Recurrent cholangitis by biliary stasis due to non-obstructive afferent loop syndrome after pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy: report of a case

Successful treatment of postoperative nonobstructive recurrent cholangitis by tract conversion surgery after total pancreatectomy: a case report

BACKGROUND

Postoperative cholangitis is a complication of biliary reconstruction during hepatobiliary pancreatic surgery. Most cases are associated with anastomotic stenosis, but there are also cases of cholangitis without stenosis, and treatment can be difficult, especially in patients with recurrent symptoms. In this report, we describe a case of repeated nonobstructive cholangitis in a patient after total pancreatectomy, in which a good outcome was obtained after performing tract conversion surgery.

CASE PRESENTATION

The patient was a 75-year-old man. He underwent total pancreatectomy for stage IIA cancer of the pancreatic body, hepaticojejunostomy via the posterior colonic route, gastrojejunostomy and Braun anastomosis via the anterior colonic route using the Billroth II method. The patient had a good postoperative course and was receiving adjuvant chemotherapy on an outpatient basis, but he developed his first episode of cholangitis 4 months after surgery. Although conservative treatment with antimicrobial agents was successful, the patient continued to have recurrent biliary cholangitis and was repeatedly admitted and discharged from the hospital. Since stenosis at the anastomosis was suspected, endoscopic observation of the anastomosis was performed using small bowel endoscopy for close examination, but no apparent stenosis was observed. Small bowel imaging indicated a possible influx of contrast medium into the bile duct, and reflux due to food residue was suspected as the cause of cholangitis. Since conservative treatment alone did not suppress the flare-up of symptoms, the decision was made to perform tract conversion surgery for curative purposes. The afferent loop was cut midstream, and jejunojejunostomy was performed downstream. The postoperative course was good, and the patient was discharged on the 10th day after surgery. He is currently an outpatient and has been free of cholangitis symptoms for 4 years without cancer recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the diagnosis of nonobstructive retrograde cholangitis can be difficult, surgical treatment should be considered in patients with recurrent symptoms and refractory treatment.

IS THE ANATOMICAL SEQUENCE OF GASTRIC AND BILIARY ANASTOMOSIS IN THE PANCREATODUODENECTOMY RECONSTRUCTION THE CAUSE OF AN INCREASE IN THE INCIDENCE OF CHOLANGITIS? A TECHNICAL VARIANT PRESENTATION AND INITIAL RESULTS

Several methods have been proposed for the reconstruction of digestive transit after pancreatoduodenectomy. Biliary anastomosis positioned before gastric anastomosis helps reduce postoperative reflux and cholangitis.

Various types of reconstruction after pancreaticoduodenectomy for the patients who underwent all types of gastrectomy: a single-enter experience

Purpose

The incidence of patients requiring pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) following any type of gastrectomy is increasing as the population of elderly patients is increasing, especially in endemic areas of gastric cancer such as Korea. All types of gastrectomy can be categorized as subtotal gastrectomy with Billroth I (BI), Billroth II (BII), and total gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y anastomosis. In this paper, we reviewed our experiences of PD for patients who previously underwent gastrectomy.

Methods

We reviewed the medical records of the patients who underwent PD following any type of gastrectomy among 505 consecutive patients who underwent PD in a single institution between 2011 and 2020 retrospectively.

Results

There were 13 patients who had undergone gastrectomy including 7 patients of BI, 1 patient of BII, and 5 patients of total gastrectomy. For all 7 patients of BI, the reconstruction was not different from conventional PD. For the 1 patient of BII, previous gastrojejunal anastomosis was preserved and reconstruction was performed in Roux-en-Y method. For the 5 patients with total gastrectomy, 2 different types of reconstruction were performed. In one patient, we removed the remaining jejunum with the specimen, and reconstruction was performed. For the other 4 patients, the remaining jejunum, distal to the Treitz ligament, was preserved and was utilized for anastomosis. Surgeries for all patients were uneventful.

Conclusion

PD following any type of gastrectomy can be safe. Especially, if the length of remained jejunum is long enough, its utilization for the reconstruction can be an appropriate option.

Recurrent pyogenic liver abscess after pancreatoduodenectomy caused by common hepatic artery injury: A case report

BACKGROUND

Pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) has been increasingly performed as a safe treatment option for periampullary malignant and benign disorders. However, the operation may result in significant postoperative complications. Here, we present a case that recurrent pyogenic liver abscess after PD is caused by common hepatic artery injury in atypical celiac axis anatomy.

CASE SUMMARY

A 56-year-old man with a 1-d history of fever and shivering was diagnosed with hepatic abscess. One year and five months ago, he underwent PD at a local hospital to treat chronic pancreatitis. After the operation, the patient had recurrent intrahepatic abscesses for 4 times, and the symptoms were relieved after percutaneous transhepatic cholangial drainage combining with anti-inflammatory therapy in the local hospital. Further examination showed that the recurrent liver abscess after PD was caused by common hepatic artery injury due to abnormal abdominal vascular anatomy. The patient underwent percutaneous drainage but continued to have recurrent episodes. His condition was eventually cured by right hepatectomy. In this case, preoperative examination of the patient’s anatomical variations with computed tomography would have played a pivotal role in avoiding arterial injuries.

CONCLUSION

A careful computed tomography analysis should be considered mandatory not only to define the operability (with radical intent) of PD candidates but also to identify atypical arterial patterns and plan the optimal surgical strategy.

Randomized Trial of Pylorus-Preserving vs. Pylorus-Resecting Pancreatoduodenectomy: Long-Term Morbidity and Quality of Life

BACKGROUND

The randomized controlled PROPP trial (DKRS00004191) showed that pylorus-resecting pancreatoduodenectomy (PR) is not superior to the pylorus-preserving procedure (PP) in terms of perioperative outcome, specifically in reduction of delayed gastric emptying. Non-superiority of PR was also confirmed in a recent meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. However, long-term data on morbidity and quality of life after PP compared to PR are sparse. The aim of this study was to investigate long-term outcomes of patients included in the PROPP trial.

METHODS

Between February 2013 and June 2016, a total of 188 patients underwent PD and were intraoperatively randomized to either preservation or resection of the pylorus (95 vs. 93 patients). For long-term follow-up, morbidity and quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30/PAN26) were monitored until January 1, 2018. Statistical analysis was performed on an intention-to-treat basis.

RESULTS

The mean duration of follow-up was 34.3 (± 11.3) months. Sixty-three of the 188 patients had died (PP n = 33, PR n = 30), 29 patients were lost to follow-up (PP n = 17, PR n = 12), and the remaining 96 patients were included in long-term follow-up (PP n = 45, PR n = 51). There was no difference between PP and PR patients regarding endocrine and exocrine pancreatic function, receipt of adjuvant/palliative chemotherapy, cancer recurrence, and other relevant characteristics. Late cholangitis occurred significantly more often in patients following pylorus resection (P = 0.042). Reoperations, readmissions to hospital, and quality of life scores except pain were comparable between the two study groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Similar to short-term results, long-term follow-up showed no significant differences between pylorus resection compared to pylorus preservation.

Management of afferent loop syndrome after Roux-en-Y subtotal gastrectomy and choledocolithiasis with recurrent cholangitis

Afferent loop syndrome is a rare complication after gastrectomy with Billroth II or Roux-en-Y reconstruction, caused by an obstruction in the proximal loop. The biliary stasis and bacterial overgrowth secondary to this obstruction can lead to repeated episodes of acute cholangitis. We present the case of a male patient who had previously undergone gastrectomy with Roux-en-Y reconstruction and later experienced multiple episodes of acute cholangitis secondary to choledocolithiasis. He underwent an open exploration of the bile ducts with choledocolitotomy, but the events of cholangitis persisted. Further investigation permitted to identify a dilation of the biliary loop of the Roux-en-Y anastomosis, suggesting enterobiliary reflux as the cause of recurrent acute cholangitis. Therefore, a bowel enterectomy and new jejunojejunostomy were undertaken, and normal biliary flow was re-established. The surgical treatment is mandatory in benign causes, leading to the resolution of the obstruction and subsequent normalisation of bile flow.

Ruptured Pyogenic Liver Abscess with Pneumoperitoneum 19 Years After Pancreatoduodenectomy

BACKGROUND Rupture of a pyogenic liver abscess is rare but serious complication. In patients after pancreatoduodenectomy, there are some conditions causing the development of liver abscesses (e.g., chronic reflux-cholangitis, efferent jejunal loop stasis, stenosis of the biliary anastomosis, and pancreatogenic diabetes). However, the number of published cases of liver abscess after pancreatoduodenectomy is small. CASE REPORT A 42-year-old male was admitted with severe abdominal pain, fever, and jaundice. Nineteen years previously, he had undergone pancreatoduodenectomy and cholecystectomy for chronic pancreatitis with obstructive jaundice. Two years later, diabetes mellitus was diagnosed, with subsequent insulin treatment. At admission, symptoms of peritonitis were present. Plain abdominal radiography showed free gas under the right hemidiaphragm and heterogeneous liver shade with small gas-fluid levels. The rupture of a liver abscess was suspected. Laparotomy with adhesiolysis, debridement of the liver abscess cavity, and abdominal drainage were performed. The postoperative period was complicated by sepsis, right lower lobe pneumonia, and two-sided pleural effusions, on the background of insulin-dependent diabetes and malnutrition. The patient was discharged on the 40th day and the subdiaphragmatic drains were removed on the 114th day. Sixteen months after surgery, the patient's condition was satisfactory. Magnetic resonance imaging and echography showed the absence of biliary hypertension. The liver tissue had healed completely. CONCLUSIONS A unique case of ruptured liver abscess after pancreatoduodenectomy is presented. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first published case with such a long time interval (19 years) between pancreatoduodenectomy and the formation of a pyogenic liver abscess.

Afferent Loop Syndrome Due to Volvulus of the Afferent Limb

A 78-year-old woman with a history of stage IIB gastric adenocarcinoma with previous Billroth II subtotal gastrectomy was admitted with pancreatitis, with subsequent development of fevers and acute jaundice. Transabdominal ultrasound demonstrated bile duct obstruction. An endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography was attempted, but the lumen of the afferent limb appeared distorted without an obstructing lesion. A computed tomography scan demonstrated volvulus of the afferent limb near the gastrojejunal anastomosis, with afferent limb dilation and significant biliary dilation.