Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction: Updates from the Recent Literature. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2015;17:31. [PMID: 26143628 DOI: 10.1007/s11894-015-0455-z]

Endoscopic Management of Recurrent Acute Pancreatitis

This review aims to summarize the role of endoscopic therapy in the management and outcomes of recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP). RAP is a clinical entity characterized by repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis in the setting of a normal gland or chronic pancreatitis (CP). The aetiology of RAP can be identified in about 70% of cases; for the remaining cases, the term "idiopathic" (IRAP) is used. However, advanced diagnostic techniques may reduce the percentage of IRAP to 10%. Recognized causes of RAP are gallstone disease, including microlithiasis and biliary sludge, sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD), pancreatic ductal abnormalities (either congenital or acquired) interfering with pancreatic juice or bile outflow, genetic mutations, and alcohol consumption. SOD, as a clinical entity, was recently revised in the Rome IV consensus, which only recognized type 1 dysfunction as a true pathological condition, while type 2 SOD was defined as a suspected functional biliary sphincter disorder requiring the documentation of elevated basal sphincter pressure to be considered a true clinical entity and type 3 was abandoned as a diagnosis and considered functional pain. Endoscopic therapy by retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has been proven effective when a mechanical obstruction is found and can be removed. If an obstruction is not documented, few treatment options are available to prevent the recurrence of pancreatitis and progression toward chronic disease. In gallstone disease, endoscopic biliary sphincterotomy (EBS) is effective when a dilated common bile duct or biliary sludge/microlithiasis is documented. In type 1 SOD, biliary or dual sphincterotomy is generally successful, while in type 2 SOD, endotherapy should be reserved for patients with documented sphincter dysfunction. However, in recent years, doubts have been expressed about the real efficacy of sphincterotomy in this setting. When sphincter dysfunction is not confirmed, endotherapy should be discouraged. In pancreas divisum (PD), minor papilla sphincterotomy is effective when there is a dilated dorsal duct, and the success rate is the highest in RAP patients. In the presence of obstructive conditions of the main pancreatic duct, pancreatic endotherapy is generally successful if RAP depends on intraductal hypertension. However, despite the efficacy of endotherapy, progression toward CP has been shown in some of these patients, mainly in the presence of PD, very likely depending on underlying genetic mutations. In patients with IRAP, the real utility of endotherapy still remains unclear; this is because several unknown factors may play a role in the disease, and data on outcomes are few, frequently contradictory or uncontrolled, and, in general, limited to a short period of time.

Biliary Dyskinesia with Reduced Gallbladder Ejection Fraction: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic Shift in Management

Reduced gallbladder ejection fraction (GBEF) with normal laboratory tests and no gallstones on ultrasound can be attributed to conditions such as biliary dyskinesia, chronic acalculous cholecystitis, cystic duct syndrome, sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, and subclinical biliary stricture. We present a case of a patient with chronic right upper quadrant pain, diagnosed with reduced GBEF, normal labs, and no gallstones. The patient's symptoms resolved after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and sphincterotomy, revealing a mild, non-obstructive stricture in the middle third of the common bile duct. This case underscores the importance of considering ERCP and sphincterotomy as diagnostic and therapeutic options before opting for cholecystectomy in patients with reduced GBEF and normal lab results, potentially avoiding unnecessary surgical interventions.

Dysfunction of Biliary Sphincter of Oddi-Clinical, Diagnostic and Treatment Challenges

Biliary Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD) is one of the main causes of post-cholecystectomy pain. In this review, we aimed to provide an update on the current knowledge on biliary SOD, with an emphasis on diagnostics and therapy. Overall, current but scarce data support biliary sphincterotomy for patients with type 1 and 2 SOD, but not for type 3. However, sphincterotomy is associated with post-treatment pancreatitis rates of from 10% to 15%, thus calling for improved diagnostics, patient selection and treatment modalities for SOD. The role of pharmacologic therapy for patients with SOD is poorly explored and only two randomized controlled trials are available. Currently, studies comparing treatment outcomes are few. There is an unmet need for randomized sham/placebo-controlled clinical trials related to both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments of SOD.

Endotherapy in Pancreatic Diseases

Interventional endoscopy is now considered an effective minimally invasive treatment modality for the management of pancreatic diseases. It is important for the clinician to know the indications and contraindications as well as the timing of various endoscopic interventions. This will help in its safe and effective use and consequently decrease morbidity and mortality from various pancreatic diseases. This review will provide a broad overview of the indications, techniques, and outcomes of pancreatic endotherapy.

Current situation and problems in diagnosis and treatment of sphincter of Oddi dysfunction

Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction (SOD) is a clinical syndrome referring to the loss of normal physiological function of the sphincter of Oddi with upper abdominal pain from the gallbladder and pancreas, postprandial abdominal bloating, elevation of liver or pancreatic enzymes, common bile duct dilation, pancreatitis and so on. SOD is more common in patients after cholecystectomy. Although the established criteria for diagnosing and treating SOD have been applied in clinical practice, its diagnosis and treatment have long been a controversial topic since the best diagnostic and treatment methods are still unconfirmed, partly because of its natural course, disease treatment process, and long-term follow-up outcomes that have not been determined in large controlled studies. This article briefly reviews the latest research of SOD and comprehensively analyzes the current status and existing problems in the diagnosis and treatment of SOD, with an aim to provide appropriate advice for clinicians to diagnose and treat this disease.

The Role of Endotherapy in Recurrent Acute Pancreatitis

Patients with recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP) have few treatment options available to them to manage their symptoms or prevent progression to chronic pancreatitis. At present, endotherapy is typically pursued as a means to achieve symptom remission and reduce rates of recurrence, hospitalization, abdominal pain, narcotic use, and surgical intervention. However, evidence that endotherapy effectively alters the natural history of disease remains limited. This article reviews the recent literature on the efficacy of endoscopic intervention in the treatment RAP with a focus on high-quality prospective randomized controlled studies. Additional studies are needed to corroborate these findings.

Safety of Eluxadoline in Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea

OBJECTIVES

Eluxadoline is a mixed μ-opioid receptor (OR) and κ-OR agonist and δ-OR antagonist, approved for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D). This analysis evaluated the safety and tolerability of eluxadoline 75 and 100 mg twice daily (BID) in one Phase 2 (IBS-2001) and two Phase 3 (IBS-3001 and IBS-3002) studies.

METHODS

Adults with IBS-D (Rome III criteria) were randomized to placebo or eluxadoline (75 or 100 mg) BID for 12 (IBS-2001), 26 (IBS-3002), or 52 (IBS-3001) weeks. Safety data were pooled. Adverse events (AEs) were assessed, with special focus on opioid-related AEs, including suspected sphincter of Oddi spasm (SOS) events.

RESULTS

2,776 patients were included in the enrolled set; the safety set comprised 2,814 patients, based on actual treatments received. The most frequent AEs in the placebo and eluxadoline 75 and 100 mg groups were constipation (2.5, 7.4, and 8.1%, respectively) and nausea (5.0, 8.1, and 7.1%, respectively); discontinuation due to constipation was uncommon (0.3, 1.1, and 1.5%, respectively). Ten SOS events (10/1,839; 0.5%) occurred in eluxadoline-treated patients, manifesting as acute abdominal pain with elevated aminotransferases or lipase, or pancreatitis; all occurred in patients without a gallbladder. Eight of these events occurred with the higher dose of eluxadoline, within 1 week of initiation of therapy, and all resolved with eluxadoline discontinuation. There were five events independently adjudicated as pancreatitis not associated with SOS, three of which were associated with heavy alcohol use.

CONCLUSIONS

Eluxadoline was well tolerated in Phase 2 and 3 trials, with constipation and nausea the most common AEs. Consistent with the known adverse effects of opioid agonists, clinically apparent SOS events were observed in eluxadoline-treated patients. All occurred in patients without a gallbladder and the majority were observed in patients on the higher dose of eluxadoline, suggesting a possible association.

Change in biliary motility in rats with severe acute pancreatitis and its effect

AIM: To observe the change in biliary motility in rats with severe acute pancreatitis and study its effect.

METHODS: Severe acute pancreatitis was induced in 28 male Sprague-Dawley rats by injection of sodium taurocholate into the pancreatobiliary duct. These rats were randomly divided into an experiment group (n = 14) and a control group (n = 14). Another 14 male SD rats injected with saline served as a sham operation group (SO group, n = 14). The experiment group was pretreated by intraperitoneal injection of anisodamine at 20 mg/kg. The control group was pretreated with saline. Twenty-four hours after operation, quantitative ^99mTc-EHIDA hepatobiliary dynamic imaging was performed in each group. Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β and endotoxin (ET) were detected, and the levels of cholecystokinin 8 (CCK8) in plasma, gallbladder and duodenal tissues were also measured. Abdominal viscera bacterial translocation rates were compared among these groups.

RESULTS: In comparison with the SO group and experiment group, a significant delay in duodenal appearance time (DAT) was noted in the control group (56.73 s ± 12.34 s vs 48.44 s ± 11.12 s, 29.52 s ± 11.83 s). A lower level of CCK8 in duodenal tissue was found in the control group than in the SO group and experiment group (5.24 pg/mL ± 0.56 pg/mL vs 5.81 pg/mL ± 0.45 pg/mL, 6.25 pg/mL ± 0.53 pg/mL). The levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and ET were significantly higher in the control group and experiment group at 24 h after operation than in the SO group (P < 0.05 for all). The levels of TNF-α and ET were significantly lower in the experiment group than in the control group (ET: 0.148 EU/mL ± 0.032 EU/mL vs 0.320 EU/mL ± 0026 EU/mL, P = 0.040; TNF-α: 89.24 pg/mL ± 34.45 pg/mL vs 123.18 pg/mL ± 41.24 pg/mL, P = 0.049). The abdominal viscera bacterial translocation rate was significantly higher in the control group than in the other two groups (0.714% vs 0.573%, 0.143%, P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The inhibition of biliary motility was observed in rats with acute pancreatitis, and the change in biliary motility may promote viscera bacterial translocation.

How to apply clinical cases and medical literature in the framework of a modified "failure mode and effects analysis" as a clinical reasoning tool--an illustration using the human biliary system

BACKGROUND

Clinicians use various clinical reasoning tools such as Ishikawa diagram to enhance their clinical experience and reasoning skills. Failure mode and effects analysis, which is an engineering methodology in origin, can be modified and applied to provide inputs into an Ishikawa diagram.

METHOD

The human biliary system is used to illustrate a modified failure mode and effects analysis. The anatomical and physiological processes of the biliary system are reviewed. Failure is defined as an abnormality caused by infective, inflammatory, obstructive, malignancy, autoimmune and other pathological processes. The potential failures, their effect(s), main clinical features, and investigation that can help a clinician to diagnose at each anatomical part and physiological process are reviewed and documented in a modified failure mode and effects analysis table. Relevant medical and surgical cases are retrieved from the medical literature and weaved into the table.

RESULTS

A total of 80 clinical cases which are relevant to the modified failure mode and effects analysis for the human biliary system have been reviewed and weaved into a designated table. The table is the backbone and framework for further expansion. Reviewing and updating the table is an iterative and continual process. The relevant clinical features in the modified failure mode and effects analysis are then extracted and included in the relevant Ishikawa diagram.

CONCLUSIONS

This article illustrates an application of engineering methodology in medicine, and it sows the seeds of potential cross-pollination between engineering and medicine. Establishing a modified failure mode and effects analysis can be a teamwork project or self-directed learning process, or a mix of both. Modified failure mode and effects analysis can be deployed to obtain inputs for an Ishikawa diagram which in turn can be used to enhance clinical experiences and clinical reasoning skills for clinicians, medical educators, and students.