Evaluating the efficacy of endoscopic sphincterotomy on biliary-type sphincter of Oddi dysfunction: A retrospective clinical trial

BACKGROUND Although endoscopic sphincterotomy(EST)has a positive therapeutic effect on biliary-type sphincter of Oddi dysfunction(SOD),some patients still have little relief after EST,which implies that other functional abdominal pain may also be present with biliary-type SOD and interfere with the diagnosis and treatment of it.AIM To retrospectively assess EST as a treatment for biliary-type SOD and analyze the importance of functional gastrointestinal disorder(FGID)in guiding endoscopic treatment of SOD.METHODS Clinical data of 79 patients with biliary-type SOD(type I and type II)treated with EST at Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University from January 2014 to January 2019 were retrospectively collected to evaluate the clinical therapeutic effect of EST.The significance of relationship between FGID and biliary-type SOD was analyzed.RESULTS Seventy-nine patients with biliary-type SOD received EST,including 29 type 1 patients and 50 type 2 patients.The verbal rating scale-5(VRS-5)scores before EST were all 3 or 4 points,and the scores decreased after EST;the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).After EST,the serum indexes of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin in biliary-type SOD were significantly lower than before(P<0.05).After EST,67(84.8%)and 8(10.1%)of the 79 patients with biliary-type SOD had obviously effective(VRS-5=0 points)and effective treatment(VRS-5=1-2 points),with an overall effectiveness rate of 94.9%(75/79).There was no difference in VRS-5 scores between biliary-type SOD patients with or without FGID before EST(P>0.05).Of 12 biliary-type SOD(with FGID)patients,11 had abdominal pain after EST;of 67 biliary-type SOD(without FGID)patients,0 had abdominal pain after EST.The difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).The 11 biliary-type SOD(with FGID)patients with recurrence of symptoms,the recurrence time was about half a year after the EST,and the symptoms were significantly relieved after regular medical treatment.There were 4 cases of postendoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis(5.1%),and no cholangitis,bleeding or perforation occurred.Patients were followed up for 1 year to 5 years after EST,with an average follow-up time of 2.34 years,and there were no long-term adverse events such as sphincter of Oddi restenosis or cholangitis caused by intestinal bile reflux during the follow-up.CONCLUSION EST is a safe and effective treatment for SOD.For patients with type I and II SOD combined with FGID,single EST or medical treatment has limited efficacy.It is recommended that EST and medicine be combined to improve the cure rate of such patients.

Update on Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction: A Review

Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction(SOD)encompasses a spectrum of clinical syndromes that are not fully understood,and various diagnostic and therapeutic methods have had varying results depending on the type of dysfunction.This review explored various mechanisms that might play a role in SOD and methods of diagnosis and management.It is important to rule out other causes of abdominal pain with laboratory testing,imaging studies,and endoscopic procedures.Medications that affect sphincter motility should be identified as well.Manometry is the gold standard for diagnosis but it is not always required.For example,patients with type I SOD may have symptomatic improvement with sphincterotomy without need for a diagnostic manometry.Hepatobiliary scintigraphy and fatty meal sonography may also have diagnostic utility.Sphincterotomy is not always effective for symptomatic improvement in type II and III SOD.Alternate therapies with calcium channel blockers and botulinum toxin have been studied and might be considered as options after discussing the risks and benefits with the patients.

Biliary microlithiasis,sludge,crystals, microcrystallization,and usefulness of assessment of nucleation time

BACKGROUND:The process of microcrystallization,its sequel and the assessment of nucleation time is ignored.This systematic review aimed to highlight the importance of biliary microlithiasis,sludge,and crystals,and their association with gallstones,unexplained biliary pain,idiopathic pancreatitis, and sphincter of Oddi dysfunction.DATA SOURCES:Three reviewers performed a literature search of the PubMed database.Key words used were'biliary microlithiasis','biliary sludge','bile crystals','cholesterol crystallisation','bile microscopy','microcrystal formation of bile','cholesterol monohydrate crystals','nucleation time of cholesterol','gallstone formation','sphincter of Oddi dysfunction'and'idiopathic pancreatitis'.Additional articles were sourced from references within the studies from the PubMed search.RESULTS:We found that biliary microcrystals account for almost all patients with gallstone disease,7%to 79%with idiopathic pancreatitis,83%with unexplained biliary pain, and 25%to 60%with altered biliary and pancreatic sphincter function.Overall,the detection of biliary microcrystals in gallstone disease has a sensitivity ranging from 55%to 87%and a specificity of 100%.In idiopathic pancreatitis,the presence of microcrystals ranges from 47%to 90%.A nucleation time less than 10 days in hepatic bile or ultra-filtered gallbladder bile has a specificity of 100%for cholesterol gallstone disease.CONCLUSIONS:Biliary crystals are associated with gallstone disease,idiopathic pancreatitis,sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, unexplained biliary pain,and post-cholecystectomy biliary pain.Pathways of cholesterol super-saturation,crystallisation, and gallstone formation have been described with scientificsupport.Bile microscopy is a useful method to detect microcrystals and the assessment of nucleation time is a good method of predicting the risk of cholesterol crystallisation.

The Effects of Cholecystojejunostomy and Biliary Drainage on Biliary Motor

Summary: Simulating physiological neuronal and hormonal conditions during digestive and interdigestive periods, the study identified the changes of the motility of biliary system including bile duct and sphincter of Oddi (SO) before and after cholecystojejunostomy. Thirty-five rabbits were divided into five groups randomly. The experimental groups received the venous injection of CCK 10 ng/kg, erythromycin 10 mg/kg, atropine 3 μg/kg and L-NAME 10 mg/kg respectively. Each rabbit underwent manometry through introducing a three-lumen catheter via the papilla retrogradely, using the low-compliance papillary infusion system. Then the gallbladder and the upper segment of the jejunum was anastomosed and the manometric procedures repeated after one week. SO basal pressure was increased, contraction amplitude decreased, contraction time shortened after cholecystojejunostomy. L-NAME, CCK and erythromycin could all excite SO. L-NAME could increase basal pressure and contraction amplitude, CCK increase basal pressure contraction amplitude and frequency, and erythromycin increase contraction amplitude, respectively. But comparing with that before cholecystojejunostomy, the increasing extent was decreased. The tensional and spontaneous contractions of the SO were under the control of the neural and hormonal mechanism. The anastomosis of gallbladder and jejunum and the drainage of bile made the tensional contraction stronger, but the spontaneous contraction weakened after the operation due to the decreases of the sensitivity of SO to hormonal factors. The clinical symptoms may not be relieved when the patients with SO dysfunction accepted cholecystojejunostomy.