Improving clinical outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma:Role of antiviral therapy,conversion therapy,and palliative therapy

In this editorial,I comment on three articles published in the recent issue of the World Journal of Gastrointestinal Oncology.Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is an important public health concern,and there are three articles on the theme of HCC in this issue.I focus on the articles by Mu et al,Chu et al,and Ma et al for this editorial.While these articles may be considered as low-quality evidence,and the results cannot be generalized to non-hepatitis-B or C virus patients,the discussion of the results is important.In addition,though all the articles are from China,the relevance of the results is not minuscule.As resection is the main form of curative treatment modality owing to a donor liver shortage,surgeons need to be aware that preoperative long-course antiviral therapy can improve clinical outcomes by reducing postoperative liver dysfunction and recurrence of HCC following resection.Similarly,patients with super-giant HCC(defined as≥15 cm diameter)should also be carefully considered for liver resection,and if it is unresectable upfront,then a combination of liver-directed therapy and systemic therapy may downstage HCC.If,following downstaging,the patient qualifies for liver resection based on locally prevalent resectability criteria,then such therapy is labelled as conversion(from unresectable to resectable)therapy.In unresectable patients treated by a combination of treatment options,serological markers like neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and alpha-fetoprotein are reported to predict treatment responses,thus enabling personalized medicine.

Outcomes of liver resection in hepatitis C virus-related intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Cholangiocarcinoma is the second most common primary liver malignancy.Its incidence and mortality rates have been increasing in recent years.Hepatitis C virus(HCV)infection is a risk factor for development of cirrhosis and cholan-giocarcinoma.Currently,surgical resection remains the only curative treatment option for cholangiocarcinoma.We aim to study the impact of HCV infection on outcomes of liver resection(LR)in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma(ICC).AIM To study the outcomes of curative resection of ICC in patients with HCV(i.e.,HCV+)compared to patients without HCV(i.e.,HCV-).METHODS We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials(RCTs)and observational studies to assess the outcomes of LR in ICC in HCV+patients compared to HCV-patients in tertiary care hospitals.PubMed,EMBASE,The Cochrane Library and Scopus were systematically searched from inception till August 2023.Included studies were RCTs and non-RCTs on patients≥18 years old with a diagnosis of ICC who underwent LR,and compared outcomes between patients with HCV+vs HCV-.The primary outcomes were overall survival(OS)and recurrence-free survival.Secondary outcomes include perioperative mortality,operation duration,blood loss,intrahepatic and extrahepatic recurrence.RESULTS Seven articles,published between 2004 and 2021,fulfilled the selection criteria.All of the studies were retrospective studies.Age,incidence of male patients,albumin,bilirubin,platelets,tumor size,incidence of multiple tumors,vascular invasion,bile duct invasion,lymph node metastases,and stage 4 disease were comparable between HCV+and HCV-group.Alanine transaminase[MD 22.20,95%confidence interval(CI):13.75,30.65,P<0.00001]and aspartate transaminase levels(MD 27.27,95%CI:20.20,34.34,P<0.00001)were significantly higher in HCV+group compared to HCV-group.Incidence of cirrhosis was significantly higher in HCV+group[odds ratio(OR)5.78,95%CI:1.38,24.14,P=0.02]compared to HCV-group.Incidence of poorly differentiated disease was significantly higher in HCV+group(OR 2.55,95%CI:1.34,4.82,P=0.004)compared to HCV-group.Incidence of simultaneous hepatocellular carcinoma lesions was significantly higher in HCV+group(OR 8.31,95%CI:2.36,29.26,P=0.001)compared to HCV-group.OS was significantly worse in the HCV+group(hazard ratio 2.05,95%CI:1.46,2.88,P<0.0001)compared to HCV-group.CONCLUSION This meta-analysis demonstrated significantly worse OS in HCV+patients with ICC who underwent curative resection compared to HCV-patients.

Does size matter for resection of giant versus non-giant hepatocellular carcinoma?A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Research on long-term survival after resection of giant(≥10 cm)and non-giant hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)(<10 cm)has produced conflicting results.AIM This study aimed to investigate whether oncological outcomes and safety profiles of resection differ between giant and non-giant HCC.METHODS PubMed,MEDLINE,EMBASE,and Cochrane databases were searched.Studies designed to investigate the outcomes of giant vs non-giant HCC were included.The primary endpoints were overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS).The secondary endpoints were postoperative complications and mortality rates.All studies were assessed for bias using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale.RESULTS 24 retrospective cohort studies involving 23747 patients(giant=3326;non-giant=20421)who underwent HCC resection were included.OS was reported in 24 studies,DFS in 17 studies,30-d mortality rate in 18 studies,postoperative complications in 15 studies,and post-hepatectomy liver failure(PHLF)in six studies.The HR was significantly lower for non-giant HCC in both OS(HR 0.53,95%CI:0.50-0.55,P<0.001)and DFS(HR 0.62,95%CI:0.58-0.84,P<0.001).No significant difference was found for 30-d mortality rate(OR 0.73,95%CI:0.50-1.08,P=0.116),postoperative complications(OR 0.81,95%CI:0.62-1.06,P=0.140),and PHLF(OR 0.81,95%CI:0.62-1.06,P=0.140).CONCLUSION Resection of giant HCC is associated with poorer long-term outcomes.The safety profile of resection was similar in both groups;however,this may have been confounded by reporting bias.HCC staging systems should account for the size differences.

Indocyanine green dye and its application in gastrointestinal surgery:The future is bright green

Indocyanine green(ICG)is a water-soluble fluorescent dye that is minimally toxic and widely used in gastrointestinal surgery.ICG facilitates anatomical identi-fication of structures(e.g.,ureters),assessment of lymph nodes,biliary mapping,organ perfusion and anastomosis assessment,and aids in determining the adequacy of oncological margins.In addition,ICG can be conjugated to artificially created antibodies for tumour markers,such as carcinoembryonic antigen for colorectal,breast,lung,and gastric cancer,prostate-specific antigen for prostate cancer,and cancer antigen 125 for ovarian cancer.Although ICG has shown promising results,the optimization of patient factors,dye factors,equipment,and the method of assessing fluorescence intensity could further enhance its utility.This review summarizes the clinical application of ICG in gastrointestinal surgery and discusses the emergence of novel dyes such as ZW-800 and VM678 that have demonstrated appropriate pharmacokinetic properties and improved target-to-background ratios in animal studies.With the emergence of robotic technology and the increasing reporting of ICG utility,a comprehensive review of clinical application of ICG in gastrointestinal surgery is timely and this review serves that aim.

Carbon footprints in minimally invasive surgery:Good patient outcomes,but costly for the environment

Advancements in technology and surgical training programs have increased the adaptability of minimally invasive surgery(MIS).Gastrointestinal MIS is superior to its open counterparts regarding post-operative morbidity and mortality.MIS has become the first-line surgical intervention for some types of gastrointestinal surgery,such as laparoscopic cholecystectomy and appendicectomy.Carbon dioxide(CO_(2))is the main gas used for insufflation in MIS.CO_(2)contributes 9%-26%of the greenhouse effect,resulting in global warming.The rise in global CO_(2)concentration since 2000 is about 20 ppm per decade,up to 10 times faster than any sustained rise in CO_(2)during the past 800000 years.Since 1970,there has been a steady yet worrying increase in average global temperature by 1.7℃ per century.A recent systematic review of the carbon footprint in MIS showed a range of 6-814 kg of CO_(2)emission per surgery,with higher CO_(2)emission following robotic compared to laparoscopic surgery.However,with superior benefits of MIS over open surgery,this poses an ethical dilemma to surgeons.A recent survey in the United Kingdom of 130 surgeons showed that the majority(94%)were concerned with climate change but felt that the lack of leadership was a barrier to improving environmental sustainability.Given the deleterious environmental effects of MIS,this study aims to summarize the trends of MIS and its carbon footprint,awareness and attitudes towards this issue,and efforts and challenges to ensuring environmental sustainability.

Occam’s razor or Hickam’s dictum-COVID-19 is not a textbook aetiology of acute pancreatitis:A modified Naranjo Score appraisal

BACKGROUND Acute pancreatitis(AP)is a disease spectrum ranging from mild to severe disease.During the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,numerous reports of AP have been published,with most authors concluding a causal relationship between COVID-19 and AP.Retrospective case reports or small case series are unable to accurately determine the cause-effect relationship between COVID-19 and AP.AIM To establish whether COVID-19 is a cause of AP using the modified Naranjo scoring system.METHODS A systematic review was conducted on PubMed,World of Science and Embase for articles reporting COVID-19 and AP from inception to August 2021.Exclusion criteria were cases of AP which were not reported to be due to COVID-19 infection,age<18 years old,review articles and retrospective cohort studies.The original 10-item Naranjo scoring system(total score 13)was devised to approximate the likelihood of a clinical presentation to be secondary to an adverse drug reaction.We modified the original scoring system into a 8-item modified Naranjo scoring system(total score 9)to determine the cause-effect relationship between COVID-19 and AP.A cumulative score was decided for each case presented in the included articles.Interpretation of the modified Naranjo scoring system is as follows:≤3:Doubtful,4-6:Possible,≥7:Probable cause.RESULTS The initial search resulted in 909 articles,with 740 articles after removal of duplicates.A total of 67 articles were included in the final analysis,with 76 patients which had AP reported to be due to COVID-19.The mean age was 47.8(range 18-94)years.Majority of patients(73.3%)had≤7 d between onset of COVID-19 infection and diagnosis of AP.There were only 45(59.2%)patients who had adequate investigations to rule out common aetiologies(gallstones,choledocholithiasis,alcohol,hypertriglyceridemia,hypercalcemia and trauma)of AP.Immunoglobulin G4 testing was conducted in 9(13.5%)patients to rule out autoimmune AP.Only 5(6.6%)patients underwent endoscopic ultrasound and/or magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatogram to rule out occult microlithiasis,pancreatic malignancy and pancreas divisum.None of the patients had other recently diagnosed viral infections apart from COVID-19 infection,or underwent genetic testing to rule out hereditary AP.There were 32(42.1%),39(51.3%)and 5(6.6%)patients with doubtful,possible,and probable cause-effect relationship respectively between COVID-19 and AP.CONCLUSION Current evidence is weak to establish a strong link between COVID-19 and AP.Investigations should be performed to rule out other causes of AP before establishing COVID-19 as an aetiology.

Effect of perioperative branched chain amino acids supplementationin liver cancer patients undergoing surgical intervention: Asystematic review

performed independently by authors(Yap KY,Chi H,Ng S)identified 50 studies for full-text evaluation.Finally,12 prospective RCTs and 4 non-randomised studies(1 non-randomised trial and 3 observational studies)were included.A detailed PRISMA diagram is shown in Figure 1.The studies included were assessed for risk of bias,with a summary of the assessment shown in Figure 2 and Table 1 for trials and non-interventional studies,respectively.The PRISMA checklist is appended in Supplementary Figure 1.

Pancreatic pseudocyst:The past,the present,and the future

A pancreatic pseudocyst is defined as an encapsulated fluid collection with a welldefined inflammatory wall with minimal or no necrosis.The diagnosis cannot be made prior to 4 wk after the onset of pancreatitis.The clinical presentation is often nonspecific,with abdominal pain being the most common symptom.If a diagnosis is suspected,contrast-enhanced computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging are performed to confirm the diagnosis and assess the characteristics of the pseudocyst.Endoscopic ultrasound with cyst fluid analysis can be performed in cases of diagnostic uncertainty.Pseudocyst of the pancreas can lead to complications such as hemorrhage,infection,and rupture.The management of pancreatic pseudocysts depends on the presence of symptoms and the development of complications,such as biliary or gastric outlet obstruction.Management options include endoscopic or surgical drainage.The aim of this review was to summarize the current literature on pancreatic pseudocysts and discuss the evolution of the definitions,diagnosis,and management of this condition.

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 — tumor marker: Past, present, andfuture

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) is a cell surface glycoprotein complex mostcommonly associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Koprowskifirst described it in 1979 using a mouse monoclonal antibody in a colorectalcarcinoma cell line. Historically, it is one of the most commonly used tumormarkers for diagnosing, managing, and prognosticating PDAC. Additionally,elevated CA 19-9 levels are used as an indication for surgery in suspected benignpancreatic conditions. Another common application of CA 19-9 in the biliary tractincludes its use as an adjunct in diagnosing cholangiocarcinoma. However, itsclinical value is not limited to the hepatopancreatobiliary system. The reality isthat the advancing literature has broadened the clinical value of CA 19-9. Thepotential value of CA 19-9 in patients' workup extends its reach to gastrointestinalcancers – such as colorectal and oesophageal cancer – and further beyond thegastrointestinal tract - including urological, gynecological, pulmonary, andthyroid pathologies. Apart from its role in investigations, CA 19-9 presents apotential therapeutic target in PDAC and acute pancreatitis. In a bid toconsolidate its broad utility, we appraised and reviewed the biomarker’s currentutility and limitations in investigations and management, while discussing thepotential applications for CA 19-9 in the works for the future.

Patients with culture negative pyogenic liver abscess have the same outcomes compared to those withKlebsiella pneumoniae pyogenic liver abscess

BACKGROUND: Etiologic organism is not frequently isolated despite multiple blood and lfuid cultures during management of pyogenic liver abscess (PLA). Such culture negative pyogen-ic liver abscess (CNPLA) is routinely managed by antibiotics targeted toKlebsiella pneumoniae. In this study, we evaluated the outcomes of such clinical practice. METHODS: All the patients with CNPLA andKlebsiella pneu-moniaePLA (KPPLA) admitted from January 2003 to Decem-ber 2011 were included in the study. A retrospective review of medical records was performed and demographic, clinical and outcome data were collected. RESULTS: A total of 528 patients were treated as CNPLA or KPPLA over the study period. CNPLA presented more com-monly with abdominal pain (P=0.024). KPPLA was more com-mon in older age (P=0.029) and was associated with thrombo-cytopenia (P=0.001), elevated creatinine (P=0.002), bilirubin (P=0.001), alanine aminotransferase (P=0.006) and C-reactive protein level (P=0.036). CNPLA patients tend to have anemia (P=0.015) and smaller abscess (P=0.008). There was no differ-ence in hospital stay (15.7 vs 16.8 days) or mortality (14.0% vs 11.0%). No patients required surgical drainage after initiation of medical therapy. CONCLUSION: Despite demographic and clinical differences between CNPLA and KPPLA, overall outcomes are not different.

Cholecystectomy for asymptomatic gallstones:Markov decision tree analysis

Gallstones are a common public health problem,especially in developed countries.There are an increasing number of patients who are diagnosed with gallstones due to increasing awareness and liberal use of imaging,with 22.6%-80% of gallstone patients being asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis.Despite being asymptomatic,this group of patients are still at life-long risk of developing symptoms and complications such as acute cholangitis and acute biliary pancreatitis.Hence,while early prophylactic cholecystectomy may have some benefits in selected groups of patients,the current standard practice is to recommend cholecystectomy only after symptoms or complications occur.After reviewing the current evidence about the natural course of asymptomatic gallstones,complications of cholecystectomy,quality of life outcomes,and economic outcomes,we recommend that the option of cholecystectomy should be discussed with all asymptomatic gallstone patients.Disclosure of material information is essential for patients to make an informed choice for prophylactic cholecystectomy.It is for the patient to decide on watchful waiting or prophylactic cholecystectomy,and not for the medical community to make a blanket policy of watchful waiting for asymptomatic gallstone patients.For patients with high-risk profiles,it is clinically justifiable to advocate cholecystectomy to minimize the likelihood of morbidity due to complications.

Diagnosis,severity stratification and management of adult acute pancreatitis–current evidence and controversies

Acute pancreatitis(AP)is a disease spectrum ranging from mild to severe with an unpredictable natural course.Majority of cases(80%)are mild and self-limiting.However,severe AP(SAP)has a mortality risk of up to 30%.Establishing aetiology and risk stratification are essential pillars of clinical care.Idiopathic AP is a diagnosis of exclusion which should only be used after extended investigations fail to identify a cause.Tenets of management of mild AP include pain control and management of aetiology to prevent recurrence.In SAP,patients should be resuscitated with goal-directed fluid therapy using crystalloids and admitted to critical care unit.Routine prophylactic antibiotics have limited clinical benefit and should not be given in SAP.Patients able to tolerate oral intake should be given early enteral nutrition rather than nil by mouth or parenteral nutrition.If unable to tolerate per-orally,nasogastric feeding may be attempted and routine post-pyloric feeding has limited evidence of clinical benefit.Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatogram should be selectively performed in patients with biliary obstruction or suspicion of acute cholangitis.Delayed step-up strategy including percutaneous retroperitoneal drainage,endoscopic debridement,or minimal-access necrosectomy are sufficient in most SAP patients.Patients should be monitored for diabetes mellitus and pseudocyst.

Role of staging laparoscopy in gastric malignancies - our institutional experience

AIM: To investigate the value of staging laparoscopy with laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS) and peritoneal lavage cytology in patients with newly-diagnosed gastric tumours in our department.METHODS: Retrospective review of prospectively-collected data was conducted in all patients with newly-diagnosed gastric tumours on oesophagogastroduode-noscopy between December 2003 and July 2008. All the patients had a pretreatment histological diagnosis and were discussed at the hospital multidisciplinary tumour board meeting for their definitive management. Computed tomography scan was performed in all patients as a part of standard preoperative staging work up. Staging laparoscopy was subsequently performed in selected patients and staging by both modalities was compared.RESULTS: Twenty seven patients were included. Majority of patients had cardio-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma. Thirteen patients (48%) were up-staged following staging laparoscopy and one patient was downstaged (3.7%). None of the patients had procedure-related complications. None of the patients with metastasis detected at laparoscopy underwent laparotomy. Gastrectomy after staging laparoscopy was performed in 13 patients (9R0 resections, 3 R1 resections and 1 R2 resection). Only one patient did not have gastrectomy at laparotomy because of extensive local invasion. Three patients were subjected to neoadjuvant therapy following laparoscopy but only one patient subsequently underwent gastrectomy. CONCLUSION: In this small series reflecting our institutional experience, staging laparoscopy appears to be safe and more accurate in detecting peritoneal and omental metastases as compared to conventional imaging. Peritoneal cytology provided additional prognostic information although there appeared to be a high false negative rate.

Sequential organ failure assessment score is superior to other prognostic indices in acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND Acute pancreatitis(AP)is a common surgical condition,with severe AP(SAP)potentially lethal.Many prognostic indices,including;acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score(APACHE II),bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis(BISAP),Glasgow score,harmless acute pancreatitis score(HAPS),Ranson’s score,and sequential organ failure assessment(SOFA)evaluate AP severity and predict mortality.AIM To evaluate these indices'utility in predicting severity,intensive care unit(ICU)admission,and mortality.METHODS A retrospective analysis of 653 patients with AP from July 2009 to September 2016 was performed.The demographic,clinical profile,and patient outcomes were collected.SAP was defined as per the revised Atlanta classification.Values for APACHE II score,BISAP,HAPS,and SOFA within 24 h of admission were retrospectively obtained based on laboratory results and patient evaluation recorded on a secure hospital-based online electronic platform.Data with<10%missing data was imputed via mean substitution.Other patient information such as demographics,disease etiology,and patient outcomes were also derived from electronic medical records.RESULTS The mean age was 58.7±17.5 years,with 58.7%males.Gallstones(n=404,61.9%),alcohol(n=38,5.8%),and hypertriglyceridemia(n=19,2.9%)were more common aetiologies.81(12.4%)patients developed SAP,20(3.1%)required ICU admission,and 12(1.8%)deaths were attributed to SAP.Ranson’s score and APACHE-II demonstrated the highest sensitivity in predicting SAP(92.6%,80.2%respectively),ICU admission(100%),and mortality(100%).While SOFA and BISAP demonstrated lowest sensitivity in predicting SAP(13.6%,24.7%respectively),ICU admission(40.0%,25.0%respectively)and mortality(50.0%,25.5%respectively).However,SOFA demonstrated the highest specificity in predicting SAP(99.7%),ICU admission(99.2%),and mortality(98.9%).SOFA demonstrated the highest positive predictive value,positive likelihood ratio,diagnostic odds ratio,and overall accuracy in predicting SAP,ICU admission,and mortality.SOFA and Ranson’s score demonstrated the highest area under receiver-operator curves at 48 h in predicting SAP(0.966,0.857 respectively),ICU admission(0.943,0.946 respectively),and mortality(0.968,0.917 respectively).CONCLUSION The SOFA and 48-h Ranson’s scores accurately predict severity,ICU admission,and mortality in AP,with more favorable statistics for the SOFA score.

Perioperative steroid administration reduces overall complications in patients undergoing liver resection:A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Hepatic resection(HR)results in an inflammatory response that can be modified by perioperative steroid administration.However,it remains to be determined if this response's attenuation translates to a reduction in complications.AIM To evaluate if perioperative administration of steroids reduces complications following HR.METHODS A systematic review of randomized controlled trials(RCTs)was conducted on PubMed,Embase,and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to evaluate the effect of perioperative steroid(compared to placebo or no intervention)use in patients undergoing HR.Clinical outcomes were extracted,and meta-analysis was performed.RESULTS 8 RCTs including 590 patients were included.Perioperative steroid administration was associated with significant reduction in postoperative complications[odds ratios:0.58;95%confidence intervals(CI):0.35-0.97,P=0.04].There was also improvement in biochemical and inflammatory markers,including serum bilirubin on postoperative day 1[MD:-0.27;95%CI:(-0.47,-0.06),P=0.01],Creactive protein on postoperative day 3[MD:-4.89;95%CI:(-5.83,-3.95),P<0.001],and interleukin-6 on postoperative day 1[MD:-54.84;95%CI:(-63.91,-45.76),P<0.001].CONCLUSION Perioperative steroids administration in HR may reduce overall complications,postoperative bilirubin,and inflammation.Further studies are needed to determine the optimal dose and duration and patient selection.

On-table hepatopancreatobiliary surgical consults for difficult cholecystectomies:A 7-year audit

Background: Cholecystectomy is considered a general surgical operation. However, general surgeons are not trained to manage severe complications such as bile duct injury(BDI) and should refer to hepatopancreatobiliary(HPB) surgeons when difficulty arises. This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of patients who had on-table HPB consults during cholecystectomy. Methods: This is an audit of 50 patients who required on-table HPB consult during cholecystectomy from 2011 to 2017. Consultations were classified as “proactive” and “reactive”, where consults were made before or after surgical incision, respectively. Patient demographics and perioperative details were collected. Results: The median age of the patients was 62.5 years [interquartile range(IQR) 50.8–71.3 years]. Eight(16%) patients had underlying HPB co-morbidity. Gallbladder wall was thickened in all patients(median 5 mm, IQR 4–7 mm), and common bile duct was of normal caliber in all patients(median 5 mm, IQR 4–6 mm). Median length of operation and length of stay were 165 min(IQR 124–209 min) and five days(IQR 3–7 days), respectively. Subtotal cholecystectomy was performed in 18(36%) patients. Forty-eight patients were initially managed by laparoscopic approach, 15(31%) required open conversion;majority(9/15, 60%) were initiated before on-table consult. Majority of referrals(98%) were reactive. Common reasons for referral included unclear anatomy or anatomical variations(30%), presence of dense adhesions and/or contracted gallbladder(18%) and impacted stones in Hartmann’s pouch(16%). Three(6%) patients were referred for BDI(2 Strasberg D and 1 Strasberg E1), and two(4%) were referred for torrential bleeding from arterial injury(1 cystic artery and 1 right hepatic artery). Any morbidity and 30-day readmission were 22% and 6%, respectively. There was no 90-day mortality. Conclusions: Calling for help in BDI is obligatory, but in other instances is a personal choice. Calling for help prior to open conversion is lacking and this awareness should be raised. Whether surgical outcomes could be improved by early HPB consult needs to be determined by larger multicenter reports.

Elderly patients(≥80 years)with acute calculous cholangitis have similar outcomes as non-elderly patients(<80 years):Propensity score-matched analysis

BACKGROUND Acute cholangitis(AC)is a disease spectrum with varying extent of severity.Age≥75 years forms part of the criteria for moderate(Grade II)severity in both the Tokyo Guidelines(TG13 and TG18).Aging is associated with reduced physiological reserves,frailty,and sarcopenia.However,there is evidence that age itself is not the determinant of inferior outcomes in elective and emergency biliary diseases.There is a paucity of reports comparing clinical outcomes amongst elderly patients vs non-elderly patients with AC.AIM To investigate the effect of age(≥80 years)on AC's morbidity and mortality using propensity score matching(PSM).METHODS This is a single-center retrospective cohort study of all patients diagnosed with calculous AC(January 2016 to December 2016)and≥80 years old(January 2012 to December 2016)at a tertiary university-affiliated teaching hospital.Inclusion criteria were patients who were treated for suspected or confirmed AC secondary to biliary stones.Patients with AC on a background of hepatobiliary malignancy,indwelling permanent metallic biliary stents,or concomitant pancreatitis were excluded.Elderly patients were defined as≥80 years old in our study.A 1:1 PSM analysis was performed to reduce selection bias and address confounding factors.Study variables include comorbidities,vital parameters,laboratory and radiological investigations,and type of biliary decompression,including the time for endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP).Primary outcomes include in-hospital mortality,30-d and 90-d mortality.Length of hospital stay(LOS)was the secondary outcome.RESULTS Four hundred fifty-seven patients with AC were included in this study(318 elderly,139 non-elderly).PSM analysis resulted in a total of 224 patients(112 elderly,112 non-elderly).The adoption of ERCP between elderly and non-elderly was similar in both the unmatched(elderly 64.8%,non-elderly 61.9%,P=0.551)and matched cohorts(elderly 68.8%and non-elderly 58%,P=0.096).The overall in-hospital mortality,30-d mortality and 90-d mortality was 4.6%,7.4%and 8.5%respectively,with no statistically significant differences between the elderly and non-elderly in both the unmatched and matched cohorts.LOS was longer in the unmatched cohort[elderly 8 d,interquartile range(IQR)6-13,vs non-elderly 8 d,IQR 5-11,P=0.040],but was comparable in the matched cohort(elderly 7.5 d,IQR 5-11,vs non-elderly 8 d,IQR 5-11,P=0.982).Subgroup analysis of patients who underwent ERCP demonstrated the majority of the patients(n=159/292,54.5%)had delayed ERCP(>72 h from presentation).There was no significant difference in LOS,30-d mortality,90-d mortality,and in-hospital mortality in patients who had delayed ERCP in both the unmatched and matched cohort matched cohort:in-hospital mortality[n=1/42(2.4%)vs 1/26(3.8%),P=0.728],30-d mortality[n=2/42(4.8%)vs 2/26(7.7%),P=0.618],90-d mortality[n=2/42(4.8%)vs 2/26(7.7%),P=0.618],and LOS(median 8.5 d,IQR 6-11.3,vs 8.5 d,IQR 6-15.3,P=0.929).CONCLUSION Mortality is indifferent in the elderly(≥80 years old)and non-elderly patients(<80 years old)with AC.

Carcinosarcoma of gallbladder:A world review

BACKGROUND Gallbladder carcinosarcoma is a rare hepatobiliary tumor comprising of both carcinomatous and sarcomatous components.Due to its rarity,the literature with regards to the topic is scarce and currently lacking,spanning less than 100 cases.AIM To summarize the current literature on gallbladder carcinosarcoma.METHODS A literature review was performed on the PubMed database using the keywords“Gallbladder”AND“Carcinosarcoma”from 1970 to 2021.Additionally,similar searches were performed on MEDLINE and Web of Science.RESULTS Risk factors noted include female gender,gallstones and chronic cholecystitis.In the absence of any diagnostic biochemical testing or tumor markers,imaging modality serves as the key initial impression tool,which can be histologically confirmed only post-resection.While surgery is the only curative option,the use of adjunctive chemotherapy has been considered on top of excision in recent years,with some success.CONCLUSION While this study has taken steps to bridge the gap in the literature,more cases should be reported to further ascertain the current associations and management potential for gallbladder carcinosarcoma.

Isolated gallbladder tuberculosis mimicking acute cholecystitis:A case report

BACKGROUND Isolated tuberculosis of the gallbladder is extremely rare due to its intrinsic resistance to tuberculous infections.There are reports of gallbladder tuberculosis mimicking cholecystitis or malignancy.However,these presentations were chronic.The diagnosis of gallbladder tuberculosis warrants the need for investigation of additional sites of inoculation and contact tracing of all tuberculosis contacts.Gallbladder tuberculosis is a rare entity but should be suspected in patients from endemic regions with risk factors such as underlying immunosuppression or history of tuberculosis.CASE SUMMARY We present a case of gallbladder tuberculosis presenting as acute cholecystitis.A 44-year-old Filipino lady presented with a 11-d history of right hypochondrium and epigastric pain which worsened after meals with no significant past medical history.She underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy on the presumptive diagnosis of acute cholecystitis and diagnosed as gallbladder tuberculosis after histopathological examination.The patient did not have features of pulmonary or systemic tuberculosis nor was she immunocompromised.She recovered uneventfully.She was subsequently discharged and followed-up at a hospital in her home country due to financial and social reasons.CONCLUSION Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for patients in endemic regions presenting with cholecystitis.

Biliary fistula and late recurrence of liver hydatid cyst:Role of cystobiliary communication:A prospective multicenter study

BACKGROUND Hydatid cyst disease(HCD)is common in certain locations.Surgery is associated with postoperative biliary fistula(POBF)and recurrence.The primary aim of this study was to identify whether occult cysto-biliary communication(CBC)can predict recurrent HCD.The secondary aim was to assess the role of cystic fluid bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase(ALP)levels in predicting POBF and recurrent HCD.AIM To identify whether occult CBC can predict recurrent HCD.The secondary aim was to assess the role of cystic fluid bilirubin and ALP levels in predicting POBF and recurrent HCD.METHODS From September 2010 to September 2016,a prospective multicenter study was undertaken involving 244 patients with solitary primary superficial stage cystic echinococcosis 2 and cystic echinococcosis 3b HCD who underwent laparoscopic partial cystectomy with omentoplasty.Univariable logistic regression analysis assessed independent factors determining biliary complications and recurrence.RESULTS There was a highly statistically significant association(P≤0.001)between cystic fluid biochemical indices and the development of biliary complications(of 16 patients with POBF,15 patients had high cyst fluid bilirubin and ALP levels),where patients with high bilirubin-ALP levels were 3405 times more likely to have biliary complications.There was a highly statistically significant association(P≤0.001)between biliary complications,biochemical indices,and the occurrence of recurrent HCD(of 30 patients with recurrent HCD,15 patients had high cyst fluid bilirubin and ALP;all 16 patients who had POBF later developed recurrent HCD),where patients who developed biliary complications and high bilirubin-ALP were 244.6 and 214 times more likely to have recurrent hydatid cysts,respectively.CONCLUSION Occult CBC can predict recurrent HCD.Elevated cyst fluid bilirubin and ALP levels predicted POBF and recurrent HCD.