Endoscopic intramural cystogastrostomy for treatment of peripancreatic fluid collection: A viewpoint from a surgeon

Percutaneous or endoscopic drainage is the initial choice for the treatment of peripancreatic fluid collection in symptomatic patients.Endoscopic transgastric fenestration(ETGF)was first reported for the management of pancreatic pseu-docysts of 20 patients in 2008.From a surgeon’s viewpoint,ETGF is a similar procedure to cystogastrostomy in that they both produce a wide outlet orifice for the drainage of fluid and necrotic debris.ETGF can be performed at least 4 wk after the initial onset of acute pancreatitis and it has a high priority over the surgical approach.However,the surgical approach usually has a better success rate because surgical cystogastrostomy has a wider outlet(>6 cm vs 2 cm)than ETGF.However,percutaneous or endoscopic drainage,ETGF,and surgical approach offer various treatment options for peripancreatic fluid collection patients based on their conditions.

Early endoscopic management of an infected acute necrotic collection misdiagnosed as a pancreatic pseudocyst: A case report

BACKGROUND Infected acute necrotic collection(ANC)is a fatal complication of acute pancre-atitis with substantial morbidity and mortality.Drainage plays an exceedingly important role as the first step in invasive intervention for infected necrosis;however,there is great controversy about the optimal drainage time,and better treatment should be explored.CASE SUMMARY We report the case of a 43-year-old man who was admitted to the hospital with severe intake reduction due to early satiety 2 wk after treatment for acute pancre-atitis;conservative treatment was ineffective,and a pancreatic pseudocyst was suspected on contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT).Endoscopic ultra-sonography(EUS)suggested hyperechoic necrotic tissue within the cyst cavity.The wall was not completely mature,and the culture of the puncture fluid was positive for A-haemolytic Streptococcus.Thus,the final diagnosis of ANC in-fection was made.The necrotic collection was not walled off and contained many solid components;therefore,the patient underwent EUS-guided aspiration and lavage.Two weeks after the collection was completely encapsulated,pancreatic duct stent drainage via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)was performed,and the patient was subsequently successfully discharged.On repeat CT,the pancreatic cysts had almost disappeared during the 6-month fo-llow-up period after surgery.CONCLUSION Early EUS-guided aspiration and lavage combined with late ERCP catheter drainage may be effective methods for intervention in infected ANCs.

Pancreatic Abscess: An Infection Occurring with Minimal Tissue Present

Pancreatic abscess typically occurs 4 weeks after acute pancreatitis begins and is defined as an infection of the pancreatic pseudocyst. There are other causes which include but are not limited to iatrogenic intra-abdominal procedures, chronic pancreatitis, and sending from distant sites. These abscesses are typically collections of pus that are within the region of the pancreas. There is also pancreatic necrosis that is seen among these abscesses. Here is a report on a case of a pancreatic abscess of unusual occurrence in a patient that had a near-total distal pancreatectomy. This is uncommon as the patient has very minimal pancreatic tissue remaining, yet still has developed this intra-abdominal abscess. These abscesses must be recognized quickly and removed to prevent further complications from occurring.

Pancreatic Pseudocyst Rupture: Cause of Acute Abdomen

Case report of a 23-year-old male patient with a pancreatic pseudocyst, initially was treated by the Interventional Radiology service by placing percutaneous drainage with poor evolution, abruptly presented abdominal pain, Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and peritoneal irritation, so an urgent exploratory laparotomy was performed with a finding of rupture of the pancreatic pseudocyst into the abdominal cavity. He presented septic shock and died in the immediate postoperative period. Computerized Axial Tomography represents the ideal diagnostic method. Spontaneous rupture is extremely rare and requires urgent surgical intervention.

Treatment of Retrogastric Pancreatic Pseudocysts by Laparoscopic Transgastric Cystogastrostomy

This paper discusses variations of laparoscopic transgastric cystogastrostomy in management of retrogastric pancreatic pseudocysts for 8 patients with symptom or pseudocysts（larger than 6 cm） companied with clinical manifestations. Using a Harmonic scalpel, two 3–5-cm incisions were made in the anterior and posterior gastric wall respectively. In the last step, the anterior gastrotomy was closed with an Endo-GIA stapler. All cases were successfully treated without large blood loss and without conversion to open surgery. The mean operative time was 114.29±19.24 min, blood loss was 157.14±78.70 mL, and mean hospital stay was 8.29±2.98 days. Gastric fistula occurred in one case on the postoperative day 7, and closed 1 month later. No bleeding was seen in all patients during the perioperative follow-up period. CT scans, given one month after the surgeries, displayed that the pancreatic pseudocysts disappeared or decreased in size, and ultrasounds showed no fluid or food residue in stomas at the third and fifth month following surgery. No patient experienced a recurrence during the follow-up period. Transgastric laparoscopic cystogastrostomy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure with a high rate of success and a low rate of recurrence, accompanied by rapid recovery. It is easy to master, safe to perform and may be the preferred option to treat retrogastric pancreatic pseudocysts.

Current status of treatments of pancreatic and peripancreatic collections of acute pancreatitis

Pancreatic and peripancreatic collections are the main local complications of acute pancreatitis with a high incidence.In the early phase,most acute pancreatic and peripancreatic collections can resolve spontaneously with supportive treatment.However,in some cases,they will develop into pancreatic pseudocyst(PPC)or walled-off necrosis(WON).When causing symptoms or coinfection,both PPC and WON may require invasive intervention.Compared to PPC,which can be effectively treated by endoscopic ultrasound-guided transmural drainage with plastic stents,the treatment of WON is more complicated and challenging,particularly in the presence of infected necrosis.In the past few decades,with the development of minimally invasive interventional technology especially the progression of endoscopic techniques,the standard treatments of those severe complications have undergone tremendous changes.Currently,based on the robust evidence from randomized controlled trials,the step-up minimally invasive approaches have become the standard treatments for WON.However,the pancreatic fistulae during the surgical step-up treatment and the stent-related complications during the endoscopic step-up treatment should not be neglected.In this review article,we will mainly discuss the indications of PPC and WON,the timing for intervention,and minimally invasive treatment,especially endoscopic treatment.We also introduced our preliminary experience in endoscopic gastric fenestration,which may be a promising innovative method for the treatment of WON.

Exocrine pancreatic function during the early recovery phase of acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND:Exocrine pancreatic dysfunction has been reported in humans in the convalescent period after acute pancreatitis,but the data are scarce and conflicting.This study aimed to prospectively assess the exocrine pancreatic function in patients with acute pancreatitis at the time of their refeeding. METHODS:Fecal elastase-1 was determined on the day of refeeding in all consecutive acute pancreatitis patients with their first episode of the disease.They were 75 patients including 60(80.0%)patients with mild acute pancreatitis and 15(20.0%)patients with severe acute pancreatitis. Etiologically 61 patients(81.3%)had biliary disease,1(1.3%) had alcoholic disease and 3(4.0%)had hypertriglyceridemia. No causes of acute pancreatitis were found in the remaining 10 patients(13.3%).The mean(±SD)refeeding time after the attack of acute panereatitis was 11.2±10.2 days. RESULTS:Pathological values of FE-1 were found in 9 of the 75 patients(12.0%):7(9.3%)patients with mild pancreatitis and 2(2.7%)patients with severe pancreatitis(P=1.000). The frequency of the pathological values of fecal elastase-1 was significantly different from that of various etiologies of the disease(P=0.030).It was significantly lower in patients with biliary pancreatitis(9.8%;P=0.035)than in one patient with alcoholic pancreatitis(P=0.126),one patient with hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis(33.3%; P=0.708),and one patient with idiopathic pancreatitis (10.0%;P=0.227).Pathological fecal elastase-1 was not significantly related to sex,age or day of refeeding.CONCLUSION:Exocrine pancreatic function should be routinely assessed in patients with acute pancreatitis at the time of refeeding in order to supplement their diet with pancreatic extracts.

Pancreatic pseudocyst filled with semisolid lipids mimicking solid mass on endoscopic ultrasound

Pancreatic pseudocysts,which account for 70%-90% of pancreatic cystic lesions,characteristically are non-epithelially lined cystic cavities that are contiguous with the pancreas. Pancreatic pseudocysts can be caused by acute,chronic or traumatic pancreatitis and should be differentiated from other pancreatic diseases with cystic appearances,especially cystic neoplasms. We report a unique case of a pancreatic pseudocyst filled with semisolid lipids,which appeared by endoscopic ultrasound as a solid mass,and was therefore resected.

Pancreaticopleuralfistula:etiology,treatmentandlong-termfollow-up

BACKGROUND:Pancreaticopleural fistula(PPF) are uncommon.Complex multidisciplinary treatment is required due to nutritional compromise and sepsis.This is the first description of long-term follow-up of patients with PPF.METHODS:Eleven patients with PPF treated at a specialist unit were identified.Causation,investigation,treatment and outcomes were recorded.RESULTS:Pancreatitis was the etiology of the PPF in 9 patients,and in the remaining 2 the PPF developed following distal pancreatectomy.Cross-sectional imaging demonstrated the site of duct disruption in 10 cases,with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography identifying the final case.Suppression of pancreatic exocrine secretion and percutaneous drainage formed the mainstay of treatment.Five cases resolved following pancreatic duct stent insertion and three patients required surgical treatment for established empyema.There were no complications.In all cases that resolved there has been no recurrence of PPF over a median follow-up of 50 months(range 15-62).CONCLUSIONS:PPF is an uncommon event complicating pancreatitis or pancreatectomy;pancreatic duct disruption is the common link.A step-up approach consisting of minimally invasive techniques treats the majority with surgery needed for refractory sepsis.

Percutaneous drainage in the treatment of intrahepatic pancreatic pseudocyst with Budd-Chiari syndrome:A case report

BACKGROUND Intrahepatic pancreatic pseudocyst(IHPP)is an extremely rare complication of acute pancreatitis,with only a few cases previously described in the literature.To the best of our knowledge,IHPP with Budd-Chiari syndrome(BCS)has not yet been described.CASE SUMMARY A 35-year-old male presented with abdominal pain,vomiting and anorexia,followed by severe swelling of the lower body after 4 d.The morphological assessment(using computed tomography revealed the presence of a huge cyst of 18.28 cm×10.34 cm under the liver capsule accompanied by a large amount of ascites.Percutaneous puncture allowed us to detect a high level of amylase in the collection,confirming the diagnosis of IHPP.The cyst was treated by percu-taneous drainage,producing complete resolution of the cyst.CONCLUSION IHPP can be treated with percutaneous drainage,endoscopic drainage,surgery or even conservative treatment,depending on the specific condition.We recommend percutaneous drainage as the first choice of treatment when IHPP with secondary BCS.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided drainage of pancreatic fluid collections: The impact of evolving experience and new technologies in diagnosis and treatment over the last two decades

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided drainage is the preferred approach for drainage of pan- creatic uid collections (PFCs) due to the better experience and signi cant progress using newer stents and access devices during last decade. This study aimed to evaluate the role of the evolving experience and possible in uence of new technological devices on the outcome of patients evaluated for PFCs and submitted to EUS-guided drainage during two different periods: the early period at the beginning of experience when a standardized technique was used and the late period when the increased experience of the operator, combined with different stents quality were introduced in the management of PFCs. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of a cohort of 91 consecutive patients, who underwent EUS-guided drainage of symptomatic PFCs from October 2001 to September 2017. Demographic, therapeutic results, complications, and outcomes were compared between early years’ group (2001 2008) and late years’ group (2009 2017). Results: Endoscopic treatment was successfully achieved in 55.6% (20/36) of patients in the early years’ group, and in 96.4% (53/55) in the late years’ group. Eighteen patients (12 in early years’ and 6 in the late year’s group) required additional open surgery. Procedural complications were observed in 5 patients, 4 in early years’ and 1 in late years’ group. Mortality was registered in two patients (2.2%), one for each group. Conclusions: During our long-term survey using EUS-guided endoscopic drainage of PFCs, signi cantly better outcomes in term of improved success rate and decrease complications rate were observed during the late period.

Sinistral portal hypertension associated with pancreatic pseudocysts - ultrasonography findings: A case report

BACKGROUND Sinistral portal hypertension associated with pancreatic pseudocysts is rare,often caused by extrinsic compression of splenic vein,the follow-up examinations by ultrasonography for early diagnosis are quietly necessary since haematemesis,a life-threatening condition.Few studies have reported the ultrasonography findings of sinistral portal hypertension.CASE SUMMARY A 52-year-old man presented with acute abdominal pain after drinking,steatorrhea,weight loss and accidentally melena in the past 2 mo.He underwent ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in other hospital and diagnosed with pancreatic pseudocysts.Ultrasonography imaging,in our department,appeared as cystic heterogeneous hypoechoic area with the size of 4.7 cm×3.8 cm that located posterior to the body and tail of pancreas,adjacent to splenic vein associated with thrombosis resulted from compression.Spleen incrassated to approximately 7.3 cm,but no dilation of main portal vein was presented.Color Doppler Flow Imaging demonstrated the formation of splenic venous collateral,nevertheless no significantly flow signals was observed in splenic vein.Pulsed Doppler revealed that the peak velocity of splenic venous collateral was 18.4 cm/s with continuous waveform.Laparotomy confirmed sinistral portal hypertension associated with pancreatic pseudocysts,subsequently distal pancreatectomy combined with splenectomy and partial gastrectomy was performed.CONCLUSION It’s important clinically to know the ultrasound appearance of sinistral portal hypertension associated with pancreatic pseudocysts for sonographer and physician.

Massive gastric bleeding-perforation of pancreatic pseudocyst into the stomach: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Pancreatic pseudocyst may cause serious gastrointestinal complications including necrosis,infection,and perforation of the gastrointestinal tract wall,but massive gastric bleeding is very rare.CASE We report a rare case of a 49-year-old man with life-threatening gastric bleeding from a pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery perforating the stomach induced by pancreatic pseudocyst.During hospitalization,gastroscopy revealed a bare blood vessel in an ulcer-like depression of the greater gastric curvature,and computed tomography scan confirmed a pancreatic pseudocyst invading part of the spleen and gastric wall of the greater curvature.Arteriography showed that the bare blood vessel originated from a pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery.The bleeding was controlled by the trans-arterial embolization,the patient’s recovery was rapid and uneventful.CONCLUSION Massive gastrointestinal bleeding could be a rare complication of pancreatic pseudo aneurysm.

Sequential therapy with combined trans-papillary endoscopic nasopancreatic and endoscopic retrograde pancreatic drainage for pancreatic pseudocysts

BACKGROUND Endoscopic retrograde pancreatic drainage(ERPD)and stent implantation has become the major treatment method for pancreatic pseudocysts.However,it is associated with a high recurrence rate and infection.AIM To manage pancreatic pseudocysts by sequential therapy with endoscopic nasopancreatic drainage(ENPD)combined with ERPD and evaluate the treatment outcome.METHODS One hundred and sixty-two cases of pancreatic pseudocyst confirmed by endoscopic examination at our hospital between January 2014 and January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 152 cases of intubation via the duodenal papilla,of which 92 involved pancreatic duct stent implantation and 60 involved sequential therapy with combined ENPD and ERPD(two-step procedure).The success rate of the procedure,incidence of complications(infection,bleeding,etc.),recurrence,and length and cost of hospitalization were compared between the two groups.RESULTS The incidence of infection was significantly higher in the ERPD group(12 cases)than in the two-step procedure group(2 cases).Twelve patients developed infection in the ERPD group,and anti-infection therapy was effective in five cases but not in the remaining seven cases.Infection presented as fever and chills in the two-step procedure group.The reoperation rate was significantly higher in the ERPD group with seven cases compared with zero cases in the two-step procedure group(P<0.05).Similarly,the recurrence rate was significantly higher in the ERPD group(19 cases)than in the two-step procedure group(0 cases).CONCLUSION Sequential therapy with combined ENPD and ERPD is safe and effective in patients with pancreatic pseudocysts.

Efficacy and safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in recurrent pancreatitis of pediatric asparaginase-associated pancreatitis

BACKGROUND Asparaginase(ASP)is an important drug in combined chemotherapy regimens for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia(ALL);ASP-associated pancreatitis(AAP)is the main adverse reaction of ASP.Recurrent pancreatitis is a complication of AAP,for which medication is ineffective.AIM To evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP)in treating recurrent pancreatitis due to AAP.METHODS From May 2018 to August 2021,ten children(five males and five females;age range:4–13 years)with AAP were treated using ERCP due to recurrent pancreatitis.Clinical data of the ten children were collected,including their sex,age,weight,ALL risk grading,clinical symptoms at the onset of pancreatitis,time from the first pancreatitis onset to ERCP,ERCP operation status,and postoperative complications.The symptomatic relief,weight change,and number of pancreatitis onsets before and after ERCP were compared.RESULTS The preoperative symptoms were abdominal pain,vomiting,inability to eat,weight loss of 2-7 kg,and 2-9 pancreatitis onsets.After the operation,nine of ten patients did not develop pancreatitis,had no abdominal pain,could eat normally;the remaining patient developed three pancreatitis onsets due to the continuous administration of ASP,but eating was not affected.The postoperative weight gain was 1.5-8 kg.There was one case of post ERCP pancreatitis and two cases of postoperative infections;all recovered after medication.CONCLUSION ERCP improved clinical symptoms and reduced the incidence of pancreatitis,and was shown to be a safe and effective method for improving the management of recurrent pancreatitis due to AAP.

Endoscopic ultrasound in chronic pancreatitis: Where are we now?

Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is well suited for assessment of the pancreas due to its high resolution and the proximity of the transducer to the pancreas, avoiding air in the gut. Evaluation of chronic pancreatitis (CP) was an early target for EUS, initially just for diagnosis but later for therapeutic purposes. The diagnosis of CP is still accomplished using the standard scoring based on nine criteria, all considered to be of equal value. For diagnosis of any CP, at least three or four criteria must be fulf illed, but for diagnosis of severe CP at least six criteria are necessary. The Rosemont classif ication, more restrictive, aims to standardize the criteria and assigns different values to different features, but requires further validation. EUS-f ine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is less advisable for diagnosis of diffuse CP due to its potential side effects. Elastography and contrast-enhanced EUS are orientation in differentiating a focal pancreatic mass in a parenchyma with features of CP, but they cannot replace EUS-FNA. The usefulness of EUS-guided celiac block for painful CP is still being debated with regard to the best technique and the indications. EUS-guided drainage of pseudocysts is preferred in non-bulging pseudocysts or in the presence of portal hypertension. EUS-guided drainage of the main pancreatic duct should be reserved for cases in which endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography has failed owing to difficult cannulation of the papilla or diff icult endotherapy. It should be performed only by highly skilled endoscopists, due to the high rate of complications.

Totally laparoscopic Roux-en-Y cystojejunostomy as a sole treatment option for pancreatic pseudocysts： a report of four cases

Pancreatic pseudocyst （PPC） is one of the most common complications of acute pancreatitis,pancreatic injury or surgery.When the pseudocyst exceeds 6 cm in diameter and sustains over 6 weeks,1patients may suffer from abdominal pain, co-morbid illness, or the presence of abdominal mass.As such large pseudocyst is unlikely to resolve spontaneously, surgical treatment is necessary.

Advancements in the endoscopic treatment of pancreatic fluid collections

Endoscopic drainage of pancreatic fluid collections(PFCs)with fewer complications and less trauma has gradually replaced surgery or percutaneous drainage to become the first-line treatment for PFCs.In recent years,the differential efficacy of various stent techniques to drain different types of PFCs has been controversial.This review summarizes the clinical applications of endoscopic ultrasound-guided stent placement for PFCs drainage.

Comparative outcomes of endoscopic ultrasound-guided lumen-apposing mental stents drainage for pancreatic pseudocysts and walled-off necrosis:Case series and meta-analysis

Background:Endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)-guided transmural drainage for pancreatic fluid collections(PFCs)has become the first-line treatment with quicker recovery and more minor injury compared with surgery and percutaneous drainage.The efficacy of stents implantation and drainage for different PFCs remains controversial,especially lumen-apposing metal stents(LAMS).This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of LAMS drainage for pancreatic pseudocysts(PPC)and walled-off necrosis(WON).Methods:A meta-analysis was performed for LAMS drainage for WON and PPC by systematically searching PubMed,Cochrane,and Embase databases from January 2010 to January 2020.From 2017 to 2019,12 patients who were treated with LAMS drainage for PFCs in our medical center were also reviewed and included in this study.Results:Combining 11 copies of documents with the data from our medical center,a total of 585 patients with PFCs were enrolled in this meta-analysis,including 343 patients with WON and 242 with PPC.The technical success rate in WON is not significantly different from that of PPC(P=0.08>0.05).The clinical success of LAMS placement was achieved in 99%vs 89%in PPC and WON,respectively(RR=0.92,95%CI:0.86-0.98,P=0.01<0.05).The further intervention of direct endoscopic necrosectomy was required by 60%of patients in WON group.There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events,including infection,bleeding,stent migration and stent occlusion,after LAMS placement between WON and PPC.Conclusions:Endoscopic ultrasound-guided LAMS for PFCs are feasible,effective with preferable technical and clinical success rates.The clinical effect of LAMS on PPC is slightly better than that of WON,but its adverse reactions still need to be verified in a large-sample prospective study.

A bibliometric study on pancreatic cystic disease research

Pancreatic cystic disease is being increasingly identified in patients,and many relevant papers have been published in this field.A bibliometric analysis was previously performed to identify the most influential studies in many subject areas,and the top 100 most cited papers on pancreatic cystic disease were analyzed in this study.The Web of Science database was searched for all papers related to pancreatic cystic disease on June 9,2018.The top 100 most cited papers were selected and listed in descending order based on the total number of citations(TCs).The author,journal,institution,country of origin,and research focus were further analyzed.The most cited papers were published between 1975 and 2015.Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm was the most commonly studied subtype(36%),followed by pancreatic pseudocyst(16%),solid pseudopapillary neoplasm(9%),and mucinous cystic neoplasm(7%).The average number of TCs was 282,and the average citation index value was 21.Thirty-eight journals published the top 100 papers;Annals of Surgery(n=14)and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy(n=11)published the most papers.Most papers were published in the United States of America(59%),with the majority from Johns Hopkins Medical Institution(15%).Canto MI from Johns Hopkins Medical Institution authored the largest number of most cited papers(n=8).This study reviews the significant achievements and developmental trends in pancreatic cystic disease.Abbreviations:CI=citation index,IPMN=intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm,MCN=mucinous cystic neoplasm,PP=pancreatic pseudocyst,SCN=serous cystic neoplasm,SPN=solid pseudopapillary neoplasm,TC=total number of citation.