Endoscopic ultrasonography in acute biliary pancreatitis

The role of linear endosonography for the diagnosis of acute pancreatitis when other methods failed

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

Acute pancreatitis has no obvious cause after clinical, laboratory and radiologic investigation in 10%-30% of patients, and the diagnosis of idiopathic pancreatitis is given. This study investigated the role of linear EUS for identification of possible causes for acute pancreatitis when other investigative methods failed.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between June 2012 and March 2017, 35 patients [25 women; mean age: 51.9 + 17.8 years] with idiopathic acute pancreatitis underwent linear EUS for investigation. All of these cases were contacted for a follow-up telephone interview to compare the EUS findings with the final diagnosis and outcome.

RESULTS

Pancreaticobiliary abnormalities were identified in 19 of 35 (54.3%) patients. Ten (28.6%) patients had microlithiasis or biliary sludge. Microlithiasis and choledocholithiasis were identified in 8 (22.8%) and a single (2.8%) patient, respectively. Two patients presented gallbladder biliary sludge, one of them with microlithiasis. Chronic pancreatitis was found on EUS in 6 (17.1%) patients, and pseudotumoral masses confirmed by EUS-FNA as autoimmune pancreatitis were detected in other 3 (8.6%) cases. Linear EUS was normal in 13 (37.1%) patients, and demonstrated findings of recent acute pancreatitis but no other etiological factor in 3 (8.6%) cases. After a mean follow-up of 33.3 months, no case with a normal EUS evaluation presented a new episode of pancreatitis, 1 of 9 cases with microlithiasis presented an episode of recurrent pancreatitis due to choledocolithiasis after cholecystectomy, and 3 of 9 cases with chronic pancreatitis presented recurrent episodes, including the 2 cases of autoimmune pancreatitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Linear EUS provides diagnostic information in approximately a half of patients with idiopathic acute pancreatitis. Exclusion of pancreaticobiliary abnormalities on EUS has an important prognostic value for absence of new episodes of acute pancreatitis.

Updates in biliary endoscopy 2006

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is reserved primarily for therapeutic reasons. Recent literature continues to support therapeutic uses of the technique. This review addresses the literature in the field of biliary endoscopy for the year 2006 and is intended to assist gastroenterologists and gastrointestinal surgeons in everyday practice.

RECENT FINDINGS

Endoscopic management of choledocholithiasis in gallstone pancreatitis, a newer approach in the endoscopic management of malignant biliary strictures, the broadening therapeutic indications including the use of gallbladder stenting and the performance of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass are discussed. Safety of the technique continues to be addressed. The risks of pancreatitis after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography as well as morbidity in the elderly are addressed.

SUMMARY

Major updates in the management of biliary tract disease using biliary endoscopy are discussed over a broad range of biliary tract diseases. The literature emphasizes the broadening therapeutic role of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography as well as improvements in our understanding of risk factors for complications and the potential for their prevention.

EUS diagnosis and simultaneous endoscopic retrograde cholangiography treatment of common bile duct stones by using an oblique-viewing echoendoscope

BACKGROUND

MRCP and EUS have replaced ERCP in the diagnosis of biliary diseases, but the latter is needed for treatment. This study evaluates a new approach in the management of common bile duct stones, by using an oblique-viewing echoendoscope.

METHODS

Nineteen patients with acute abdominal pain associated with increased liver tests entered the study. Evaluation of the biliary tree was performed by using an oblique-viewing echoendoscope (JF-UM20; Olympus Europe GmbH, Hamburg, Germany). When biliary stones or sludge were found, bile duct cannulation and sphincterotomy were performed in the same session.

RESULTS

Bile duct stones were diagnosed by EUS in 4 patients and biliary sludge in 12; the subsequent cholangiography and sphincterotomy with stone extraction confirmed the diagnosis in all patients. Bile duct cannulation failed in 1 patient. EUS showed features of chronic pancreatitis in 3 cases. The mean time for the whole procedure (EUS plus endoscopic retrograde cholangiography with biliary treatment) was 27 minutes. No procedure-related complications were observed.

CONCLUSION

This new approach appears to be feasible and safe, providing an accurate diagnosis and, at the same time, an appropriate treatment of common bile duct stones when needed. With technical improvements, this extended EUS technique could be used as the first-line procedure in patients with biliopancreatic diseases.

[Endoscopic therapy of acute and chronic pancreatitis]

Endoscopic therapy is valuable for both acute and chronic pancreatitis. Early endoscopic papillotomy appears, in the case of a severe course of acute biliary pancreatitis, to be advantageous. Endoscopic drainage can be considered in cases of acute fluid retention and necrosis as well as subacute, non-healing pancreatitis or cyst development. By acute chronic pancreatitis with strictures or bile duct stones, papillotomy, dilation and stent insertion can lead to an improvement in pain symptoms. An improvement in endo- or exocrine function, however, is not expected. Studies on the endoscopic therapy of pancreatitis are still very limited, and recommendations can usually only be made based on retrospective case series.

Diagnostic criteria in predicting a biliary origin of acute pancreatitis in the era of endoscopic ultrasound: multicentre prospective evaluation of 213 patients

BACKGROUND

No study on bioclinical criteria predicting a biliary origin for acute pancreatitis has included endosonography as a reference examination. Re-examination of bioclinical parameters deserves consideration in the era where other causes are known (e.g. hereditary, autoimmune).

AIM AND METHODS

To determine the performance of bioclinical markers in predicting a biliary origin of acute pancreatitis where the diagnosis of biliary lithiasis was established or ruled out using endosonography. Only patients with a first acute episode of pancreatitis were included.

RESULTS

213 patients (male: 55%; median age: 56 years) were prospectively included in 14 centres. Causes of acute pancreatitis were: biliary (62%), alcoholic (25%), other (13%). Delay between symptom-onset and admission was <48 h in 80%. Endosonography was the sole method establishing the diagnosis of biliary pancreatitis in 15% of patients. At univariate analysis, age, female sex, declared alcohol consumption, elevated aspartate and alanine transaminases on admission, gammaglutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, total bilirubin, lipase, mean corpuscular volume were predictive of a biliary origin. Only age (p < 0.0001), sex (p < 0.0008) and alanine transaminase (p < 0.0004) remained significant at multivariate analysis. At age 50, the respective sensitivity and specificity were 73 and 65%. With an elevated alanine transaminase at 2 times the upper limit of normal range, the respective sensitivity and specificity were 74 and 84%. The probability of a biliary origin of acute pancreatitis could be estimated by the following formula: = 1/1 + exp(4.6967 - 0.0656 x age + 1.1208 x sex - 0.6909 x alanine transaminase).

CONCLUSION

When endosonography is performed to confirm or exclude a biliary origin of acute pancreatitis, age, sex and alanine transaminase at admission are the only factors predictive of a biliary cause.