Management strategy for congenital choledochal cyst with co-existing intrahepatic dilation and aberrant bile duct as well as other complicated biliary anomalies

Laparoscopic management of variant ductal and vascular anatomy in children with choledochal cysts

INTRODUCTION

Variations in biliary ductal and hepatic vascular anatomy increase the complexity of surgery for choledochal cysts (CDC). The laparoscopic approach for the management of paediatric CDCs with variant anatomy is underreported. This study aimed to describe anatomical variations, operative techniques and early outcomes of laparoscopic hepaticojejunostomy (HJ) in children with CDCs and variant anatomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of 40 children who underwent laparoscopic CDC excision with HJ between 2019 and 2024 in a single surgical unit. Patients were divided into Group I (with anatomical variations, n = 20) and Group II (without variations, n = 20). Data on demographic details, clinical presentation, imaging findings, pre-operative interventions, ductal and vascular anatomical variations, surgical techniques, intraoperative variables, post-operative complications and outcomes were collected and analysed.

RESULTS

Ductal variations were found in 10 patients, with aberrant right posterior sectoral duct being the most common. Vascular variations were identified in 12 patients, with anteriorly crossing the right hepatic artery (RHA) being the most frequent. Group I had a higher mean age (7.32 vs. 3.57 years, P = 0.014) and longer operative times (415 vs. 364 min, P < 0.0001). Conversion to laparotomy was necessary in 10% of Group I and 15% of Group II patients ( P = 0.634). Post-operative complications, primarily minor (Clavien-Dindo Grade I or II), occurred in 40% of Group I and 30% of Group II ( P = 0.495). Group I had a significantly shorter time to full feeds (72 vs. 80 h, P = 0.015). Both groups had similar post-operative hospital stays and follow-up durations. At the last follow-up, all patients, except one with liver failure in Group II, were asymptomatic with no significant biliary dilatation or liver function abnormalities.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic management of CDCs with variant ductal and vascular anatomy in children is feasible, safe and effective. Detailed pre-operative imaging, meticulous intraoperative assessment and tailored surgical techniques are crucial for successful outcomes.

Laparoscopic Hepatic Ductoplasty in Pediatric Choledochal Cyst: What Is the Role, Feasibility, and Outcome?-Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: The pediatric choledochal cyst with hepatic duct stenosis occurs postoperative hepatolithiasis, recurrent cholangitis, or pancreatitis. The laparoscopic hepatic ductoplasty can prevent these incidences. Objectives: To determine the characteristic of hepatic duct stenosis, laparoscopic treatment, and outcomes in systematic review and meta-analysis. Methodology: We searched the published studies on PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library databases from January 1985 to April 2022 in English language. This protocol was registered to PROSPERO (CRD42022332145). Results: Nine published studies and 412 patients were included. The meta-analysis revealed that the locations were the confluence of the left and right hepatic ducts 43.1%, the left or/and the right hepatic duct 8.3%, and the unclassified location 60.4%. These characteristics included a membranous/septum appearance (44.7%) and a circumferential/relative stenosis (22.7%). The laparoscopic techniques were the wide hilar Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy (28.5%), the excision of membranes/septum (26.5%), and the mixed hepatic ductoplasty (45.0%). The outcomes revealed a minor bile leakage of 3.8% and minimal bleeding. The meta-analysis showed no statistical difference between laparoscopic and open techniques in hepatolithiasis (0% versus 2.00%), anastomosis stricture (4.83% versus 10.00%), and no recurrent cholangitis. There was no conversion rate but showed a trend the prolonged operating time in laparoscopy. Conclusion: Laparoscopic hepatic ductoplasty is safe and effective. The characteristics and location can be feasible laparoscopic procedures. So, hepatic ductoplasty decreases hepatolithiasis, anastomosis stricture, or recurrent cholangitis and may increase minor bile leakage. The systematic review registration was PROSPERO system with CRD42022332145.

Variations of the hepatic artery and bile duct in patients with pancreaticobiliary maljunction: Impact on postoperative outcomes

PURPOSE

Preoperative comprehension of the anatomical variations of the hepatic artery and bile duct is essential for safe laparoscopic surgery for pancreaticobiliary maljunction (PBM). This study aimed to investigate the impact of anatomical variations of the hepatic artery and bile duct on surgical technique and postoperative complications.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective review of patients with PBM who underwent laparoscopic surgery at our institution between January 2014 and December 2022 to investigate anatomical variations in the hepatic artery and bile duct, surgical technique, and postoperative complications.

RESULTS

We included 112 patients with PBM, with a median age of 4 years (interquartile range, 0-55). Overall, 29 of 112 patients had an aberrant right hepatic artery (ARHA) running ventral to the common hepatic duct (CHD), and they underwent hepaticojejunostomy on the ventral side of the ARHA. Additionally, eight of 112 patients had an aberrant posterior hepatic duct (APHD), which was joined to the CHD in all but one case. The presence of APHD was associated with postoperative bile leak occurrence.

CONCLUSION

Performing hepaticojejunostomy ventral to the ARHA is important to prevent complications. Furthermore, APHD may be a risk factor for postoperative bile leak and requires careful bile duct plasty.

The efficacy of resection of intrahepatic bile duct stenosis-causing membrane or septum for preventing hepatolithiasis after choledochal cyst excision

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

We previously found that many patients who developed hepatolithiasis after choledochal cyst excisions had intrahepatic bile duct stenosis (IHBDS). In 1992, we started resection of the membrane or septum which was found at the site of IHBDS during choledochal cyst excisions. Since intrahepatic stones usually take years to form, the efficacy of this procedure has not been proved.

METHODS

The records of patients who had IHBDS-causing membrane or septum and underwent choledochal cyst excision with Roux-Y hepaticojejunostomy between January 1979 and December 2006 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients who underwent surgical treatment for IHBDS-causing membrane or septum were compared with those who did not undergo the procedure.

RESULTS

Sixty-nine patients met the criteria, and seven patients who were followed up for less than 5years were excluded from the study. Thirty-three patients underwent surgical treatment for IHBDS, and three of them developed intrahepatic stones. Meanwhile, 10 of 29 patients who did not undergo the procedure developed intrahepatic stones. A statistically significant difference in intrahepatic stone formation was observed between the two groups in a log-rank test (P=0.016).

CONCLUSIONS

Meticulous probing and excision of the IHBDS-causing membrane or septum are effective for preventing hepatolithiasis after choledochal cyst excisions.

TYPE OF STUDY

Retrospective Comparative Study.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

Congenital bile duct cyst (BDC) is a more indolent disease in children compared to adults, except for Todani type IV-A BDC: results of the European multicenter study of the French Surgical Association

AIM

To compare clinical presentation, operative management and short- and long-term outcomes of congenital bile duct cysts (BDC) in adults with children.

METHODS

Retrospective multi-institutional Association Francaise de Chirurgie study of Todani types I+IVB and IVA BDC.

RESULTS

During the 37-year period to 2011, 33 centers included 314 patients (98 children; 216 adults). The adult population included more high-risk patients, with more active, more frequent prior treatment (47.7% vs 11.2%; p < 0.0001), more complicated presentation (50.5% vs 35.7%; p = 0.015), more synchronous biliary cancer (11.6% vs 0%; p = 0.0118) and more major surgery (23.6% vs 2%; p < 0.0001), but this latter feature was only true for type I+IVB BDC. Compared to children, the postoperative morbidity (48.1% vs 20.4%; p < 0.0001), the need for repeat procedures and the status at follow-up were worse in adults (27% vs 8.8%; p = 0.0009). However, severe postoperative morbidity and fair or poor status at follow-up were not statistically different for type IVA BDC, irrespective of patients' age. Synchronous cancer, prior HBP surgery and Todani type IVA BDC were independent predictive factors of poor or fair long-term outcome.

CONCLUSION

BDC is a more indolent disease in children compared to adults, except for Todani type IV-A BDC.

Arrangements of hepatobiliary cystadenoma complicated with congenital choledochal cyst: a case report and literature review

Hepatobiliary cystadenoma complication with congenital choledochal cyst is extremely rare and has never been reported in literatures so far.The aim of the study was to investigate the disease arrangements by analyzing the case and performing a systematic review of the literature.This case report documents the details and clear patterns of the patient. A 65-year-old woman with fever (39.2°C), nausea, vomiting, and chronic hepatitis B imaging demonstrated a left hepatic multilocular cystic mass and cystic dilated common bile duct.A regular left hemihepatectomy was performed with resection of the entire tumor and choledochal cyst.The surgical margins were negative and a final diagnosis of hepatobiliary cystadenoma complicated with congenital choledochal cyst was established. The patient had an uneventful postoperative recovery and liver function returned to normal levels.Main lessons learned from this case are: the awareness should be raised about the disease to avoid misdiagnosis; preoperative ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography play an important role in detecting the lesion; the scope and timing of the surgery should be determined, which provide the chance of cure to complete resection of the tumor.

Kawasaki disease in children and adolescents: clinical data of Kawasaki patients in a western region (Tyrol) of Austria from 2003-2012

BACKGROUND

Kawasaki disease (KD) is a rare vasculitis seen predominantly in children. In developing countries, it is the leading cause of childhood-acquired heart disease. Besides a case report from 1981 there have been no data published dealing with the epidemiology and clinical aspects of KD in Austria.

METHODS

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the clinical spectrum of KD in a geographically determined cohort of infants, children, and adolescents that were diagnosed and treated at the University Hospital of Innsbruck from 2003-2012.

RESULTS

Thirty-two patients were included in the study with a median age of 32.96 months (2-192). 59.4% of the patients were aged between six months and four years. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.13. Clinical examination revealed non-purulent conjunctivitis and exanthema as the most common symptoms (84.4%). 75% showed oropharyngeal changes, 21.9% had gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhoe, stomachache or vomiting prior to diagnosis. One third of the patients were admitted with a preliminary diagnosis, whereas 78.1% were pre-treated with antibiotics. The median fever duration at the time of presentation was estimated with 4.96 days (1-14), at time of diagnosis 6.76 days (3-15).75% were diagnosed with complete KD, and 25% with an incomplete form of the disease. There was no significant difference in the duration of fever neither between complete and incomplete KD, nor between the different age groups. Typical laboratory findings included increased C-reactive protein (CRP) (80.6%) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (96%),leukocytosis (48.4%) and thrombocytosis (40.6%) without any significant quantitative difference between complete and incomplete KD. Coronary complications could be observed in six patients: one with a coronary aneurysm and five with tubular dilatation of the coronary arteries. Our patient cohort represents the age distribution as described in literature and emphasizes that KD could affect persons of any age. The frequency of occurrence of the clinical symptoms differs from previous reports - in our study, we predominantly observed non-purulent conjunctivitis and exanthema.

CONCLUSION

KD should always be considered as a differential diagnosis in a child with fever of unknown origin, as treatment can significantly decrease the frequency of coronary complications.

Variations in biliary ductal and hepatic vascular anatomy and their relevance to the surgical management of choledochal cysts

PURPOSE

An aberrant biliary ductal and vascular anatomy presents a technical challenge for choledochal cyst (CDC) surgery. Mismanagement may have unfavourable implications. This study highlights the spectrum, approach to their identification and management.

METHODS

Forty of 117 (34 %) cases were identified to have an aberrant biliary ductal (n = 17) or arterial (n = 26) anatomy; 3 had both. The pancreaticobiliary anatomy was defined by an intraoperative cholangiogram (IOC) before January 2005 and a preoperative magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatogram (MRCP) subsequently.

RESULTS

IOC missed 3 of 4 aberrant biliary ducts, while an MRCP accurately delineated 10 of 13 aberrant bile ducts. The significant biliary anomalies were: an aberrant right sectoral/segmental duct joining the common hepatic duct (CHD) or the cyst itself (n = 14), cystic duct (n = 1) and cystic duct-CHD junction (n = 1). The aberrant duct was incorporated into the biliary-enteric anastomosis (B-EA) by: (i) double ostia B-EA (n = 1), (ii) ductoplasty with single ostium B-EA for aberrant duct and CHD (n = 2), and (iii) transection of the CHD/cyst distal to the aberrant duct orifice with a single ostium B-EA (n = 13). The arterial anomalies were (i) replaced or accessory right hepatic artery (RHA) (n = 11) and (ii) RHA crossing anterior to the cyst (n = 15), which was repositioned posterior to the B-EA.

CONCLUSION

It is important to consciously look for, appropriately identify and manage aberrant biliovascular anatomy. MRCP facilitates accurate preoperative delineation of aberrant duct anatomy. All major aberrant ducts need to be incorporated into the B-EA and aberrant arteries should not be ligated.

Value of manganese-enhanced T1- and T2-weighted MR cholangiography for differentiating cystic parenchymal lesions from cystic abnormalities which communicate with bile ducts

We present a case report to show how manganese-enhanced T1- and T2-weighted MR cholangiography could differentiate cystic parenchymal lesions from cystic abnormalities which communicate with the bile ducts.