysed. EUS emerges as a crucial diagnostic tool, particularly when conventional imaging fails. It can offer intricate visualization of the pancreas, biliary system, and adjacent structures. Microlithiasis, biliary sludge, chronic pancreatitis, and small pancreatic tumors seem to be much more accurately identified with EUS in the setting of IAP. The optimal timing for EUS is post-resolution of the acute phase of the disease. With a low rate of complications, EUS poses minimal safety concerns. EUS-guided interventions, including fine-needle aspiration, collection drainage, and biopsies, aid in the cytological analysis. With high diagnostic accuracy, safety, and therapeutic potential, EUS is able to improve patient outcomes when managing IAP. Further refinement of EUS techniques and cost-effectiveness assessment of EUS-guided approaches need to be explored in multicentre prospective studies. This review underscores EUS as a transformative tool in unraveling IAP's enigma and advancing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Multifactorial Scores and Biomarkers of Prognosis of Acute Pancreatitis: Applications to Research and Practice

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is a severe inflammation of the pancreas presented with sudden onset and severe abdominal pain with a high morbidity and mortality rate, if accompanied by severe local and systemic complications. Numerous studies have been published about the pathogenesis of AP; however, the precise mechanism behind this pathology remains unclear. Extensive research conducted over the last decades has demonstrated that the first 24 h after symptom onset are critical for the identification of patients who are at risk of developing complications or death. The identification of these subgroups of patients is crucial in order to start an aggressive approach to prevent mortality. In this sense and to avoid unnecessary overtreatment, thereby reducing the financial implications, the proper identification of mild disease is also important and necessary. A large number of multifactorial scoring systems and biochemical markers are described to predict the severity. Despite recent progress in understanding the pathophysiology of AP, more research is needed to enable a faster and more accurate prediction of severe AP. This review provides an overview of the available multifactorial scoring systems and biochemical markers for predicting severe AP with a special focus on their advantages and limitations.

Radial EUS Examination Can be Helpful in Predicting the Severity of Acute Biliary Pancreatitis

We investigated the utility of noncontrast enhanced endosonography (EUS) in predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) during the first 72 to 96 h of admission.In total, 187 patients with acute biliary pancreatitis were included. The patients were classified into 2 groups as having severe and mild AP according to the Modified Glasgow scoring and computerized tomography severity index (SI). The 158 cases with mild and 29 cases with severe AP had a similar age and sex distribution.Although none of the cases with mild AP developed morbidity and death, of the cases with severe AP, 16 developed serious morbidities and 5 died. On EUS examination, we looked for parenchymal findings, peripancreatic inflammatory signs, free or loculated fluid collections, and abnormalities of the common bile duct and the pancreatic channel. Statistical analysis indicated a significant relationship between the severity of AP with diffuse parenchymal edema, periparenchymal plastering, and/or diffuse retroperitoneal free fluid accumulation, and peri-pancreatic edema. We also defined an EUSSI and found that the EUSSI had sensitivity of 89.7%, specificity of 84.2%, positive predictivity value (PPV) of 88.9%, negative predictivity value (NPV) of 91.2%, and an accuracy of 87.9% in the differentiation of mild and severe AP. We found that the EUSSI had an accuracy of 72.4%, sensitivity of 75.4%, specificity of 65.1%, PPV of 69.3%, and NPV of 73.1% for determining mortality.Our data suggest that EUS allowed us to accurately predict the severity and mortality in nearly 90% of cases with AP.

Consensus guidelines on severe acute pancreatitis

This Position Paper contains clinically oriented guidelines by the Italian Association for the Study of the Pancreas (AISP) for the diagnosis and treatment of severe acute pancreatitis. The statements were formulated by three working groups of experts who searched and analysed the most recent literature; a consensus process was then performed using a modified Delphi procedure. The statements provide recommendations on the most appropriate definition of the complications of severe acute pancreatitis, the diagnostic approach and the timing of conservative as well as interventional endoscopic, radiological and surgical treatments.

Role of diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic ultrasonography in benign pancreatic diseases

Standard imaging of pancreas is generally obtained by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. However endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has become an indispensable tool for the diagnosis of various pancreatic diseases. Because of the close proximity of the EUS probe to the pancreas, EUS provides excellent images of the pancreas. In this review, we discuss the role of EUS in the clinical management of patients with benign pancreatic diseases, i.e., various forms of pancreatitis.

Imaging of acute pancreatitis and its complications. Part 1: acute pancreatitis

Acute pancreatitis is an acute inflammatory disease of the pancreas that may also involve surrounding tissues or remote organs. The Atlanta classification of acute pancreatitis was introduced in 1992 and divides patients into mild and severe groups based on clinical and biochemical criteria. Recently, the terminology and classification scheme proposed at the initial Atlanta Symposium have been reviewed and a new consensus statement has been proposed by the Acute Pancreatitis Classification Working Group. Generally, imaging is recommended to confirm the clinical diagnosis, investigate the etiology, and grade the extend and severity of the acute pancreatitis. Ultrasound is the first-line imaging modality in most centers for the confirmation of the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis and the ruling out of other causes of acute abdomen, but it has limitations in the acute clinical setting. Computed tomography not only establishes the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, but also enables to stage severity of the disease. Magnetic resonance imaging has earned an ever more important role in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. It is especially useful for imaging of patients with iodine allergies, characterizing collections and assessment of an abnormal or disconnected pancreatic duct. The purpose of this review article is to present an overview of the acute pancreatitis, clarify confusing terminology, underline the role of ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging according to the proper clinical context and compare the advantages and limitations of each modality.

Role of endoscopic ultrasonography in the diagnosis of acute and chronic pancreatitis

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) can be a useful tool for detecting underlying causes of acute pancreatitis and establishing the severity of fibrosis in chronic pancreatitis. Ancillary techniques include fine needle aspiration and core biopsy, bile collection for crystal analysis, pancreatic function testing, and celiac plexus block. This review focuses on the role of EUS in the diagnosis of acute and chronic pancreatitis.

EUS finding of geographic hyperechoic area is an early predictor for severe acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is an accurate imaging modality for delineating pancreatobiliary structures, however, its clinical application of acute pancreatitis (AP) is limited. Therefore, we sought to characterize the typical EUS features of AP and to determine whether early EUS findings may have prognostic significance.

METHODS

Between March 2008 and October 2010, 90 patients with AP and 90 patients without pancreatic disease who underwent EUS were enrolled. An EUS examination was performed within 48 h of admission in AP, and all EUS findings were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

Among 90 patients, 27 (30%) were diagnosed with severe AP. Multivariate analysis revealed the presence of peripancreatic fluid (OR 13.9, 95%, CI: 1.6-123.6), heterogenous (OR 7.2, 95% CI: 1.7-30.4) and hypoechoic parenchymal echogenicity (OR 10.0, 95% CI: 3.9-25.8) were significant EUS features in AP, as compared to those in the control group. Comparison between mild and severe AP showed that geographic hyperechoic area (GHA) of pancreas was a predictive factor (OR 2.9, 95% CI: 1.1-8.2, p = 0.04) for the severe form, and that AP patients with GHA had significantly longer duration of fever, abdominal pain and hospital stay than those without GHA (5.5 vs. 1 day (s), p = 0.002; 4 vs. 3 days, p = 0.023; 11 vs. 8 days, p = 0.021, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Typical EUS features of AP are a heterogenous hypoechoic parenchymal changes with peripancreatic fluid collection. The novel EUS variable of GHA in the early phase of AP seems to have prognostic value and could be correlated with a worse clinical outcome.

Pancreatico-biliary endoscopic ultrasound: A systematic review of the levels of evidence, performance and outcomes

Our aim was to record pancreaticobiliary endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) literature of the past 3 decades and evaluate its role based on a critical appraisal of published studies according to levels of evidence (LE). Original research articles (randomized controlled trials, prospective and retrospective studies), meta-analyses, reviews and surveys pertinent to gastrointestinal EUS were included. All articles published until September 2011 were retrieved from PubMed and classified according to specific disease entities, anatomical subdivisions and therapeutic applications of EUS. The North of England evidence-based guidelines were used to determine LE. A total of 1089 pertinent articles were reviewed. Published research focused primarily on solid pancreatic neoplasms, followed by disorders of the extrahepatic biliary tree, pancreatic cystic lesions, therapeutic-interventional EUS, chronic and acute pancreatitis. A uniform observation in all six categories of articles was the predominance of LE III studies followed by LE IV, IIb, IIa, Ib and Ia, in descending order. EUS remains the most accurate method for detecting small (< 3 cm) pancreatic tumors, ampullary neoplasms and small (< 4 mm) bile duct stones, and the best test to define vascular invasion in pancreatic and peri-ampullary neoplasms. Detailed EUS imaging, along with biochemical and molecular cyst fluid analysis, improve the differentiation of pancreatic cysts and help predict their malignant potential. Early diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis appears feasible and reliable. Novel imaging techniques (contrast-enhanced EUS, elastography) seem promising for the evaluation of pancreatic cancer and autoimmune pancreatitis. Therapeutic applications currently involve pancreaticobiliary drainage and targeted fine needle injection-guided antitumor therapy. Despite the ongoing development of extra-corporeal imaging modalities, such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and positron emission tomography, EUS still holds a leading role in the investigation of the pancreaticobiliary area. The major challenge of EUS evolution is its expanding therapeutic potential towards an effective and minimally invasive management of complex pancreaticobiliary disorders.

Predicting Acute Pancreatitis Severity: Comparison of Prognostic Scores

Background

Acute pancreatitis has a broad clinical spectrum, from mild illness to multiple organ failure and death. Prognostic scores have been developed or adapted to predict disease severity. This study aimed to compare the prognostic scores according to sensitivity and specificity, receiver operating characteristic curves and area under the curve. Statistical correlation with disease severity, length of hospital stay, mortality and complication rates.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of the clinical data of patients admitted to an Internal Medicine ward with the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis over a ten year period. Evaluation of prognostic scores: Ranson, Glasgow-Imrie, Balthazar, APACHE II (admission and at 48 hours) and C-reactive protein (48 hours), was carried out as well as statistical analysis using Microsoft Excel 2007® and SPSS 16®. The confidence interval used was 95%.

Results

Data from 193 clinical files was collected. However, 67 were excluded due to lack of information. According to the Atlanta criteria, 90 cases were deemed as mild and 36 severe. The mortality rate was 6% and the local complication rate was 9.3%. Ranson, Glasgow and APACHE II scores had significant correlation with mortality. Apart from C-reactive protein levels at 48 hours, all scores had significant correlation with disease severity. The scores with best area under the curve correlation were APACHE II (48 hours): 0.892, Ranson: 0.879, and APACHE II (admission): 0.861.

Conclusions

The most accurate prognostic scores in this study were APACHE II (48 hours) and Ranson. APACHE II at admission was a good indicator, impaired only by high false positive ratio.