Vascular and biliary abnormalities mimicking cholangiocarcinoma in patients with cavernous transformation of the portal vein: role of color Doppler sonography

Secondary sclerosing cholangitis: mimics of primary sclerosing cholangitis

Sclerosing cholangitis is a chronic cholestatic disease characterized by stricturing, beading, and obliterative fibrosis of the bile ducts. Sclerosing cholangitis is considered primary (PSC) if no underlying etiology is identified or secondary (SSC) if related to another identifiable cause. In this article, we will review the clinical features, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and imaging findings of PSC and SSC, with an emphasis on features that may aid in the distinction of these entities. We will also discuss various etiologies of SSC including recurrent pyogenic cholangitis, other infectious etiologies, ischemic damage, toxic insults, and immunologic, congenital, and miscellaneous causes, highlighting the unique imaging findings and clinical context of each diagnosis.

Portal cavernoma cholangiopathy: Update and recommendations on diagnosis and management

Portal cavernoma cholangiopathy is defined as an obstruction of the biliary system due to distended veins surrounding bile ducts that mainly occur in patients with extrahepatic portal venous obstruction. The periductal venous plexuses encircling the ducts can cause morphological changes which may or may not become symptomatic. Currently, non-invasive techniques such as ultrasonography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, and dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance images are being used to diagnose this disorder. Only a few patients who have symptoms of biliary obstruction require drainage which might be accomplished using endoscopic stenting, decompression of the portal venous system usually via a lienorenal shunt, a difficult direct hepaticojejunostomy, and rarely a liver transplant.

Mass-Like Extreme Wall Thickening of the Entire Common Bile Duct in a Case of Portal Cavernoma Cholangiopathy

Portal cavernoma cholangiopathy (PCC) refers to the cholangiographic abnormalities that occur in patients with portal cavernoma. These abnormalities may be either due to chronic portal vein thrombosis or extrahepatic portal vein occlusion. These abnormalities occur due to enlargement of the bridging tortuous paracholedochal, epicholedochal, and cholecystic veins exerting pressure on the bile ducts. Ischemic changes can also occur in the bile duct due to portal vein thrombosis, which affects the microvascular circulation or associated hepatic artery thrombosis. These may be either reversible with shunt procedures such as transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) or irreversible in the advanced stage, leading to recurrent episodes of biliary pain, cholangitis, and cholestasis. Occasionally it may present as mass-like diffuse common bile duct (CBD) wall thickening, which may be confused with mimickers like primary CBD lymphoma, immunoglobulin G4-related sclerosing cholangitis, and even cholangiocarcinoma on imaging. Thus, we need to be aware of the mass-forming PCC imaging findings to avoid unnecessary invasive procedures like biopsy or surgical intervention. Here, we present a case of PCC, which presented as mass-like diffuse CBD wall thickening with patent lumen on ultrasound that led to further workup with contrast-enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The wall thickening showed persistent delayed enhancement, no significant diffusion restriction, and there was also associated superior mesenteric vein thrombosis with multiple mesenteric collaterals. A positron emission tomography-CT scan also ruled out malignant disease as there was no uptake. Finally, a diagnosis of mass-forming PCC was made by combining imaging features and excluding other causes.

Vascular disorders of the gallbladder and bile ducts: Imaging findings

Vascular disorders of the gallbladder and biliary tree are many and varied. In the acute setting, the clinical presentation of vascular conditions such as hemorrhagic cholecystitis and gangrenous cholecystitis are non-specific and rely on imaging for diagnosis and triaging for emergent surgery. These hemorrhagic and ischemic complications of acute cholecystitis are uncommon but potentially fatal. Hemorrhage into the gallbladder and biliary tree, from other causes, may itself result in acute cholecystitis. Knowledge of vascular anatomy of the gallbladder and biliary tree is essential for surgeons to prevent significant operative bleeding complications, particularly in laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The unique venous drainage of the gallbladder and biliary tree, with their connections to the portal venous system, lends itself to less well-recognised vascular phenomena such as gallbladder varices, portal biliopathy, and gallbladder bed perfusion abnormalities.

Sonographic features of umbilical vein recanalization for a Rex shunt on cavernous transformation of portal vein in children

BACKGROUND

The Rex shunt was widely used as the preferred surgical approach for cavernous transformation of the portal vein (CTPV) in children that creates a bypass between the superior mesenteric vein and the intrahepatic left portal vein (LPV). This procedure can relieve portal hypertension and restore physiological hepatopetal flow. However, the modified procedure is technically demanding because it is difficult to make an end-to-end anastomosis of a bypass to a hypoplastic LPV. Many studies reported using a recanalized umbilical vein as a conduit to resolve this problem. However, the feasibility of umbilical vein recanalization for a Rex shunt has not been fully investigated.

AIM

To investigate the efficacy of a recanalized umbilical vein as a conduit for a Rex shunt on CTPV in children by ultrasonography.

METHODS

A total of 47 children who were diagnosed with CTPV with prehepatic portal hypertension in the Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, were enrolled in this study. Fifteen children received a recanalized umbilical vein as a conduit for a Rex shunt surgery and were enrolled in group I. Thirty-two children received the classic Rex shunt surgery and were enrolled in group II. The sonographic features of the two groups related to intraoperative and postoperative variation in terms of bypass vessel and the LPV were compared.

RESULTS

The patency rate of group I (60.0%, 9/15) was significantly lower than that of group II (87.5%, 28/32) 7 d after (on the 8^th d) operation (P < 0.05). After clinical anticoagulation treatment for 3 mo, there was no significant difference in the patency rate between group I (86.7%, 13/15) and group II (90.6%, 29/32) (P > 0.05). Moreover, 3 mo after (at the beginning of the 4^th mo) surgery, the inner diameter significantly widened and flow velocity notably increased for the bypass vessels and the sagittal part of the LPV compared to intraoperative values in both shunt groups (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the two surgical groups 3 mo after surgery (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

For children with hypoplastic LPV in the Rex recessus, using a recanalized umbilical vein as a conduit for a Rex shunt may be an effective procedure for CTPV treatment.

Portal Cavernoma Cholangiopathy in Children and the Management Dilemmas

Portal cavernoma cholangiopathy (PCC) is one of the most harrowing complications of extrahepatic portal venous obstruction, as it determines the long-term hepatobiliary outcome. Although symptomatic PCC is rare in children, asymptomatic PCC is as common as that in adults. However, there are major gaps in the literature with regard to the best imaging strategy and management modality in children. Moreover, natural history of PCC and effect of portosystemic shunt surgeries in children are unclear. Neglected PCC would lead to difficult or recalcitrant biliary strictures that will require endoscopic therapy or bilioenteric anastomosis, both of which are challenging in the presence of extensive collaterals. There are limited studies on the effect of portosystemic shunt surgeries on the outcome of PCC in children compared to adults. In this review, we aimed to collate all existing literature on PCC in childhood and also compare with adult studies. We highlight the difficulties of this disease to provide a comprehensive platform to foster further research on PCC exclusively in children.

Effects of Rex-bypass shunt on the cavernous transformation of the portal vein in children: evaluation by the color Doppler ultrasonography

BACKGROUND

The study was to investigate the role of color Doppler ultrasonography in the evaluation of the effect of Rex-bypass shunt on the cavernous transformation of the portal vein (CTPV) in children.

METHODS

Fifty children with symptomatic extrahepatic portal hypertension who received Rex-bypass shunt were retrospectively reviewed, and they were diagnosed with CTPV by ultrasonography. The clinical characteristics were analyzed before and after operation.

RESULTS

Forty-five patients received color Doppler ultrasonography at 6 months after surgery, and good patency in the bypass vessels was displayed. The platelet count significantly increased (P < 0.001) and the esophagogastric varices were improved significantly (p < 0.001). The patency of bypass vessels on color Doppler ultrasonography was consistent with the changes in the platelet count and the degree of esophagogastric varices on gastroscopy before and after operation. The diameter of bypass vessels at 6 months was slightly larger than that at 7 days after operation, and there was no significant difference in blood flow velocity between two time points (P = 0.507).

CONCLUSIONS

Color Doppler ultrasonography can display the patency, diameter, and flow velocity of bypass vessels. It plays an important role in evaluating the effect of Rex-bypass shunt on the CTPV.

Case Report: Gallbladder Varices in a Patient with Portal Vein Thrombosis Secondary to Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Gallbladder varices are a rare form of collateralization that develop in patients with portal hypertension. We present here a case of gallbladder varices accurately diagnosed by contrast enhanced CT imaging of the abdomen and confirmed by Color Doppler Sonography. A 76-year-old patient with hepatocellular carcinoma developed portal vein thrombosis due to tumor extension during the course of treatment and was incidentally discovered to have gallbladder varices. While most commonly asymptomatic, gallbladder varices are associated with increased risk of massive bleeding, either spontaneously or during cholecystectomy. As a result, the existence of such varices should be well documented if the patient is to undergo any abdominal surgical procedures. In addition, because of a particular association with portal vein thrombosis, patients with portal hypertension that are found to possess gallbladder varices should be evaluated for portal vein thrombosis.

Imaging of portal cavernoma cholangiopathy

Portal cavernoma cholangiopathy (PCC) refers to the biliary changes which occur in the setting of extrahepatic portal vein obstruction and secondary portal cavernoma formation. The main radiological findings include the vascular changes in the form of portosystemic collaterals and biliary changes in the form of extrinsic impressions and strictures. Till date, conventional cholangiography has been the gold standard for the diagnosis of PCC. However, it is an invasive procedure and is associated with complications. At present there is a transition towards non-invasive modalities like ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The recent advances in these modalities provide an excellent delineation of both the vascular and the biliary changes non-invasively in a short time. The findings of PCC using these newer modalities are not so well described in literature. The findings of PCC also overlap with malignant conditions of biliary tract such as cholangiocarcinoma and compression of biliary tract by malignant adenopathies. In this article we describe the vascular and biliary changes associated with PCC on US, CT and MRI. We also describe the imaging findings using each modality along with their advantages and disadvantages.