Extrahepatic biliary obstruction caused by metastatic breast carcinoma

Radiological assessment of secondary biliary tree lesions: an update

Objective

To conduct a systematic literature review of imaging techniques and findings in patients with peribiliary liver metastasis.

Methods

Several electronic datasets were searched from January 1990 to June 2017 to identify studies assessing the use of different imaging techniques for the detection and staging of peribiliary metastases.

Results

The search identified 44 studies, of which six met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is the technique of choice in the preoperative setting and during the follow-up of patients with liver tumors. However, the diagnostic performance of MDCT for the assessment of biliary tree neoplasms was low compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ultrasound (US), without and with contrast enhancement (CEUS), is commonly employed as a first-line tool for evaluating focal liver lesions; however, the sensitivity and specificity of US and CEUS for both the detection and characterization are related to operator expertise and patient suitability. MRI has thus become the gold standard technique because of its ability to provide morphologic and functional data. MRI showed the best diagnostic performance for the detection of peribiliary metastases.

Conclusions

MRI should be considered the gold standard technique for the radiological assessment of secondary biliary tree lesions.

Rare common bile duct metastasis of breast cancer: A case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the most common tumor in women, and about one-third of cases develop metastatic disease. However, metastatic breast cancer rarely invades the common bile duct (CBD) directly without involving the liver, and involvement of the gastrointestinal tract is rare. Cases of such metastases pose a particular diagnostic challenge.

CASE SUMMARY

A 55-year-old female presented to the Department of Gastroenterology with complaint of a 2 mo history of right upper abdominal pain accompanied by pain in the right back, aggravated after eating greasy diet. The patient had received a diagnosis of breast cancer 3 years prior. Physical examination showed obvious superficial protuberant erythema on the left neck and chest skin, with slight tenderness and burning sensation. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancre-atography showed an obstruction at the end of the CBD. Histopathology of the CBD and symptomatic skin biopsies showed positivity for cytokeratin 7 and trans-acting T-cell-specific transcription factor breast cancer biomarkers. A cancer embolus was also found in the skin vasculature. Accordingly, the diagnosis of breast cancer metastases to the skin and biliary ducts was made. A plastic biliary sent was placed, which relieved the right upper abdominal pain and protected against unnecessary hepatectomy surgery.

CONCLUSION

Although rare, biliary metastasis should be considered in patients with bile duct stenosis and a history of breast cancer.

Pancreatic Mass of Unusual Etiology: Case Report of Metastatic Disease after a Prolonged Lag Phase

Although not a typical site, the pancreas does occasionally harbor metastatic disease. Management of these metastases differs from the management of conventional primary cancers. Our case is one of an 85-year-old female presenting with obstructive jaundice and whose workup revealed a pancreatic mass. Her past medical history included a mastectomy 14 years previous for invasive lobular carcinoma. She underwent celiotomy, and an intraoperative diagnosis of metastatic lobular carcinoma of the breast was made based on frozen section. Due to pulmonary metastasis and vascular infiltration, which precluded pancreatoduodenectomy, the patient underwent palliative bypass and fared well postoperatively. With more aggressive management of primary breast cancers in the past decade, isolated metastatic disease is of increasing concern and raises questions about surgical strategies to be implemented with these patients. For instance, should palliative treatment be considered or should a radical intention to cure procedure be performed despite the metastatic disease? Factors favoring radical procedures include prolonged lag phase between the primary and the recurrence; presence of well-differentiated tumors; and isolated metastatic disease. Primary lung and renal cancers metastasize more frequently than breast cancers do to the pancreas. Hence, existing literature has not clearly defined indications for radical treatment of metastatic breast cancers to the pancreas. Based on experiences with metastatic renal and lung cancers, one can reasonably infer that radical procedures performed on selected cases could possibly achieve a cure or prolonged disease-free survival. The key factor in determining whether the patient undergoes palliative versus radical treatment is a slow growth pattern of the tumor, characterized by a prolonged lag phase between the primary and the metastatic disease.

Duodenal Obstruction from Isolated Breast Cancer Metastasis a Case Report

Metastatic involvement of the upper gastrointestinal tract from breast cancer has been reported in autopsy series as occurring in more than 15% of patients, usually associated with extensive systemic spread; clinical manifestations from such metastases have been described in less than 1% of cases. Lobular infiltrating carcinoma seems to have a different metastatic pattern than the ductal type, with an apparent predilection for the gastrointestinal tract. Metastatic presentation as an isolated intestinal obstruction without other signs of metastatic spread is extremely rare. We present a case of isolated duodenal metastasis from breast cancer, associated with intestinal obstruction, as the first sign of metastatic spread.

Uncommon neoplasms of the biliary tract: radiological findings

OBJECTIVE

To report our cancer centre experience in the biliary tumours incidence other than cholangiocellular-carcinoma, emphasizing the radiological features.

METHODS

197 patients with biliary disease undergoing Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI were reviewed. Four radiologists evaluated retrospectively size, structure, anatomical site and signal intensity of lesions on MRI. Enhancement-pattern during the arterial-, portal- and late-phase on ultrasound, CT and MR study was assessed as well as the enhancement pattern during the hepatobiliary-phase on MRI.

RESULTS

23 patients were selected. The lesion was intraductal in 5 cases, periductal in 14 and intrahepatic in 4. 16 lesions were solid, 5 uniloculated cystic and 2 complex cystic. In five patients the lesion was simple cyst, with a signal intensity in T₁ weighted (T1W) and T₂ weighted (T2W) similar to the gallbladder. In two patients with complex cystic lesion, the solid component was heterogeneously hypointense in T₁ W, hyperintense in T₂ W with a restricted diffusion. The solid component showed heterogeneous contrast-enhancement on CT, MR and ultrasound. The tumour was intrahepatic in two patients, with signal hypointense in T₁ W and hyperintense in T₂ W. Diffusion was restricted. The lesions showed heterogeneous contrast-enhancement. The periductal lesions were hypointense in T₁ W, hyperintense in T₂ W with restricted diffusion. The lesion showed progressive contrast-enhancement. Peribiliary melanoma was hyperintense in T₁ W, hyperintense in T₂ W with restricted diffusion and progressively contrast-enhanced.

CONCLUSION

Biliary tumours can have a wide spectrum of radiologic appearances and consequently represent a diagnostic challenge for the radiologist. Advances in knowledge: MRI is the technique of choice in diagnosing biliary tumours, including rare (non-CCC) tumours.

Diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance, computed tomography and contrast enhanced ultrasound in radiological multimodality assessment of peribiliary liver metastases

PURPOSE

We compared diagnostic performance of Magnetic Resonance (MR), Computed Tomography (CT) and Ultrasound (US) with (CEUS) and without contrast medium to identify peribiliary metastasis.

METHODS

We identified 35 subjects with histological proven peribiliary metastases who underwent CEUS, CT and MR study. Four radiologists evaluated the presence of peribiliary lesions, using a 4-point confidence scale. Echogenicity, density and T1-Weigthed (T1-W), T2-W and Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) signal intensity as well as the enhancement pattern during contrast studies on CEUS, CT and MR so as hepatobiliary-phase on MRI was assessed.

RESULTS

All lesions were detected by MR. CT detected 8 lesions, while US/CEUS detected one lesion. According to the site of the lesion, respect to the bile duct and hepatic parenchyma: 19 (54.3%) were periductal, 15 (42.8%) were intra-periductal and 1 (2.8%) was periductal-intrahepatic. According to the confidence scale MRI had the best diagnostic performance to assess the lesion. CT obtained lower diagnostic performance. There was no significant difference in MR signal intensity and contrast enhancement among all metastases (p>0.05). There was no significant difference in CT density and contrast enhancement among all metastases (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

MRI is the method of choice for biliary tract tumors but it does not allow a correct differential diagnosis among different histological types of metastasis. The presence of biliary tree dilatation without hepatic lesions on CT and US/CEUS study may be an indirect sign of peribiliary metastases and for this reason the patient should be evaluated by MRI.

Peribiliary liver metastases MR findings

We described magnetic resonance (MR) features of peribiliary metastasis and of periductal infiltrative cholangiocarcinoma. We assessed 35 patients, with peribiliary lesions, using MR 4-point confidence scale. T1-weighted (T1-W), T2-weighted (T2-W) and diffusion-weighted images (DWI) signal intensity, enhancement pattern during arterial, portal, equilibrium and hepatobiliary phase were assessed. We identified 24 patients with periductal-infiltrating cholangiocellular carcinoma. The lesions in 34 patients appeared as a single tissue, while in a single patient, the lesions appeared as multiple individual lesions. According to the confidence scale, the median value was 4 for T2-W, 4 for DWI, 3.6 for T1-W in phase, 3.6 for T1-W out phase, 3 for MRI arterial phase, 3.2 for MRI portal phase, 3.2 for MRI equilibrium phase and 3.6 for MRI hepatobiliary phase. According to Bismuth classification, all lesions were type IV. In total, 19 (54.3%) lesions were periductal, 15 (42.9%) lesions were intraperiductal, and 1 (2.8%) lesion was periductal intrahepatic. All lesions showed hypointense signal in T1-W and in ADC maps and hyperintense signal in T2-W and DWI. All lesions showed a progressive contrast enhancement. There was no significant difference in signal intensity and contrast enhancement among all metastases and among all metastases with respect to CCCs, for all imaging acquisitions (p value >0.05). MRI is the method of choice for biliary tract tumors thanks to the possibility to obtain morphological and functional evaluations. T2-W and DW sequences have highest diagnostic performance. MRI does not allow a correct differential diagnosis among different histological types of metastasis and between metastases and CCC.

Metastatic mucinous adenocarcinoma of the distal common bile duct, from transverse colon cancer presenting as obstructive jaundice

The patient was a 70-year-old male whose chief complaints were obstructive jaundice and weight loss. Abdominal imaging studies showed a 2.5 cm sized mass at the distal common bile duct, which was suggestive of bile duct cancer. Eccentric enhancing wall thickening in the transverse colon was also shown, suggesting concomitant colon cancer. A colonoscopy revealed a lumen-encircling ulcerofungating mass in the transverse colon, that was pathologically proven to be adenocarcinoma. The bile duct pathology was also adenocarcinoma. Pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy and extended right hemicolectomy were performed under the diagnosis of double primary cancers. Postoperative histopathologic examination revealed moderately differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma of transverse colon cancer, and mucinous adenocarcinoma of the distal common bile duct. Immunohistochemical staining studies showed that the bile duct cancer had metastasized from the colon cancer. The patient recovered uneventfully from surgery and will be undergoing chemotherapy for three months.

Metastatic Breast Cancer to the Common Bile Duct Presenting as Obstructive Jaundice

Metastatic breast cancer is typically identified in the bones, lymph nodes, lungs and liver. Rarely does metastatic breast cancer involve the common bile duct (CBD) without direct extension from liver metastasis into the CBD. We present a woman diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in the CBD after presenting with obstructive jaundice. Patients with a history of primary breast cancer who present with obstructive jaundice secondary to CBD mass need identification of the mass in order to provide appropriate treatment.

Metastatic breast cancer mimicking a hilar cholangiocarcinoma: case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Breast cancer is the most common tumor in women and the first cause of death for malignancy in the female population. Bile ducts are not among the common sites of metastasis from breast cancer; few cases of obstructive jaundice due to metastatic breast cancer have been described in the literature and they mostly resulted from widespread liver metastases that eventually involved the bile ducts. We report an exceptional case of metastatic infiltration of the extrahepatic bile ducts in absence of liver metastases.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 56-year-old woman who had undergone a right mastectomy 13 years earlier due to infiltrating ductal breast cancer and had remained tumor free, presented at a follow-up examination with obstructive jaundice.Imaging (computed tomography, magnetic resonance and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) scans showed features that were suggestive of a primary tumor of the extrahepatic bile duct. At surgery, the intraoperative findings were also those of a tumor of the bile duct, however, an histological examination showed no evidence of malignancy in the mucosa, but did shown an infiltration of the external wall from adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry analysis demonstrated that the tumor was metastatic breast cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Indeterminate stenosis of the extrahepatic bile ducts should be examined with suspicion in women with a history of breast cancer, and bile duct metastases are to be considered among the possible diagnoses. A differential diagnosis from cholangiocarcinoma is of paramount importance and mainly relies on pathology.

Metastatic disease to the pancreas and spleen

Isolated metastases to the pancreas and spleen are a rare occurrence. When they are diagnosed, pancreatic metastases are most often from renal cell carcinoma, lung cancer, and breast cancer. The most common source of splenic metastases is gynecological in origin; the overwhelming majority is ovarian. If extensive staging studies reveal these metastases to be isolated, then curative resection may be warranted. This review will demonstrate that long-term survival may be achieved in patients with isolated metastases and a prolonged disease-free interval.

Radical pancreatoduodenectomy for misdiagnosed pancreatic mass

Occasionally pancreatoduodenectomy is performed for clinically suspected pancreatic malignancy only for the surgeon to find that a benign aetiology accounts for the pancreatic mass. The aim of this study was twofold: to determine the incidence of pancreatoduodenectomy performed for a misdiagnosis of pancreatoduodenal malignancy and to identify potentially avoidable errors in preoperative and intraoperative judgement. Between 1956 and 1990, radical pancreatoduodenectomy was performed in 603 patients at the Mayo Clinic; 29 (5 per cent) underwent pancreatoduodenectomy for a diagnosis made before and during surgery of primary pancreatic or periampullary malignancy that was later proven histopathologically to be either unsuspected subacute or chronic pancreatitis (22 patients), benign fibrous common bile duct stricture (two), and penetrating duodenal ulcer, metastatic melanoma, ampullary adenoma, intrahepatic drug-induced cholestasis and pseudocyst (one each). No patient had a preoperative diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis. Weight loss, pain and/or jaundice were present in 27 of the 29 patients. Objective imaging tests, such as computed tomography, ultrasonography and/or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, were performed in 25 patients. Potential errors in judgement may be avoided by a more aggressive attempt at biopsy in selected patients; in others, resection for presumed malignancy may be unavoidable.

The role of radiation treatment in management of extrahepatic biliary tract metastasis from gastric carcinoma

PURPOSE

To determine the proper role of radiation treatment in the management of patients with extrahepatic biliary tract metastasis due to recurrent gastric cancer.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Twenty patients with malignant biliary obstruction due to recurrent gastric carcinoma after gastrectomy were treated with palliative intent at the Yonsei University College of Medicine from 1986 to 1990. Treatment consisted of external drainage alone in 11 patients (Group I) and external drainage followed by radiation treatment in nine patients (Group II). Five of nine patients in Group II underwent external irradiation in combination with intraluminal brachytherapy using high dose rate Iridium-192 (Ir-192) sources within the expandable intrabiliary prosthesis, a Gianturco stent, inserted transhepatically at the site of obstruction.

RESULTS

An excellent local response was observed in five of nine patients in Group II, in whom biliary patency was restored following treatment so that the external drainage catheter could be removed. Prolongation of median survival was observed in Group II (9 months) as compared to Group I (2 months). There were no serious treatment-related complications with this approach.

CONCLUSION

This treatment approach with external radiotherapy +/- intraluminal brachytherapy could achieve effective palliation and improve the quality of life in selected patients with extrahepatic biliary metastasis from gastric carcinoma.

Palliation of biliary obstruction in patients with advanced breast cancer using endoscopic stents

Endoscopic insertion of a biliary endoprosthesis was successful in eight patients with extrahepatic biliary obstruction caused by breast cancer metastases. The serum bilirubin level was significantly reduced in seven patients and in four this was accompanied by marked symptomatic improvement. Endoprostheses required replacement after a median of 8 (range 3-127) weeks. Two patients responding to systemic anticancer therapy survived 27 and 43 months. Endoscopically placed stents offer effective palliation of extrahepatic biliary obstruction caused by metastatic breast cancer and long-term survival may be possible.

Biliary and pancreatic metastases of breast carcinoma: is surgical palliation indicated?

Obstructive jaundice developed in a patient concomitantly with the diagnosis of breast carcinoma. Abdominal exploration disclosed a metastatic tumor in the head of the pancreas, the distal bile duct, and the gallbladder. A cholecystectomy and choledochojejunostomy were performed and later, because of intestinal obstruction, the patient underwent gastrojejunostomy. Pathological examination demonstrated metastatic lobular carcinoma of breast with strongly positive staining for estradiol. Additional hormonal therapy has been given to the patient since the operation. The patient is alive 16 months after the diagnosis of her disease. This case suggests that a vigorous diagnostic approach should be adopted in every jaundiced patient with metastatic breast cancer in order to exclude causes of jaundice other than diffuse metastatic involvement of the liver. Patients with extrahepatic biliary metastasis should be treated by aggressive surgical treatment, combined with systemic therapy which can offer them significant palliation and better survival.

Treatment of biliary obstruction caused by metastatic cancer

Over an 8-year period, among 41 patients with obstructive jaundice caused by metastases to the liver or lymph nodes adjacent to the porta hepatis, palliative biliary decompression was established surgically in 11, by percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) in 25, and by both methods in 2. Three patients had no drainage procedure performed. Early mortality after drainage occurred in 6 of 38 patients, and the median survivals (actuarial) for the remaining 32 patients were 4.5 months for the surgical group (range 2 to 21 months) and 4 months for the PTBD group (range 2 to 14 months). Although there were trends toward more frequent hospital readmissions and episodes of cholangitis in the PTBD group, the only statistically significant difference was in the number of catheter manipulations required. We concluded that when patients develop obstructive jaundice as a manifestation of metastatic cancer, useful palliation can be achieved by either surgical or percutaneous decompression.

Biliary metastases of breast carcinoma. The case for resection

Obstructive jaundice developed in two patients 6 and 8 years after surgery for breast carcinoma. In both patients exploration disclosed a tumor of the hilus which was a biliary metastasis of breast cancer. Surgical resection was performed. Examination of the resected specimen showed infiltration of the duct walls by sheets of metastatic carcinomatous cells from the previous breast cancer. The postoperative course was uneventful in both patients with disappearance of all symptoms due to the biliary obstruction. The first patient died 4 years later from peritoneal deposits and the second was alive at 30 months with a metastasis to the hip. These observations differ from most of those previously reported, by the localization of the tumor at the hilus and the direct infiltration of the duct walls by the tumor. The results of this study suggest that aggressive surgical treatment may be the treatment of choice in patients with extrahepatic biliary metastases of breast carcinoma.

The clinical features and natural history of malignant liver tumours

As a broad generalization, there appears to be little intrinsic difference in the biological behaviour of the common malignant liver tumours in respect of presentation, clinical course, clinical features and prognosis. Whatever the tumour's origin, patients present with some combination of abdominal pain, hepatomegaly, weight-loss and general malaise and death occurs within 3 years of the onset of symptoms. It is the state of the non-tumorous liver (cirrhotic/non-cirrhotic) and the anatomical site of the tumour (as with hilar cholangiocarcinomas) that are responsible for any significant differences. Metastatic carcinoid tumours, epithelioid haemangioendotheliomas, stage IV-S neuroblastomas and the fibrolamellar variant of HCC are exceptions to this rule with a genuinely better prognosis.

Cholesonographic characteristics of cystic duct metastasis causing acute acalculous cholecystitis: case report

A variety of epithelial malignancies are capable of metastasizing to the bile ducts and gall bladder in a fashion distinct from concurrent spread to the liver. Ultrasonography has proved useful in evaluating obstructive jaundice in this setting and, in the case described, accurately diagnosed acute acalculous cholecystitis caused by a solitary metastasis from carcinoma of the breast to the cystic duct. Exploratory laparotomy confirmed the accuracy of this preoperative diagnosis.

Malignant melanoma presenting as a mass obstructing the common bile duct

Pathologic and computed tomographic correlation of an obstructing common bile duct mass, found to be malignant melanoma, is presented. No tumour was demonstrated elsewhere. Such a pattern of presentation has not previously been described in this condition. Malignant melanoma, even in the absence of disease elsewhere, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of such lesions seen on computed tomography.

Extrahepatic biliary obstruction and liver failure secondary to myeloma of the pancreas

An unusual case of multiple myeloma in an 88-year-old patient is described. Besides skeletal involvement, there was myeloma of the thoracic and abdominal lymph nodes and of the liver and pancreas. In the pancreas, the myeloma extensively involved the head and body, and on computerized tomography scan was suggestive of a pancreatic carcinoma. The myeloma caused extrinsic compression of the common bile duct, resulting in severe jaundice and hepatic and renal failure. To the author's knowledge this is the second such case of pancreatic myeloma causing extrahepatic biliary obstruction.

Pancreatic tumours in patients with previous malignancy

One hundred and ten patients were seen in the Department of Radiation Therapy at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital for pancreatic tumours between January 1975 and June 1980. Twelve patients had previously been treated for a non-pancreatic malignancy. Pancreatic biopsies were performed in nine patients and were interpreted as pancreatic carcinoma. When the previous pathological material was compared to the pancreatic biopsy, the diagnosis was changed in five of the 12 patients to recurrent non-pancreatic malignancy. We emphasise the importance of the distinction between primary pancreatic malignancy and metastatic disease in the pancreas.

Extrahepatic biliary obstruction secondary to metastatic cancer

Thirty patients with extrahepatic biliary obstruction secondary to metastatic cancer were reviewed to determine the sites of the primary tumor, diagnostic methods, therapy and success of palliation. Colon carcinoma was the most common primary tumor, and the common bile duct was most often obstructed. Both percutaneous transhepatic and surgical decompression of the biliary tract were employed. Twenty-seven (90 percent) of the patients obtained successful palliation. The length of survival averaged 270 +/- 49 days in patients treated surgically compared with 60 +/- 11 days in patients who underwent decompression by radiologic techniques. Mortality was not increased in patients undergoing operative biliary drainage. Surgical decompression may be the best method for managing patients with biliary obstruction secondary to metastatic cancer.

Signet ring carcinoma of the female breast: a clinicopathologic analysis of 24 cases

Signet ring carcinomas of the breast have been separated recently as an aggressive subtype of breast cancer, distinct from mucinous (colloid) carcinomas. Twenty-four cases of signet ring breast cancer (2% of total breast cancers at the authors' institution) were analyzed. The authors' study indicates that histogenetically such lesions are derived from lobular, not ductal, cells since mucin patterns and ultrastructural features are shared. In addition, in each of our 24 cases, infiltrating lobular carcinoma was identified; in 11 of these (46%) lobular carcinoma in-situ (LCIS) was also noted. Signet ring carcinomas show an unusual metastatic pattern with a propensity to involve serosal surfaces and mimicking gastrointestinal disease or retroperitoneal fibrosis. These tumors are associated with a poor prognosis, with 60% of our 24 patients dead of disease at 7 years. The distinctive clinical and pathologic features of signet ring carcinoma warrant separation of this group of tumors from other forms of breast cancer.