Biliary intraductal papillary mucinous tumor: diagnosis and localization by endoscopic retrograde cholangioscopy

Mucin-filled CBD, difficult to manage cholangitis

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are mucin-secreting cystic neoplasm of pancreas. They have a malignant potential. They are usually localised to the pancreas but occasionally can involve surrounding structures (1.9%-6.6%), like bile duct and duodenum, and are labelled as IPMN with invasion. Jaundice as a manifestation of IPMN is not common (4.5%). It can present as jaundice as a result of invasion of common bile duct (CBD) resulting in stricture formation or uncommonly as a result of fistulising to CBD with resultant obstruction of CBD by thick mucin secreted by this tumour. As only few cases (around 23) of mucin-filled CBD are reported in the literature. We are presenting our experience in dealing a rare case of obstructive jaundice caused by IPMN fistulising into CBD, highlighting the difficulties faced in managing such case, especially with regards to biliary drainage and what can be the optimum management in such cases.

New options of cholangioscopy

In the evaluation of biliary diseases, cholangioscopy is considered as complementary procedure to radiographic imaging. Direct visualization of the bile duct is the premier advantage of cholangioscopy over indirect imaging techniques. However, cholangioscopy has not gained wide acceptance because of several technical limitations such as scope fragility, impaired steerability, limited irrigation, and suction capabilities, as well as the need for two experienced endoscopists. Recent innovations such as the implementation of electronic video cholangioscopes and the development of single-operator systems facilitate the procedure, and promise to increase the diagnostic and therapeutic yield of cholangioscopy.

Cholangiopancreatoscopy: a comprehensive review

Cholangiopancreatoscopy (CP) is a well-established modality for the direct visualization of intrahepatic biliary, extrahepatic biliary, and pancreatic ductal systems. The use of CP in the treatment of difficult biliary stones has become paramount when standard endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography is ineffective. This article describes the available cholangioscopic devices and technical and clinical applications of cholangiopancreatoscopy. The efficacy and limitations of CP, as well as published comparative studies, are briefly reviewed.

Intraductal biliary and pancreatic endoscopy: An expanding scope of possibility

Intraductal endoscopy describes the use of an endoscope to directly visualize the biliary and pancreatic ducts. For many years, technological challenges have made performing these procedures difficult. The “mother-baby” system and other various miniscopes have been developed, but routine use has been hampered due to complex setup, scope fragility and the time consuming, technically demanding nature of the procedure. Recently, the SpyGlass peroral cholangiopancreatoscopy system has shown early success at providing diagnostic information and therapeutic options. The clinical utility of intraductal endoscopy is broad. It allows better differentiation between benign and malignant processes by allowing direct visualization and targeted sampling of tissue. Therapeutic interventions, such as electrohydraulic lithotripsy (EHL), laser lithotripsy, photodynamic therapy, and argon plasma coagulation (APC), may also be performed as part of intraductal endoscopy. Intraductal endoscopy significantly increases the diagnostic and therapeutic yield of standard endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERCP), and as technology progresses, it is likely that its utilization will only increase. In this review of intraductal endoscopy, we describe in detail the various endoscopic platforms and their diagnostic and clinical applications.

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography in the diagnosis and treatment of mucobilia

OBJECTIVE

Some biliary neoplasms secrete copious mucin into bile ducts, yet the management of mucobilia is not well known. The objective of this study was to analyze 16 patients with copious mucin in the biliary tract stressing the diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Sixteen patients with mucobilia were found among 5635 cases of ERC from October 1999 to October 2006 in our institution. Diagnostic and therapeutic ERC as well as clinical features were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

Mucin had a greater impact than the neoplasm itself on the cholangiogram and clinical presentation. ERC failed to show the tumors but a disproportionate or aneurysmal dilatation of the segmental or lobar duct correlated with the tumor-bearing duct was evident. Endoscopic managements included clearance of intraductal mucin and/or endoscopic nasobiliary drainage (ENBD). Three patients were excluded from outcome assessment because of non-specific symptoms or spontaneously subsiding jaundice. Among the 13 patients eligible for assessment, subjective improvement in symptoms and/or a decrease in jaundice along with subsiding cholangitis following ERC was observed in 5 of the 7 patients that underwent both clearance of intraductal mucin and ENBD (ENBD function was poor in all 7 patients), in 1 patient who underwent only clearance of intraductal mucin, and in 3 of the 5 patients who underwent only ENBD. The three patients with progressive jaundice, despite endoscopic management, had advanced disease.

CONCLUSIONS

ERC revealed the tumor-bearing duct but not the extent of the disease in most of the patients with mucobilia. When mucobilia is encountered during ERC, the management should include clearance of as much intraductal mucin as possible. ENBD is frequently obstructed by mucin and may be helpful only in selected cases.

Peroral cholangioscopic diagnosis of biliary-tract diseases by using narrow-band imaging (with videos)

BACKGROUND

Narrow-band imaging (NBI) makes it possible to emphasize the imaging of certain features, such as mucosal structures and mucosal microvessels in GI-tract diseases. Recently, video peroral cholangioscopy (POCS) was developed as a diagnostic modality for better visualization of bile-duct lesions; however, there is no report on POCS by using NBI.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinical usefulness of POCS by using NBI for the diagnosis of biliary-tract diseases.

DESIGN

Prospective case study.

SETTING

This procedure was performed at Tokyo Medical University Hospital.

PATIENTS

Twelve consecutive patients with biliary-tract diseases, including 7 bile-duct cancers and 5 benign biliary diseases, which revealed 6 bile-duct strictures and 6 filling defects by ERCP.

INTERVENTION

All patients underwent POCS by using NBI.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT

Efficacy and safety of this technique.

RESULTS

Twenty-one lesions were evaluated by using POCS with conventional white light imaging and NBI. Although visualization of only 2 lesions (9.5%) was "excellent" by conventional observation, visualization of 12 lesions (57.4%) was "excellent" by NBI observation. Identification of the surface structure and vessels of the lesions by NBI observation was significantly better than with conventional observation (P < .01 and P < .05, respectively).

LIMITATIONS

Maneuverability and fragility of POCS. The current POCS is not equipped with magnification.

CONCLUSIONS

POCS by using NBI may be helpful for the observation of both fine mucosal structures and tumor vessels.

Mucin-hypersecreting bile duct neoplasm characterized by clinicopathological resemblance to intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas

BACKGROUND

Although intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas is acceptable as a distinct disease entity, the concept of mucin-secreting biliary tumors has not been fully established.

CASE PRESENTATION

We describe herein a case of mucin secreting biliary neoplasm. Imaging revealed a cystic lesion 2 cm in diameter at the left lateral segment of the liver. Duodenal endoscopy revealed mucin secretion through an enlarged papilla of Vater. On the cholangiogram, the cystic lesion communicated with bile duct, and large filling defects caused by mucin were observed in the dilated common bile duct. This lesion was diagnosed as a mucin-secreting bile duct tumor. Left and caudate lobectomy of the liver with extrahepatic bile duct resection and reconstruction was performed according to the possibility of the tumor's malignant behavior. Histological examination of the specimen revealed biliary cystic wall was covered by micropapillary neoplastic epithelium with mucin secretion lacking stromal invasion nor ovarian-like stroma. The patient has remained well with no evidence of recurrence for 38 months since her operation.

CONCLUSION

It is only recently that the term "intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN)," which is accepted as a distinct disease entity of the pancreas, has begun to be used for mucin-secreting bile duct tumor. This case also seemed to be intraductal papillary neoplasm with prominent cystic dilatation of the bile duct.

Peroral cholangioscopy for the diagnosis and treatment of biliary diseases

Peroral cholangioscopy with duodenoscopic assistance can allow direct visualization of the bile duct. Several clinical studies suggest the utility of peroral cholangioscopy for the management of various bile duct lesions. Although direct visual observation may be a useful adjunct to endoscopic retro-grade cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for distinguishing malignant from benign bile duct lesions, the assessment of diagnostic accuracy needs further controlled clinical studies. Intracorporeal lithotripsy with the use of a peroral cholangioscope may be a safe and effective method for difficult-to-treat bile duct stones, including intrahepatic stones. At present, however, the fragility of the fiberscope equipment and technical difficulties hold back its popularity. Preliminary data obtained by using a new videoscope, which provides excellent quality images, are encouraging. Furthermore, it is expected that this videoscope will have longer durability of optical images and better manipulation than previous fiberscopes.

Diagnostic utility of peroral cholangioscopy for various bile-duct lesions

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the utility of peroral cholangioscopy (POCS) for distinguishing malignant from benign biliary disease to cover low sensitivity of tissue sampling.

METHODS

From February 1992 to April 2004, all consecutive patients who underwent POCS to confirm the etiology of biliary disorders were included in this study. Brushing cytology or endobiliary forceps biopsy also was performed. We analyzed the diagnostic accuracy of tissue sampling with or without POCS diagnosis.

RESULTS

A total of 97 patients (66 men, 31 women; mean age 64.2 years) were included. The final diagnosis was confirmed by surgical resection in 44, clinical follow-up in 52, and cytologic study of ascitic fluid in one. On the basis of ERCP findings, there were 76 strictures and 21 filling defects. Forceps biopsy was performed in 25 patients, and brush cytology was performed in 68 patients. In the remaining 4 patients (4 filling defects, which were identified as stones by POCS), tissue samplings were not carried out. ERCP/tissue sampling correctly identified 22 of 38 malignant strictures and all 35 benign lesions except in 3 patients with inadequate samples (accuracy, 78.0%; sensitivity, 57.9%; specificity, 100%). The addition of POCS correctly identified all 38 malignant strictures and 33 of 38 benign lesions (accuracy, 93.4%; sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 86.8%). For the 21 filling defects observed by ERCP, POCS correctly diagnosed all 8 malignant diseases and 13 benign lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

The addition of POCS to tissue sampling improves the diagnostic ability and covers for insufficient sensitivity. POCS is especially useful for diagnosing a filling defect.

Case report: serial percutaneous cholangioscopy with laser ablation for the management of locally recurrent biliary intraductal papillary mucinous tumor

We present a case of serial cholangioscopic laser fulguration of a biliary recurrence of pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous tumor in a 76-year-old man. Through established percutaneous biliary drain tracts, the aseptic use of a standard 6.9 F ureteroscope and holmium laser fiber facilitated visual ablation within the biliary tree. Quarterly cholangioscopic laser ablation provided safe and effective local control without biliary infectious complications. This case appears to be the first treatment of recurrent intrabiliary intraductal papillary mucinous tumor by serial antegrade choledocoscopy and laser photocoagulation. Effective local control appears possible with minimal morbidity. Standard ureteroscopic equipment facilitates safe and efficient percutaneous antegrade choledocoscopy.