Diagnosis and treatment of pancreaticobiliary maljunction in children

A magnetic resonance image-based deep learning radiomics nomogram for hepatocyte cytokeratin 7 expression: application to predict cholestasis progression in children with pancreaticobiliary maljunction

BACKGROUND

Hepatocyte cytokeratin 7 (CK7) is a reliable marker for evaluating the severity of cholestasis in chronic cholestatic cholangiopathies. However, there is currently no noninvasive test available to assess the status of hepatocyte CK7 in pancreaticobiliary maljunction patients.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to develop a deep learning radiomics nomogram using magnetic resonance images (MRIs) to preoperatively identify the hepatocyte CK7 status and assess cholestasis progression in patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In total, 180 pancreaticobiliary maljunction patients were retrospectively enrolled and were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 144) and a validation cohort (n = 36). CK7 status was determined through immunohistochemical analysis. Pyradiomics and pretrained ResNet50 were used to extract radiomics and deep learning features, respectively. To construct the radiomics and deep learning signature, feature selection methods including the minimum redundancy-maximum relevance and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator were employed. The integrated deep learning radiomics nomogram model was constructed by combining the imaging signatures and valuable clinical feature.

RESULTS

The deep learning signature exhibited superior predictive performance compared with the radiomics signature, as evidenced by the higher area under the curve (AUC) values in validation cohort (0.92 vs. 0.81). Further, the deep learning radiomics nomogram, which incorporated the radiomics signature, deep learning signature, and Komi classification, demonstrated excellent predictive ability for CK7 expression, with AUC value of 0.95 in the validation cohort.

CONCLUSION

The proposed deep learning radiomics nomogram exhibits promising performance in accurately identifying hepatic CK7 expression, thus facilitating prediction of cholestasis progression and perhaps earlier initiation of treatment in pancreaticobiliary maljunction children.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Prevalence of Variants in the Pancreaticobiliary Duct Junction and Its Association with Cancer

Background/Objectives: The objective of this study was to describe the anatomical variants of the pancreaticobiliary junction and how its position or structural change could be associated with hepatic, duodenal, and pancreatic clinical complications. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science (WOS), Google Scholar, CINAHL, and EMBASE databases from their inception up to September 2024. Results: Two authors independently performed the search, study selection, data extraction, and assessed the methodological quality with an assurance tool for anatomical studies (AQUA). Finally, the pooled prevalence was estimated using a random effects model. A total of 59 studies with a total of 22,752 participants were included in this review. The overall prevalence of the anomalous pancreaticobiliary junction (APBJ) variant was 12% (95% CI = 6% to 18%). The prevalence of cancer associated with variants of APBJ was 29% (95% CI = 23% to 34%). Conclusions: In the present anatomical systematic review and meta-analysis, we found that a longer common channel correlated with a higher prevalence of bile duct or gallbladder malignancy, due to the backward flow of bile which occurs as a result of the position and distance of the bile ducts, as well as pancreatic failing. Hence, APBJs are of great interest for gastroduodenal surgeons.

Deep learning radiomics nomogram for preoperatively identifying moderate-to-severe chronic cholangitis in children with pancreaticobiliary maljunction: a multicenter study

BACKGROUND

Long-term severe cholangitis can lead to dense adhesions and increased fragility of the bile duct, complicating surgical procedures and elevating operative risk in children with pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM). Consequently, preoperative diagnosis of moderate-to-severe chronic cholangitis is essential for guiding treatment strategies and surgical planning. This study aimed to develop and validate a deep learning radiomics nomogram (DLRN) based on contrast-enhanced CT images and clinical characteristics to preoperatively identify moderate-to-severe chronic cholangitis in children with PBM.

METHODS

A total of 323 pediatric patients with PBM who underwent surgery were retrospectively enrolled from three centers, and divided into a training cohort (n = 153), an internal validation cohort (IVC, n = 67), and two external test cohorts (ETC1, n = 58; ETC2, n = 45). Chronic cholangitis severity was determined by postoperative pathology. Handcrafted radiomics features and deep learning (DL) radiomics features, extracted using transfer learning with the ResNet50 architecture, were obtained from portal venous-phase CT images. Multivariable logistic regression was used to establish the DLRN, integrating significant clinical factors with handcrafted and DL radiomics signatures. The diagnostic performances were evaluated in terms of discrimination, calibration, and clinical usefulness.

RESULTS

Biliary stones and peribiliary fluid collection were selected as important clinical factors. 5 handcrafted and 5 DL features were retained to build the two radiomics signatures, respectively. The integrated DLRN achieved satisfactory performance, achieving area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.913 (95% CI, 0.834-0.993), 0.916 (95% CI, 0.845-0.987), and 0.895 (95% CI, 0.801-0.989) in the IVC, and two ETCs, respectively. In comparison, the clinical model, handcrafted signature, and DL signature had AUC ranges of 0.654-0.705, 0.823-0.857, and 0.840-0.872 across the same cohorts. The DLRN outperformed single-modality clinical, handcrafted radiomics, and DL radiomics models, with all integrated discrimination improvement values > 0 and P < 0.05. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test and calibration curves showed good consistency of the DLRN (P > 0.05), and the decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve further confirmed its clinical utility.

CONCLUSIONS

The integrated DLRN can be a useful and non-invasive tool for preoperatively identifying moderate-to-severe chronic cholangitis in children with PBM, potentially enhancing clinical decision-making and personalized management strategies.

Complex pancreaticobiliary maljunction diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound: A case report

RATIONALE

This case report aims to enhance understanding of pancreatobiliary maljunction (PBM) and promote more proactive treatment.

PATIENT CONCERNS

The patient, a 24-year-old Chinese female, was admitted to the hospital on April 7, 2020, due to "recurrent abdominal pain for over 2 years, with a recent episode accompanied by nausea and vomiting for 1 day." She had a previous history of gallstones.

DIAGNOSES

The initial diagnosis upon admission was biliary acute pancreatitis. During the emergency endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedure, anatomical abnormalities were discovered. Intraoperative endoscopic ultrasonography led to a diagnosis of complex PBM (JSPBM, type D) + choledochal cyst (Todani, Ic) + incomplete pancreatic divisum + early chronic pancreatitis. These diagnoses were confirmed by postoperative magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography.

INTERVENTIONS

After multiple conservative treatments such as ERCP with accessory pancreatic duct stent placement, the patient underwent surgical treatment in April 2021, which included "laparoscopic left hemihepatectomy + choledochal cyst excision + cholecystectomy + hepatic portal cholangioplasty."

OUTCOMES

The patient has not experienced any abdominal pain since the surgery and is currently under regular follow-up.

LESSONS

Endoscopic ultrasound is effective for the diagnoses of complex PBM and incomplete pancreatic divisum. ERCP with pancreatic duct stent placement and surgical procedure is reliable for relieving the patient's symptoms.

Early and late outcomes of congenital biliary dilatation in pediatric patients

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to reveal the early and late postoperative complications and outcomes after surgery for congenital biliary dilatation (CBD) by reviewing cases over the past 40 years.

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 59 patients with CBD who underwent radical surgery for complications and outcomes, based on medical records. Early complications were defined as those requiring treatment within 5 years of the initial operation. Late complications were defined as those treated more than 5 years later.

RESULTS

The median age at the first surgery was 37 months. Regarding biliary reconstruction, 54 of the 59 patients (91.5%) underwent hepaticojejunostomy. Although three patients underwent cholecystoduodenostomy and one patient underwent hepaticoduodenostomy, all were converted to hepaticojejunostomy after a median of 12.5 years. One patient developed synchronous biliary carcinoma and underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy. Early complications occurred in seven patients with 10 events (surgical site infection, n = 3 bile leakage, n = 3; ileus, n = 3; bile duct obstruction, n = 1 and intussusception, n = 1). Late complications occurred in nine patients with 12 events (ileus, n = 3; anastomotic stricture, n = 3; hepatolithiasis, n = 3; asynchronous biliary carcinoma, n = 2; pancreatolithiasis, n = 1). Two of the three patients with hepatolithiasis underwent hepatectomy refractory to the endoscopic approach. Two patients developed asynchronous biliary carcinoma at 34 and 13 years after last operation; both ultimately died of the carcinoma. Only 35 patients (61.4%) underwent a follow-up examination. A total of 11 female patients (45.8%) eventually married, and all successfully gave birth.

CONCLUSION

Although the long-term prognosis is excellent with complete cyst excision and hepaticojejunostomy, we emphasize the importance of long-term follow-up.

Recurrent Acute Pancreatitis in the Setting of Abnormal Pancreaticobiliary Junction

Anomalous or abnormal pancreaticobiliary junction (APBJ) is an important structural cause of recurrent acute pancreatitis. Outside of the common causes of recurrent acute pancreatitis, such as alcohol, gallstones, or hypertriglyceridemia, this anatomical variant can often be overlooked and lead to delays in patient care and even mismanagement. It can be defined as the abnormal junction of the pancreatic duct and common bile duct that occurs outside the duodenal wall to form a long common channel (>8 mm). We describe a case of a 51-year-old female with multiple episodes of acute pancreatitis. Further investigation led to the diagnosis of an aberrant pancreatic duct anatomy with the common bile duct measuring around 20 mm. This report will include a discussion about the pancreaticobiliary junction, how it can be diagnosed, and what complications it can precipitate.

Robotic versus laparoscopic surgery for choledochal cyst in children with aberrant hepatic ducts: A retrospective study

BACKGROUND

The aim of this current study was to compare the safety and effectiveness between robotic and laparoscopic surgery in pediatric patients suffered from choledochal cysts associated with aberrant hepatic duct.

METHODS

Patients suffered from choledochal cysts associated with aberrant hepatic duct who were treated with laparoscopic or robotic procedures between January 2009 and June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into laparoscopic and robotic group according to different surgical methods. The data collected included the demographic information, imaging information, operative details and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

Twenty-two patients were included in the analysis consisting of 14 cases in laparoscopic group and 8 cases in robotic group. The male to female ratio was 1:6.33. The median age of the patients was 40.00 months with a mean weight of 16.99 kg. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics between the two groups. The operation and anesthesia time were significantly longer in the laparoscopic procedures group (238.14 ± 17.24 min, 265.93 ± 19.51 min, respectively) than robotic procedures group (208.00 ± 9.24 min, 230.13 ± 12.87 min, respectively) (p < 0.001). The time to take water and hospital stay were longer in laparoscopic group (3.33 ± 0.44 days, 8.92 ± 0.52 days, respectively) than robotic group (3.01 ± 0.22 days, 7.88 ± 1.13 days, respectively) (p < 0.05). There was no statistical difference in total complications between the two groups (p = 0.912).

CONCLUSIONS

Robotic surgery can achieve the same results as laparoscopic surgery in the management of patients suffered from choledochal cysts associated with aberrant hepatic duct, at the same time reducing the difficulty of operation and recovering faster.

Clinical presentations and outcomes of pancreaticobiliary maljunction in different pediatric age groups

BACKGROUND

Pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) is a congenital defect, with risk of developing various pancreaticobiliary and hepatic complications. The presentations of PBM in children and adults are believed to be different, but studies on PBM children of different age groups are limited. This study was to evaluate clinicopathologic characteristics and outcomes in PBM children of different ages.

METHODS

A total of 166 pediatric patients with PBM were reviewed retrospectively. Clinicopathological, imaging, laboratory, surgical, and follow-up data were collected and analyzed. The patients were divided into three age groups, namely, group A (< 1 year, n = 31), group B (1-3 years, n = 63), and group C (> 3 years, n = 72).

RESULTS

The major clinical manifestation was jaundice in group A and abdominal pain and vomiting in groups B and C. Acute pancreatitis was more often seen in group C than group A. The length of common channel was significantly longer in group C than group A, while the maximum diameter of common bile duct in group C was smaller than that in group A. Cholangitis and cholecystitis were more commonly performed in groups B and C, while hepatic fibrosis in group A. Whether preoperatively or postoperatively, group C was more likely to have elevated serum amylase, while groups A and B were more likely to present with abnormal liver function indicators, including the increase of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase.

CONCLUSION

Presentation of PBM varies among different pediatric age groups, thus suggesting that targeted management should be carried out according to these differences.

Development of an MRI-Based Radiomics-Clinical Model to Diagnose Liver Fibrosis Secondary to Pancreaticobiliary Maljunction in Children

BACKGROUND

Preoperative diagnosis of liver fibrosis in children with pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) is needed to guide clinical decision-making and improve patient prognosis.

PURPOSE

To develop and validate an MR-based radiomics-clinical nomogram for identifying liver fibrosis in children with PBM.

STUDY TYPE

Retrospective.

POPULATION

A total of 136 patients with PBM from two centers (center A: 111 patients; center B: 25 patients). Cases from center A were randomly divided into training (74 patients) and internal validation (37 patients) sets. Cases from center B were assigned to the external validation set. Liver fibrosis was determined by histopathological examination.

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE

A 3.0 T (two vendors)/T1-weighted imaging and T2-weighted imaging.

ASSESSMENT

Clinical factors associated with liver fibrosis were evaluated. A total of 3562 radiomics features were extracted from segmented liver parenchyma. Maximum relevance minimum redundancy and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator were recruited to screen radiomics features. Based on the selected variables, multivariate logistic regression was used to construct the clinical model, radiomics model, and combined model. The combined model was visualized as a nomogram to show the impact of the radiomics signature and key clinical factors on the individual risk of developing liver fibrosis.

STATISTICAL TESTS

Mann-Whitney U and chi-squared tests were used to compare clinical factors. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant in the final models.

RESULTS

Two clinical factors and four radiomics features were selected as they were associated with liver fibrosis in the training (AUC, 0.723, 0.927), internal validation (AUC, 0.718, 0.885), and external validation (AUC, 0.737, 0.865) sets. The radiomics-clinical nomogram yielded the best performance in the training (AUC, 0.977), internal validation (AUC, 0.921), and external validation (AUC, 0.878) sets, with good calibration (P > 0.05).

DATA CONCLUSION

Our radiomic-based nomogram is a noninvasive, accurate, and preoperative diagnostic tool that is able to detect liver fibrosis in PBM children.

EVIDENCE LEVEL

3.

TECHNICAL EFFICACY

Stage 2.

Retrospective Analysis of the Accuracy of High-Frequency Ultrasound for Pancreaticobiliary Maljunction in Pediatrics at a Single Center

OBJECTIVE

To determine the clinical value of high-frequency ultrasonography (US) in the evaluation and diagnosis of pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) among children.

METHODS

The clinical subjects consisted of 31 pediatric patients who were diagnosed with PBM from January 2015 to May 2021 in Fujian Provincial Maternity and Children's Hospital. The primary outcomes included diagnosis accuracy, imaging characteristics of each type of PBM based on JSPBM, time length of operation, and cost of service. Secondary outcomes were the serum amylase and bilirubin levels.

RESULTS

The diagnostic accuracy of US was 90.3% and comparable to the other imaging methods-MRCP (82.6%), IOC (79.2%), and ERCP (100%), respectively. The time length of operation and direct cost were significantly lower than other imaging pathways. Stenotic type (A) is associated with a high internal diameter of CBD, and dilated channel type (C) presents increased internal diameter and length of CC as well as internal diameter of PD. There were higher levels of the serum bilirubin seen in type A and of serum amylase in type C compared with others.

CONCLUSION

High-frequency US is a safe, cost-effective, and non-invasive imaging tool for the diagnosis and evaluation of PBM in pediatrics.

Clinical Characteristics of Paediatric Pancreatitis Caused by Pancreaticobiliary Malformation: A Single-Centre Retrospective Analysis

Background/Aims: To investigate the clinical profiles of children with pancreatitis caused by pancreaticobiliary malformation. Methods: We retrospectively analysed the clinical data of children diagnosed with pancreatitis at our institute from June 2017 to January 2021. Results: A total of 195 patients and 169 control subjects were included in this study. Twenty-six (13.3%) patients had pancreaticobiliary malformation-related pancreatitis. The average age of onset in the pancreaticobiliary malformation pancreatitis (PMP) group was lower than that in the non-PMP group, and the difference was statistically significant. The number of patients in the PMP group that had jaundice was significantly higher than that of the non-PMP group (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that total bilirubin (TB) and γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) (odds ratio = 1.096, P < 0.01) were independent predictors of pancreaticobiliary malformation-related pancreatitis in children. The positive detection rate of pancreaticobiliary malformation was 68% for abdominal ultrasound, 38.4% for abdominal enhanced computed tomography, and 91.3% for magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). The recurrence rate (34.6%) in the PMP group was higher than that in the non-PMP group (15.4%, P < 0.05); surgical therapy had the lowest recurrence rate. Age at initial onset of pancreatitis was younger and the period to recurrence was shorter in the PMP group than in the non-PMP group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Pancreaticobiliary malformation is one of the major causes of paediatric pancreatitis. Elevated TB and GGT in patients with pancreatitis may be suggestive for underlying pancreaticobiliary malformation not solely to pancreatitis. MRCP should be used when pancreatitis due to pancreaticobiliary malformation is suspected. Surgery or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-guided intervention may be helpful but further study is needed.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in children with symptomatic pancreaticobiliary maljunction: A retrospective multicenter study

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has been widely used in pediatric patients with cholangiopancreatic diseases.

AIM

To evaluate the efficacy, safety, and long-term follow-up results of ERCP in symptomatic pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM).

METHODS

A multicenter, retrospective study was conducted on 75 pediatric patients who were diagnosed with PBM and underwent therapeutic ERCP at three endoscopy centers between January 2008 and March 2019. They were divided into four PBM groups based on the fluoroscopy in ERCP. Their clinical characteristics, specific ERCP procedures, adverse events, and long-term follow-up results were retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

Totally, 112 ERCPs were performed on the 75 children with symptomatic PBM. Clinical manifestations included abdominal pain (62/75, 82.7%), vomiting (35/75, 46.7%), acholic stool (4/75, 5.3%), fever (3/75, 4.0%), acute pancreatitis (47/75, 62.7%), hyperbilirubinemia (13/75, 17.3%), and elevated liver enzymes (22/75, 29.3%). ERCP interventions included endoscopic sphincterotomy, endoscopic retrograde biliary or pancreatic drainage, stone extraction, etc. Procedure-related complications were observed in 12 patients and included post-ERCP pancreatitis (9/75, 12.0%), gastrointestinal bleeding (1/75, 1.3%), and infection (2/75, 2.7%). During a mean follow-up period of 46 mo (range: 2 to 134 mo), ERCP therapy alleviated the biliary obstruction and reduced the incidence of pancreatitis. The overall effective rate of ERCP therapy was 82.4%; seven patients (9.3%) were lost to follow-up, eight (11.8%) re-experienced pancreatitis, and eleven (16.2%) underwent radical surgery, known as prophylactic excision of the extrahepatic bile duct and hepaticojejunostomy.

CONCLUSION

ERCP is a safe and effective treatment option to relieve biliary or pancreatic obstruction in symptomatic PBM, with the characteristics of minor trauma, fewer complications, and repeatability.

Pediatric choledochal cysts: diagnosis and current management

Choledochal cysts are rare congenital disorders first described by Vater and Ezler in 1723. Their exact etiology remains incompletely understood; however, an anomalous pancreaticobiliary union (APBDU) and subsequent reflux of biliary contents into the biliary tree are thought to play a role. Accordingly, APBDU-associated choledochal cyst patients are significantly more likely to have evidence of hepatitis, cholangitis or pancreatitis and pathologically confirmed inflammation. In 1977, Todani and colleagues modified the original Alonso-Lej classification to include five types of CC. Type I and IV are the most common and most likely to be associated with malignancy. The majority of choledochal cysts are diagnosed in childhood. Clinical presentation varies and most often consists of nonspecific abdominal pain. Diagnosis is typically accomplished using multimodality imaging techniques including computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound and MRCP. The use of diagnostic PTC and ERCP in CC has been largely replaced by MRCP. Appropriate management consists of prompt, complete cyst excision followed by restoration of biliary enteric continuity when necessary. Minimally invasive CC resection in the pediatric population has demonstrated acceptable outcomes. Prognosis is generally excellent; however, malignancy risk remains higher than the general population even after complete surgical excision.

Acute Pancreatitis in Pediatric Patients: Demographics, Etiology, and Diagnostic Imaging

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this article is to provide updates on acute pancreatitis in children regarding the imaging findings, causes, and complications based on a review of the current studies in the pediatrics literature. We discuss the epidemiology of acute pancreatitis, the role of imaging and imaging findings in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis, and the causes and complications of acute pancreatitis.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of acute pancreatitis is increasing in children. Imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis because imaging findings can be used to establish the cause of acute pancreatitis, evaluate for complications of acute pancreatitis, and possibly predict the course of the disease.

Cholangiographic characteristics of common bile duct dilatation in children

AIM: To investigate whether children with congenital common bile duct dilatation (CBDD) differ from children with obstructive CBDD in cholangiographic characteristics.

METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, the baseline data and the results of imaging analyses were reviewed among children who had endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) due to CBDD. ERCP was performed on all pediatric patients by experienced pediatric endoscopists. The maximal transverse diameter of the common bile duct (CBD) was measured on ERCP. To assess whether age-adjusted CBDD could be used for differential diagnosis, a CBDD severity index (SI) was calculated by dividing the measured CBD diameter by the age-corrected maximal diameter of a normal CBD.

RESULTS: A retrospective medical chart review revealed that 85 consecutive children under 16 years of age with hepatobiliary disease and CBDD were referred to Seoul Asan Medical Center. Fifty-five (64.7%) children had congenital CBDD and 30 (35.3%) had obstructive CBDD. The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of clinical characteristics except for sex. The congenital and obstructive CBDD groups did not differ significantly in terms of mean CBD diameter (19.3 ± 9.6 mm vs 12.2 ± 4.1 mm, P > 0.05). However, congenital CBDD cases had a significantly higher mean SI than obstructive CBDD cases (3.62 ± 1.64 vs 1.98 ± 0.71, P = 0.01). In multivariate analysis, an SI value ≥ 2.32 and comorbidity with anomalous union of pancreaticobiliary duct (APBDU) in ERCP independently predicted congenital CBDD.

CONCLUSION: Measuring the CBD may aid the differential diagnosis of both CBDD and APBDU in children.

Pancreaticobiliary maljuction combining with pancreas divisum: Report of four cases

Pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) is an unusual anomalous condition in which the pancreatic duct and bile duct merge outside the duodenal wall and form a long common channel. Pancreas divisum (PD) is a congenital anomaly in which the dorsal and ventral pancreatic ducts fail to fuse. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is the gold standard for diagnosing PD and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is the non-invasive choice. In this study, four cases of patients with unusual PBM in addition to PD are described. The patients presented with abdominal pain, which was caused by distal biliary stricture diagnosed by MRCP. The patients received ERCP and had a good prognosis.

Clinical analysis of liver fibrosis in choledochal cyst

PURPOSE

Although most patients with choledochal cyst (CC) have a favorable prognosis with prompt treatment, some of them are complicated with liver fibrosis, resulting in prolonged liver dysfunction even after definitive surgery. The aim of this study was to distinguish the high-risk group of liver fibrosis in patients with CC.

METHODS

Fifteen patients who underwent liver biopsy during surgery for CC from 1981 to 2012 were enrolled in this study. Liver histology with H&E staining was graded according to Ohkuma's classification, and the correlation with the clinical characteristics was retrospectively assessed.

RESULTS

Their median age at biopsy was 13.4 months (range 1-42 months), and there were 7 in Ia, 2 in Ic, and 6 in IVa of the Todani classification. There were no significant differences in serum liver function test among those cyst types. The histological grades of liver fibrosis were as follows: grade 0 (no fibrosis) in 7 patients, grade 1 (mild) in 2, grade 2 (moderate) in 3, grade 3 (severe) in 2, grade 4 (cirrhosis) in 1. All 3 patients with grade 3 and 4 had CC with IVa and were under 18-month old. A 3-month-old girl with cirrhosis presented with severe jaundice resulting in living-donor liver transplantation despite bile drainage. A 16-month-old girl with grade 3 suffered from prolonged liver dysfunction and intractable ascites after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

The progression of liver fibrosis is likely to be correlated with IVa, and the postoperative course might be unsatisfactory in advanced cases. The prompt surgical intervention is recommended especially for neonatal and infantile cases with type IVa cyst because irreversible liver cirrhosis could occur as early as in the infantile period.

Annular pancreas concurrent with pancreaticobiliary maljunction presented with symptoms until adult age: case report with comparative data on pediatric cases

Background

Annular pancreas (AP) concurrent with pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBMJ), an unusual coexisted congenital anomaly, often presented symptoms and subjected surgical treatment at the early age of life. We reported the first adult case of concurrent AP with PBMJ presented with symptoms until his twenties, and performed a literature review to analyze the clinicopathological features of such cases comparing with its pediatric counterpart.

Case presentation

The main clinical features of this case were abdominal pain and increased levels of plasma amylase as well as liver function test. A complete type of annular pancreas with duodenal stenosis was found, and dilated common bile duct with high confluence of pancreaticobiliary ducts was also observed. Meanwhile, extremely high levels of bile amylase were detected both in common bile duct and gallbladder. The patient received duodenojejunostomy (side-to-side anastomosis) as well as choledochojejunostomy (Roux-en-Y anastomosis), adnd was discharged in a good condition.

Conclusion

AP concurrent with PBMJ usually presents as duodenal obstruction in infancy, while manifests as pancreatitis in adulthood. Careful long-term follow-up is required for children with AP considering its association with PBMJ which would induce various intractable pathologic conditions in the biliary tract and pancreas.

Imaging findings in 75 pediatric patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction: a retrospective case study

BACKGROUND

Pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM) is often associated with congenital choledochal cyst, protein plugs and pancreatitis. Early diagnosis and timely treatment largely depend on imaging. We assessed a series of PBM in children, comparing imaging procedure with histological and pathological findings with regard to diagnosis.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted in 75 pediatric patients with PBM. PBM was defined as common channel at >5 mm. Two radiologists assess the shape of the bile duct and gallbladder, pancreatitis, surgical pathology, symptom profiles, operative notes and pathological records were compared with the imaging findings.

RESULTS

Dilatation of the bile duct was detected in 45 subjects out of the 46 subjects who underwent computed tomography (CT) and nine was diagnosis as PBM. Forty out of 41 subjects were revealed bile duct dilatation in ultrasonography (US). Bile duct dilatation was seen in 59 out of 60 subjects receiving magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and 39 were diagnosed as PBM. Seventy-four out of 75 subjects successfully underwent intraoperative cholangiography (IOC); a diagnosis of PBM was established in 60 cases based on IOC alone. The diagnosis rate of pediatric PBM varied significantly among the four groups (P < 0.0001). Pair-wise comparison showed a significant difference between the groups of MRCP and CT (P < 0.0001), MRCP and US (P < 0.0001), IOC and CT (P < 0.0001), IOC and US (P < 0.0001), CT and US (P = 0.0027), and there is no significant difference between the groups of IOC and MRCP (P = 0.0502).

CONCLUSION

US, IOC, CT and MRCP are valuable in showing dilatation of the bile duct and complications in pediatric PBM. MRCP is non-invasive, gives clear views of the pancreaticobiliary junction and should be the first choice for the diagnosis of PBM in children.

Association of extrahepatic bile duct duplication with pancreaticobiliary maljunction and congenital biliary dilatation in children: a case report and literature review

We herein report a case of cystic-type congenital biliary dilatation (CBD) in whom an extremely rare anomalous duplication of the common bile duct and pancreaticobiliary maljunction were diagnosed intraoperatively by meticulous surgical manipulations via conventional open surgery. By performing a dissection at the outer epicholedochal layer of the cyst, a thin cord-like structure shown to be the distal part of the common bile duct was identified. A further exploration revealed that the most distal (extra- and intrapancreatic) part of the common bile duct was duplicated, and each branch of the duct was connected to the main and accessory pancreatic ducts. The experience with our case and a literature review showed that extrahepatic bile duct duplication is generally associated with pancreaticobiliary maljunction and CBD. We conclude that an extremely careful exploration with delicate and meticulous surgical manipulation is essential to identify these morphological anomalies and prevent intraoperative and postoperative complications of CBD, such as pancreatic duct injury or pancreatitis.